The Christian New York Times
We well know that many academic institutions were founded by Christians and now preach an atheistic gospel. Some of the great newspapers have a similar story. The New York Times was established in 1851 by Henry Raymond, a Bible-believing Presbyterian. Unlike today, the Times had a reputation for accurate news coverage and for exposing corruption. Its exposé of the abortion trade has been ignored, but its long-range impact shows the significance of Christian journalism. Abortion was officially illegal in New York City, but it ran rampant from the 1840s through the 1860s. Though newspapers such as the New York Times complained of the “perpetration of infant murder” in editorials, little was done until a reporter for the Times, Augustus St. Clair, began an undercover investigation into Manhattan’s abortion business. The culmination of St. Clair’s investigation was the August 23, 1871 story headlined “The Evil of the Age.” His hard-hitting article portrayed every facet of the abortion industry. Public sentiment was aroused but something more was needed to galvanize people to action. Tragically for the victim but providentially for the anti-abortion effort, the body of a beautiful young woman was discovered stuffed in a trunk at a railway station baggage room. An autopsy revealed that death was a result of a botched abortion. This story of horror galvanized the public. A national campaign resulted in making abortion illegal in every state. For a short season, the New York Times glorified God by making a difference in the world.
American Vision P.O. Box 220, Powder Springs, GA 30127, 800-628-9460, www.americanvision.org . History Unwrapped by Gary DeMar.
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