Interview with James Niemela (10.24.2006)

Christian Activist Pro-Life News: 'When we vote for that which is right, we never waste our vote.' - Who are you voting for? - 10.24.06

Volume 4, Issue 37 - October 24, 2006

Dear Friends for LIFE,

Praise the LORD for the men He has raised up to stand for the Gospel and the pre-born babies. In this issue of Christian Activist Pro-Life News you will meet Mr. James Niemela whom the LORD is using in a mighty way in Michigan and beyond.

Please be blessed as you read his interview.

Thank you,

Angela Wittman, Publisher and Editor

Christian Activist Pro-Life News

'When we vote for that which is right, we never waste our vote.' - James Niemela

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AW: Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed for the Christian Activist Pro-Life Newsletter.

JN: You are welcome. It is an honor to be able to speak for the babies.

AW: Please share with our readers how the LORD prompted you to become involved in the pro-life movement?

JN: I became a pro-life activist after seeing a display by Missionaries To The Preborn in Houghton, MI, while driving home from work. Many people are angry after seeing these pictures, but I was appalled and angered to think that it happens to babies. I stopped and talked to them, and encouraged them on. Some time later, I went to Marquette to help them at a presentation, and they introduced me to a pro-life champion in the Marquette area, so we started driving to Marquette, usually every month or every other month, to help them in their work against Planned Parenthood. In the summer of 2000, my wife and I, along with the children, went on an "Unmasking Planned Parenthood Tour" with MTP in Wisconsin. We originally planned to go for 2 or 3 days; however, it was such a blessing, we stayed with the tour for about 1 1/2 weeks! Then Planned Parenthood opened one of their "pill and perversion shops" in downtown Houghton, and we began picketing them, usually twice a week, after work. Other pro-lifers did other times, etc. After about 2 years, PP closed their doors. Shortly after that, I took an "Equipped to Serve" volunteer training course in conjunction with our local pregnancy help center, Pregnancy Services of Houghton County. More recently, I was a coordinator for Michigan Citizens for Life's "Prenatal Child Protection Amendment" petition drive. Unfortunately, MCFL did not get enough signatures to get the desired amendment to Michigan's Constitution on the ballot, which would have defined life to start at conception, and restore the right to life of every preborn child in Michigan. We are by no means done with the effort, however.

AW: What are some of the ministries you are involved with?

JN: As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I have been involved with MTP, Michigan Citizens for Life, and have been blessed to meet other pro-lifers who do work on their own, or in conjunction with a couple other people. One of the things that really bothers me, is when I think of a dear friend, who goes faithfully out to the death pit in Appleton, and out of that big city, very few are willing to help him. Another good friend goes out to the death chamber in Saginaw, and again, very few are there to help. Americans need to wake up and put an end to the atrocity of abortion, or God will put an end to it by judgement! I would like to start an organization in the UP which seeks to advance Godly government, and stop abortion. But that will be something for after the election, in the cold UP winter evenings!

AW: Do you show the graphic aborted baby signs in ministry?

JN: Most certainly, yes. We used the large pictures of aborted babies almost exclusively, when we did our pickets. Some folks were uncomfortable with them, and had their own signs. I have used a sign before that was a picture of the US flag, with aborted baby pictures across the face of the flag, and the wording "Abortion-America the Beautiful?". I got that idea from The Hard Truth video. It ended up being broken off my pickup by an angry man.

AW: Does your wife and family help you in ministry?

JN: Yes. It gets harder as more children come along, but when we had fewer children, my wife would often come, with the children. We have 6 children, and the oldest is going to be 9 this coming March. But even when my wife can't come along, she is still helping, by raising up a new generation of fighters. (I hope and pray they will not have to fight abortion, that it will be only a shameful mark in history by the time they reach adulthood.) My wife and children helped stuff envelopes for a mailing to about 300 churches in the UP and one county in the LP that we did. They were a great help. I went to work, and they were stuffing envelopes, etc. It was a blessing for us to work with other pro-lifers!

AW: Why do you believe we need to vote for 100% pro-life candidates?

JN: I didn't used to think so. I have voted pragmatically before. There was even a time when I voted for a man who believed in allowing abortion for rape and incest, etc. But God has opened my eyes to the fact that it is morally wrong to support or vote for a candidate who allows abortions under any circumstances! Period. The preborn child is a person, and that person can't be deprived of it's unalienable right to life for any reason. It is just as wrong to vote for a person with a few exceptions, as it is to vote for a person who allows abortion at any time. My reasoning for voting for the rape and incest exceptions guy was, "Well, at least he is better than the guy who won't say clearly where he stands on the issue." WRONG! The righteous thing to do in that instance would be to write in a Godly candidate. We can never waste our precious vote on a candidate who allows any abortions. Do I have a pro-life "litmus test"? You bet I do! It is time people stop thinking litmus test is a bad word. If you aren't 100% pro-life, you don't get my vote no matter how good you may be on other issues! I am ashamed to admit that I was scared by Boogey-Man politics into voting for President Bush in 2000. In 2004, however, my wife and I were so blessed to be able to vote for 100% Pro-life Michael Anthony Peroutka! Thank God for pulling me out of the pit of deception and lies that keep people from doing the right thing in the voting booth!

AW: Do you think we are wasting our votes if the candidate belongs to a "third" party or is an Independent?

JN: When we vote for that which is right, we never waste our vote. A wasted vote is one that is cast for an ungodly candidate. I also believe people should pay attention to what a candidate says in speeches, not just what they say when they are asked about abortion by a pro-lifer. Alot of candidates will say, "I'm pro-life", but then sya nothing about it in their public speeches. I say, if they can't say what they are going to do about it when they are campaigning, they won't have the time to deal with it if they get elected. It's all about priorities.

AW: Please tell us a little about the position you are a candidate for?

JN: I am running for State Rep in Michigan's 110th District. I desire to run a clean campaign, devoted to issues. The first issue is, of course, life. If elected, I intend to introduce a bill to amend Michigan's Constitution to define life as starting at conception. I also believe in gun rights, private property rights, homeschool rights. I believe that if there are public schools (we homeschool our children) they should be locally controlled. I favor abolishing the State Board of Education, and restoring control to the people inthe communities in which the school is located. I am looking forward to a couple forums, and some more campaigning. I have had some newspaper coverage, and just today I had a guy asking for a yard sign, to put next to his "Vote pro-life" sign in his yard. How neat is that? I have been endorsed by the 100% Pro-life PAC , Missionaries to the Preborn, and have been "Certified Pro-life" by the Pro-life Federation of Michigan. I am on the ballot as a candidate of the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan (Constitution Party affiliate), because the state will not change the ballot once a party files their slate of candidates. However, I have resigned from the USTPM State Central Committee, and have ceased to be an active member of the party, because of the unrighteous compromise on the life issue that the Constitution Party has committed. Once a party determines that life doesn't matter, and starts to put party over principle, I'm gone! For more info on this issue, please visit The American View website.

AW: How can we help and pray for you?

JN: Pray for God's guidance and words to speak at my forums, and as I go door-to-door. Pray that everything I and my team say would be glorifying to God, and that nothing we do or say would bring shame to His Holy Name. If you know anyone in the 110th District of Michigan, let them know I am running. Encourage them to visit my website www.jamesniemela.com . And tell them to vote life, vote liberty, vote limited government, vote James Niemela for State Representative! Again, thank you for this interview, and may God bless you as you do His work!

For the Crown Rights of King Jesus,

James Niemela
www.jamesniemela.com