Pro-Life leaders say critics in a logjam after courthouse tree vigil

MANSFIELD — After critics of a new landscaping plan held a vigil April 5th on the courthouse lawn eulogizing dead trees, supporters of the outdoor facelift believe the green movement group is “barking up the wrong tree.” One Pro-Life activist says he has never seen any of the participants depicted in the WMFD-TV video of the courthouse candlelight ceremony at weekly prayer vigils at Planned Parenthood.

“It is revealing that these tree advocates are not mourning the loss of human life,” says Greg Jevnikar. “In my opinion they are sending the youth of North Central Ohio the wrong message, focusing on the welfare of trees instead of human beings.”

According to Reverend James Spencer of Peoples’ Baptist Church, “The vigil eulogizing the trees held in the courthouse front lawn had nothing to do with Biblical faith. And the song “Amazing Grace” played by the bagpipes (during the ceremony) was irreverent, the church hymn has nothing to do with trees, only human beings receive grace.”

County Commissioner Tony Vero told Frontlines Ohio that ten of the twelve trees removed from the County Courthouse grounds were large tulip poplars that were more than fifty feet high and adjacent to a public building. “Originally the maintenance department brought this safety issue to our (Commissioner Board’s) attention when one to the trees fell down across the sidewalk, along with several other large branches. A number of big branches have fallen during several high wind events and this has become a continual maintenance issue.”

Outspoken critic Cathy Goldman called the new landscaping plan “the execution and destruction of the trees,” an unforgivable act” and that the commissioners “did not deserve to be public officials.”

Both Jevnikar and Pastor Spencer believe the liberal group has an axe to grind with the Commissioner Board which is composed of three Republicans.

“When a person says the trees that were cut down were “executed” and that it was “an unforgivable act,” that person has elevated a tree to the status of personhood, says Pastor Spencer. “This is morally wrong, it’s absurd, and it leads to the tearing down of justice.”

“Isaiah 59:14-15 laments ‘Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth.’ If they want to talk about injustice, let’s talk about babies, let’s talk about mothers. While animal cruelty is wrong, infanticide is evil and the ideology behind infanticide by people who have the ability to reason is sinister,” says the Pastor.

According Jevnikar, this ideology has led to destructive public policy. “While sixty million babies and counting are being murdered in this country, our federal government makes it a felony to disturb turtle eggs and eagle eggs because the eggs contain babies inside. On the other hand, ultrasound and other technologies confirm that inside a pregnant mother’s womb is a living baby with a heartbeat. It seems ideology and not biology drive these activists and the federal government.”

Pastor Spencer comments, “As Romans 1:25 and 28 states, ” They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.”

“I am thankful that we do not have have politicians on the Commissioners’ Board like those in Virginia, New York City or Washington D.C.. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

Jevnikar adds, “Clearly the local green movement lost a lot of credibility with this.”

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Romans One, “GOD also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of GOD into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator..”