A Preface (skip this if you want):
STTA is mainly read by conservative, or conservative-leaning Christians. I hope the thoughts on the abortion debate have proven helpful. We can't ignore this, nor can we just go around spouting outrage. Balance and nuance are required. I am very thankful to know that there are some folk who read STTA who are not, so to speak, part of the Club. I regard it as a great privilege to be able to speak into your life. Though it is but for a moment, I am glad to be able to share something to think about from the Christian worldview that I hold. I hope this week's thoughts have been an encouragement to you. There are many of us in the fold of conservative Evangelicalism who are trying to follow our Lord in sharing both truth and grace. Some in Christian circles serve up ethical mush--you really can't tell what is in there. Others are harsh and wrongly judgmental. Maintaining love and truth is hard--much harder than chewing gum and walking. I hope it encourages you to know that some of us are trying.
To both groups, thanks for letting me in.
Talking about abortion is not pleasant. It is necessary. As far as STTA is concerned, I need to be done with the subject for a while, so today's edition will be a bit of a grab-bag to allow me to share some closing thoughts It will also be long:
- Why can't prolife folk, like me, just leave this alone? It is the law of our land. Abortion, generally labeled with one of the euphamistic titles like "Reproductive Services," has been a part of our culture for decades, now.
To be honest with you, I don't think you'd like us very much if we didn't say something. For reasons I have mentioned this week, and which others have spoken to in great detail, we think that unborn children are what they appear to be, little people. In spite of the caricatures media often presents, Christian people are generally kind. We think we have an obligation to speak-up for those who can't speak for themselves.
- To often we Evangelicals have put way too much faith in government. Our faith should inform how we vote, and influence our government leaders. Christians who are in government should be better leaders because of their faith. We can't allow political activism to interfere with Good News proclamation. Jesus saves, not the IRS. Sometimes we appear to have forgotten that.
- When we talk about the life of the unborn let's take note of the one we are speaking to, and of the one who might be listening in. For example in making our case to our congressman, or state representative, we might forcefully make known that "the welfare of the mother" is a term that has been interpreted so broadly that in many cases it means abortion on demand for any reason, at any time. When we are speaking to that mother, however, we must always speak in such a way that we make known that we are very concerned for her welfare. Nuance. Balance.
- The current round of abortion talk was precipitated by the release of videos from Center for Medical Progress. Are these videos authentic? Have they been doctored in some way to make people appear to say one thing when really they were saying another? Have excerpts been taken out of context? etc. etc.? These questions will be debated until everyone is tired of it, and other, more current news pushes this out of the consciousness of most of us.
I only make this observation. What is incontrovertibly true is that these videos show people calmly--even flippantly discussing matters of grave importance and seriousness. Unfortunately we have gotten used to this new reality. Discussion about the brains and livers of unborn children--or even fetuses that will become children--and the gruesome procedures required to "harvest" those tissues has become something that can comfortably be discussed over wine, with polite company. This is not so much an accusation against the people in the videos, as it is an indictment of our entire society.
A kind old gentleman named, believe it or not, "Mr. Rogers," married my grandma toward the end of her life. Mr. Rogers talked about going to the place where people took dead horses and mules. He spoke of seeing a pile of dead animals in the hot Alabama sun. The flies and stench were plentiful. The first step in processing these remains was skinning the carcasses, which was done quite efficiently with the aid of a hose attached to a compressor. The hide was inflated separating the skin from the muscle below. It could then be easily removed. What most impressed my step-grandpa, though, was what happened when the signal for lunch was given. the workers just wiped off their hands sat down on a dead mule and opened their lunch boxes. I guess if you are a dead mule skinner, you get used to what would be repulsive to the rest of us.
What I saw in these videos is the equivalent of sitting on a dead mule to enjoy your lunch.
That we have let our culture descend to the level, that life is viewed this cavalierly condemns us all. We need to do something. To do it well requires not only walking while chewing gum, we have to walk a tight-rope, chew, and blow bubbles, all the while dealing with hecklers and dodging the rocks they throw.
This is way too long, but, for now, I'm done, and I hope that for you I've provided . . .
It's STTA.
Over at The View Through My Keyhole, I'll continue, for a bit longer to post some further thoughts and links on this.
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