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.