A Course Change that Always Will Lead to Disaster, Part 2

The Absolute Necessity of Protecting Life by Opposing Abortion and Infanticide

Look at the first faint gleam of life, the life of the embryo, the commencement of human existence. We see a tiny cell, so small it may be easily overlooked;…  it is a living cell; it contains a power progressive growth, according to laws, according, towards a definite type, that we can only regard with reverent admiration.
—Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), a British doctor and the first woman to earn a medical degree from an American medical institution, describing a pre-born child—

Key point: You show me a genuinely pro-life individual, and I’ll show you someone who is ardently and consistently opposed to abortion and infanticide.

The captain of a battleship was incensed when, after signaling a ship dead ahead to alter its course, the ship responded by telling the captain he must alter the course of his own vessel. He was even angrier when he learned that a mere first-class sailor was telling him—a captain—to change direction, but he duly complied when he became aware the sailor wasn’t on a ship at all, but a lighthouse.

Last time we used this illustration to drive home the point that, despite the fact that lighthouses are strategically placed and stationary, certain leaders in the American evangelical church are attempting to relocate the lighthouse of Scripture. Keenly aware of the way the cultural winds are blowing, these leaders are adjusting the message of God’s Word by changing the church’s positions on several critical issues. What are some areas in which their efforts are being manifested? In this article we will examine the issue the sanctity of human life and emphasize that if Christians are serious about living according to God’s Word, they must oppose abortion and infanticide, and they must do so consistently.

What’s More Important than Life?

In a previous post, we noted that Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile appears to be all too willing to jettison pro-life principles in order to achieve what he believes to be “justice” with regard to the oppression that, from his perspective, has been occurring against blacks and other minorities. The article we cited then, and cite again here, is titled “Evangelical Pastor Prefers Murdered Infants Over Trump.” In anticipation of the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court last year, Anyabwile wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post. In it, he declared,

During the general election and the early days of the Trump presidency, when hand-wringing was still viewed as public penance for having used that hand to vote for then-candidate Donald Trump, many evangelical Christians explained that their vote was not a vote for Trump as such but was the best option they had in light of the potential for appointing pro-life Supreme Court justices in the hope of overturning Roe v. Wade. If one cares about protecting the lives of unborn children aborted by the hundreds of thousands each year, one can understand the logic.

In sheer numbers, more lives are ended by legalized abortion. Christians are correct to focus energy and concern on ending the practice. But in quieter, sometimes less observable ways, the carnage mounts in racial injustice and discrimination. The potential nomination of a potential pro-life judge does not, in my opinion, alleviate the concerns I have about the racial injustices this same administration seems to multiply each day.

The article about Thabiti’s Washington Post op-ed reveals a number of inconsistencies in his case that President Trump is a racist, but no matter. The lives of millions of babies snuffed out by abortion cannot, in Thabiti’s mind, be used to justify the appointment of a pro-life justice to the Supreme Court. Instead, race must me the central issue.

Thabiti’s perspective is a clear manifestation of efforts to redefine the term pro-life to include any and all humanitarian actions and efforts attempted. Hear Dr. Walter Strickland, another evangelical leader and social justice warrior, make the case that the term pro-life must not primarily be about preventing abortion (and now infanticide), but about helping people in whatever ways they need help.

Being Pro-Life Has to Mean Opposing Abortion

Pro-life statesman Scott Klusendorf would take issue with both Thabiti and Dr. Strickland. In an excellent article titled “What Does It Mean to Be ‘Pro-Life'” and, surprisingly, published by The Gospel Coalition,¹ Klusendorf declares,

Jesus cared about all marginalized people, not just a few. As a Christian, then, my ethic should be broad and inclusive. I should do something to resist human trafficking, alleviate poverty, promote fatherhood, and welcome genuine refugees. But it doesn’t follow that the operational objectives of the pro-life movement must be broad and inclusive as well.…

Pro-life advocates should stop buying the premise that because we oppose the intentional killing of innocent human beings, we must take on other tragic societal ills under the banner of being “pro-life.” The criticisms are not only unfair; they are narrowly targeted. Is the American Cancer Society neglectful because it fights one type of disease rather than many?

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Pro-life advocates should stop buying the premise that because we oppose the intentional killing of innocent human beings, we must take on other tragic societal ills under the banner of being “pro-life.”
—Scott Klusendorf—

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The Sixth Commandment states simply and forthrightly, “You shall not murder.” Our nation’s own Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Not coincidentally, America’s Founding Document mentions life first. Without it, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, property, and a host of other blessings are totally meaningless.

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
—The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America—

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Upholding the sanctity of life in its earliest stages has taken on a new urgency because the push for greater access to abortion during all nine months of pregnancy—for any reason or for no reason—has compelled leftists, most of whom are Democrats, to oppose efforts to outlaw infanticide. Do not be misled! Democrats are the pro-abortion, pro-infanticide party! Their stance on abortion has prompted one online conservative news outlet to carry an article titled “Democrats are Now Officially the Party of Death.”

The title is accurate! Just this week, the Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill that would massively expand abortion in the state. Pro-life stalwart Jill Stanek explained that the bill

allows abortion throughout pregnancy, up to the moment of birth, for any reason. It allows abortions by a non-doctor in a facility that’s not inspected and doesn’t have to report injuries. It strips away conscience protections for pro-life health care workers and forces all health insurance policies to cover abortions, including religious organizations. It even goes so far as to repeal Illinois’ ban on barbaric partial-birth abortions and eliminates protections for babies born alive during failed abortions.

Although there were some defections among Democrats — “(s)ix…, primarily from downstate, voted against it (and) (f)our others voted “present” — 64 of them supported the measure. On the other side of the aisle, “Republicans strenuously objected.”

One can tell where this is headed, especially if the Democrats regain control of both Houses of Congress and the presidency. It is not at all an overstatement to say the Democrats are the “Party of Death.” Rarely, a Democrat candidate or office holder here or there will stand out as an exception, but not nearly enough exceptions exist nationally to invalidate this general principle: While opposing abortion at this juncture in American life does not necessarily require a Christian to support the Republicans, it does require a believer to withhold support from Democrats and their party.²

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While opposing abortion at this juncture in American life does not necessarily require a Christian to support the Republicans, it does require a believer to withhold support from Democrats and their party.

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You see, being pro-life has to mean supporting life-affirming public policies for pre-borns and infants. This is meaningless if one doesn’t also support candidates and public office holders who also are pro-life in this way. For the Christian, this isn’t about party politics, but about the real consequences of public policy, the sanctity of human life, and the absolute truth of God’s Word.

What Leaders Don’t Say Speaks Volumes

Dr. Russell Moore, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is yet another evangelical leader (and social justice warrior) who needs a stern reminder of the supreme importance of working to preserve life by opposing abortion. The concern isn’t merely that Dr. Moore has been echoing the call to broaden the pro-life movement, although that is a concern. No authentic Christian is denying that it is important to feed the hungry, help the poor, visit the lonely, and do what we can to heal the sick. Jesus expects His followers to minister in these and in other ways to assist those in need. At the same time, none of this should minimize the critical need to oppose abortion and infanticide. Even so, a recent exchange has highlighted the reality that putting all humanitarian efforts under the umbrella of the pro-life movement weakens opposition to abortion, which, for the reasons we have cited, is the most critical of all life issues.

Dr. Walter Strickland’s boss, Dr. Danny Akin, is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Dr. Akin recently tweeted this message in of support for Dr. Moore:

I am exceedingly grateful for @drmoore & the @ERLC for their consistent stand for life, the sanctity of biblical marriage & gender, & religious liberty & freedom. In these days of great spiritual opposition, the Church of the Lord Jesus must speak clearly & with conviction.

On its Facebook page, Conservative Christians of Tennessee (CCOT) showcased Dr. Akin’s tweet and then issued this rebuke of Dr. Moore (hyperlinks have been added for clarity).

We are curious: what “consistent stand for life?” The one that ensured the ERLC didn’t support any of the heartbeat or abortion bans in the south this year? The stand that caused them to repeatedly ignore contact from us about supporting the Tennessee Heartbeat Bill (TNheartbeatbill) while Dr Moore made videos about aliens?…

It is not as if ERLC President Russell Moore never has said anything in support of legislation that would limit abortion, although in this particular instance, the legislation Moore praised already had passed.³ Why would Moore and the ERLC not speak out in support of state-sponsored heartbeat bills? One can only wonder.

In the past, ERLC has strongly supported the humane treatment of animals. In 2015, it even released and promoted a statement titled “Every Living Thing: An Evangelical Statement on Responsible Care for Animals.” Dr. Moore declared, “Our treatment of Animals is a spiritual issue.” His support for the proper care of animals has not been limited to this statement, either. Moore was present at the June 10, 2015 signing of a bill aimed at preventing animal fights in Tennessee. One (but not the only) reason he supported the bill was the reality that these kinds of fights have ties to gambling. Significantly, Moore also worked to make passage of the bill a reality, even sending a letter to House Speaker Beth Harwell about the issue.

No reasonable person would oppose this kind of legislation, and certainly I do not oppose it. Taking proper care of animals obviously is important—but the life of one infant boy or girl, or even the life of a pre-born child, is infinitely more valuable than all the animals on the entire earth! The public policy efforts of Russell Moore and the ERLC, however, do not reflect this reality. This is appalling.

Let’s return to the Facebook post of the Conservative Christians of Tennessee to underscore a critical point. Recall that Dr. Akin concluded his tweet with this sentence: “In these days of great spiritual opposition, the Church of the Lord Jesus must speak clearly & with conviction.” CCOT pushed back against this, asking, “When Akin says spiritual opposition, who is opposing him?” The question was rhetorical, but without missing a beat, just to make sure no one missed the irony, CCOT added, “The answer: other Christians.”

Christians, by the way, who comprehend that being pro-life must mean, first and foremost, preserving the lives of the most innocent and helpless among us by opposing abortion and infanticide.

Entertainers Speak Up

Many people actually do understand the paramount importance of opposing abortion. These include numerous individuals in the entertainment industry. They’re not experts on this issue because they’re professional actors, but it’s worth noting that not everyone in Hollywood buys into leftist abortion propaganda.

To reiterate: Life,  and consequently abortion, are linchpin issues. Don’t for a New York minute think that anyone who isn’t anti-abortion can be authentically pro-life, no matter the kinds of humanitarian efforts in which he or she is engaged. There’s something else that needs to be said as well. Christians can’t be pro-choice and genuine followers of Jesus Christ. Why? Because, in the words of actor and outspoken Christian Stephen Baldwin,

The Bible’s very clear. The Word never changes.…You can’t be pro-choice and call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ. Doesn’t go together. Just doesn’t go together. It’s a fact. It’s a simple common sense fact. So, anybody who hears me say that and goes, “Well, hey, I’m a this type of Christian or this denomination and in our church it’s acceptable,” I’m just going to say, “Well, whatever they’re teaching you according to God’s Word that has allowed you to believe that, is incorrect.” It’s very simple.

Actor Jim Caviezel, who played Christ in the Mel Gibson blockbuster, Passion of the Christ, is a man of faith and a devout Catholic. He has said “that he regards abortion ‘the greatest moral defect of the western world.'”

In June of 2016, when the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law mandating that abortion clinics abide by the safety standards required of other medical establishments performing surgeries, actress Patricia Heaton tweeted, “Hey SCOTUS: ‘The care of human life & happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.’ T. Jefferson”

These actors are demonstrating they understand the value of life even to a greater extent than do a number of so-called “conservative” evangelical leaders.

My message to these leaders is this:

Repent of your apparent belief that a person can be pro-life and OK with abortion. Stop trying to move the lighthouse!

Next time, we’ll consider the all-important issue of homosexuality.

Part 3 is available here.

To access additional Word Foundations articles on social justice, go here.

 

Copyright © 2019 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages have been taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note:

¹Another article on the website of The Gospel Coalition, this one by Trevin Wax, simply asks and reflects on possible answers to the question “Where Is the Pro-Life Movement Headed?” It doesn’t make a case that the pro-life movement should, or shouldn’t, focus primarily on fighting abortion. Yet another article by Wax, “Pro-Life or Anti-Abortion: What’s in a Name?” essentially does the same thing.

²I do understand those who would make the case that Democrat John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana, and Democrat Dan Lipinski, a member of the House of Representatives from Illinois, are worthy of Christians’ support. (Joe Machin is not). Even though Lipenski, who has a track record of voting conservatively on a number of important issues Christians care about, has been reelected six times in a very Democrat-leaning district, his party is turning on him. He has been advised by Daniel John Sobieski, who ran unsuccessfully against Dan’s father in 1986, to become a Republican: “If the folks at the party of death think you walk like a Republican and talk like a Republican, perhaps you should make it official. The Founding Fathers got it right when they said the first unalienable right was the right to life. Join the party that agrees with you.” While I’m grateful for Democrats like Edwards and Lipinski, I still see their party affiliation as problematic. They are right to fight for conservative ideals but are having to fight all the harder because they are going against their party. Once elected, a candidate inevitably takes the party with him or her into office. Nationally, I believe the most effective way to fight the evil the Democrats are promoting is by doing so from outside the party rather from within. The Democrats have become rabidly radical in recent years, and their overall direction isn’t likely to change. Remember too that the current political climate includes a covert but discernible push from some evangelical leaders to vote for the Democrats. In this atmosphere, citing the rare cases of a couple of Democrats here or there who are worthy of Christians’ support can provide cover for believers tempted to vote for them far more broadly. The Democrats have effectively proclaimed war on God. Is this something a believer can support, even tangentially? I don’t think so.

³I acknowledge Moore and ERLC may have advocated passage of other pro-life pieces of legislation at the state level, but my research for this article did not uncover any such instances.

photo credit, top photo: Photo by S A R A H ✗ S H A R P on Unsplash

photo credit: Stephen Baldwin photograph taken by Gage Skidmore

photo credit: Jim Caviezel

photo credit: Patricia Heaton