The Abortion Debate

My Father and I have long stood on opposite sides of the political arena in many ways. I can recall showing up at the voting booths at the same time during the 2000 election and joking that our votes would be a waste of time because our presidential selections were opposites and thus would cancel the others' vote.

With this year's election looming I find myself more concerned than ever about some issues. Yesterday my Google Reader alerted me to a new post on our pastor's blog and I felt the need to pass it out to my friends and family via email. Here is the text of that blog:

Obama and Abortion
October 14, 2008
by gpinkner

I plead with you to read this link. Place it on your blogs and send it to your friends and families-

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/10/robert-p-george-voting-for-most-extreme.html

Dad responded with an email challenging the notion that Christians cling to abortion as THE issue and tend to make decisions based on that alone. I've heard that before... a lot... and responded below.

I agree that far too many "evangelicals" (however that's defined now) consider abortion to be the absolute final issue. period. total. that's it. And I agree that this attitude can be percieved as extremist in that one issue cannot define a person or a campaign. However... that one issue does tell us an awful lot about a candidate/person and I think in a sense it CAN define a person.

What we believe about LIFE defines what we believe about GOD. Do I believe that a woman has the right to end the life of another person for any reason? Then I'm basically declaring that I, not God, have the right to decide life and death for another human.

Michael Horton is a Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary in California. He writes: "In order to engage in this serious sin [abortion], a Christian must actually deny a cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith. He or she must deny that God is the Sovereign author of life who alone has the power and right to give and take away human breath, and he must also deny the creature, destroying his or her dignity as an image bearer of God Himself" (The Law of Perfect Freedom, p. 151).

The original "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" scripture reference is from Exodus 21:22-25 which begins by talking about harming a pregnant woman thus killing her child... and the punnishment that should come from that... "life for life" (v.23).

Unfortunately, our culture is full of crazy people calling themselves Christians and claiming to act as Christ commanded who have done some wacky stuff in the name of "ProLife." Their actions have served to discredit the honest and genuine cry of those of us who see this issue not just as a Wedge Issue but as a piece of the larger picture... this so clearly reflects the character of a man and his ability to submit before a Holy God.

The pre-born are protected in Old Testament Law. Exodus 21:22-25

Permitting the murder of innocents pollutes the land. Numbers 35:33-34

Believers are charged with defending life. Proverbs 24:11-12

God hates those that shed innocent blood. Proverbs 6:16-17

Cursed is the man who accepts money to kill an innocent person. Deut. 27:25

One of the sins of Ammon that resulted in God's wrath was killing pre-born children. Amos 1:13

It is worse to kill the innocent in a protected place. 2 Sam. 4:11: "How much more - when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed - should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!" (John MacArthur comments in a sermon. "How can you tell me that isn't a description of an unborn child. A righteous person in his own house upon his bed . . . Sure it means a good man, but if it means a good man it certainly would imply a protected child.")

I feel so passionately about this because I'm so curious as to how this issues has become so taboo in our culture - if I declare myself ProLife I'm immediately tossed into an extremist category. It may be extremist to believe that God, not man, is the author of life, and for that I make no apologies. It's part of the larger picture of our culture which is slowly pushing God out of the equation and trying to inforce the idea that we humans are in control. I refuse to believe that it isn't part of the central problem with our culture - the denial of God and the glorification of man.

Please leave any comments, I'd love to continue this debate.

Absent Motherhood?

I’ve been exchanging emails with a friend who is about to move to another state with her husband. She’s an attorney and has been trying to decide what to do career-wise once they move. They’ll no doubt be very financially stable due to her husband’s career and the job waiting for him, but she is challenged with desiring to contribute to the household income and her fear of becoming an “absent mom.” In response to her comment the text below is part of my email. It’s a brief summary of the things I’ve been dealing with lately and taking before the Throne.

I totally understand your comment about not wanting to be an absent mom. God’s really been working with me about that lately. Over the pass 5 years He’s tossed all my expectations on their heads and I’m now coming around to the idea of working… some… while having kids. We just keep waiting for the “right” time and I feel like if we’d just start and figure it out as we go along then we’d find that it wasn’t that big of a deal all along.

And I think pride is one of the reasons I’ve been so convinced I need to stay home… but really, who cares? There are BAD moms who work full time and there are also BAD moms who stay home full time! The difference is the caliber of the mom herself and her ability to balance things and place her children in the proper priority position. We’re not going to start trying to have kids right now, but I’m getting to the point that I don’t have to have everything precisely planned out in order to think about it.

Actually, a lot of this came about from a pregnancy scare we had a few weeks ago. In the midst of it I started realizing it wouldn’t be that big of an issue if it had been true! It just so goes back to expectations and whether I’m willing to be CONTENT or always looking for the next bigger/better thing.

Speaking of that whole concept… our small group was amazing last night. We started in on the scripture passage we’ve been studying and took this wildly huge detour to talk of the economy and trusting that God’s in control and deciding about contentment. Some of the things shared…

• one member of our SG got great advice that BEFORE kids you and your spouse should decide how big of a house you want to raise your kids in. And that’s IT. Never get bigger than that just because you can - use any other moneys God blesses you with to turn around and bless His kingdom.
• another person talked about Rick Warren (author: Purpose Driven Life) and how he and his wife realized they were going to be financially sound after starting Saddleback church… each year they challenge themselves to give away a bigger percentage of their income. They are currently giving away 95% of their income. 95%!!!
• John Piper and his wife decided early on what amt of money they needed to live on to be financially secure. Only accounting for inflation they have never gone above that figure and now that he sells millions of books they’re still living on the amount they originally settled on.

These and so many other things challenge me that in this desperate time we’re living the Lord is NOT off the throne and He will see us through. My only problem with everything is ME, not the world around me. I’ve been so blessed!!! But am I content to live within those means? And truly that’s where I find fault. I can blame it on the world for tempting me with all these fabulous “wants,” but ultimately it’s ME and my desire for more that is the problem.
Just some thoughts. I’d love to hear your take on these issues!

Ironically, I found out about a week later that this same friend is pregnant. It shines a whole new light on our conversation to know that she was actually struggling with this in the context of expecting a child. I'm so excited for her!