Titanic. The name says it all. We hear the word, the name of the ship, and our minds begin recounting the story and remembering the tragic deaths of so many. Due to various accounts, the number of passengers fluctuates as does the number of deceased. Roughly 1,500 died as a result of the Titanic’s sinking on April 15, 1912.
Interestingly, an article was posted on grunge.com that speculated the difference that could have been made in the world if those 1,500 passengers had not perished. The article named just 10 individuals. One of the 10 mentioned was Major Archibold Butt, a military aide who had served both President Theodore Roosevelt and was currently serving President William Howard Taft. Though a Republican, Roosevelt’s policies leaned to the hard left. After two terms, Taft became president, groomed for the position by Roosevelt.
Taft was a true conservative Republican which rankled Roosevelt. There must have been many squabbles between the two and Major Butt, a friend to both, was stuck in the middle. His trip to Europe was an escape from his feuding friends, as well as a diplomatic trip to the Vatican on behalf of Taft. The man who was able to help two argumentative friends meet in the middle was killed on the Titanic – but not until after he was instrumental in getting the women and children to life rafts.
Then, there was Benjamin Guggenheim. His family today is known more in the art world but as these Swiss immigrants began to get established in the United States, they were opening copper mills and Benjamin helped found the International Steam Pump Company. This family donated large sums to charity. With his death came the loss of ability to make the money, much less donate the money.
Another deceased character is W.T. Stead. He was the son of a Congregationalist pastor in England. By the age of five, Stead could read Latin as well as English. His high moral values drove him not to a pulpit but to journalism where he wrote article after article excoriating the British for their lack of morality. He has been called the Father of Investigative Journalism.1
In 1885, Stead wrote four articles called The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon. He showed how easy it was to purchase a 13-year-old girl and bring her into the child prostitution market. Though his article exposed a horrible trade that was taking place in London, he was charged for having entered it in the first place, even though his purpose was only to expose, not participate. He received three months in jail for his efforts, nevertheless, it drove Parliament to pass the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.
Unfortunately, before Stead boarded Titanic, he became deeply involved in spiritualism. He would seek out mediums to contact the dead. Stead would visit psychics and started writing more and more about the spirit world. This caused his avid readers to lose confidence in him.2
I don’t mean to take anything away from the deceased. Certainly, some of those 1,500 could have made contributions to the world and society as a whole. Others, though, would have found that their influence went no farther than their own families – which is more than enough! But here’s the thing that gets me –
The National Right To Life Center has estimated that over 63 million babies have been legally aborted since 1973. Why is nobody writing an article suggesting the difference that those babies might have made in our world? How many cures for disease were aborted? How many financial solutions were sucked from a womb? How many world leaders were assassinated in their mothers before they had ever risen to world power? How many philanthropists, business leaders, inventors, scholars, and teachers died on the altar of choice? And how many future missionaries, pastors, and evangelists were snuffed into eternity before they ever had the chance to “go and tell others?”
Psalms 71:5-6 says, “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. (6) By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” And, Isaiah 49:1-5 says, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (2) And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; (3) And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (4) Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. (5) And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.”
62,998,500. That is the difference between the number of Titanic deceased and the deceased from abortion. The next time we read articles that herald those we’ve lost and postulates the difference they could have made, think about the unnamed ones we’ve lost and wonder what difference they could have made.
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (15) My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (16) Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (17) How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalms 139:14-17)
1https://www.grunge.com/32182/people-died-titanic-changed-world/
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._T._Stead
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