5 Reasons Why Supporting Abortion Reflects An Unchanged Heart

Earlier I mentioned why I’m no longer indifferent to the issue of abortion.  I also mentioned that it’s a gospel issue and said that I’d explain why.  Before I give you those five reasons (and I could have given more), I want to give you a disclaimer.  I am not saying that if you are not pro-life that you are not a Christian.  I believe that I was not pro-life (not sure I was pro-choice either) for the first couple of years after coming to Christ.  God had changed my heart but He had not yet changed my worldview.  So, I do believe that one can still have faith in Christ and be mistaken on this issue.

Though I could probably give more than five reasons why supporting abortion reflects and unchanged heart here are five:

1. It places my freedom as ultimate.  The way of Christ is to place others before Himself.  It is to lay down personal freedoms for the good of the lesser. While the woman’s choice is very important—and could have been violated, as in cases of rape—the choice and freedom of the lesser needs to hold more weight.  In other words, the Christian way of doing things is to surrender your own personal freedoms and comforts for the good of those that are “weaker”.  You don’t get any “weaker” than an unborn baby. 
2. It preaches that life is found in stuff.  Some argue that abortion should be legal because the child’s quality of life will be terrible.  Often what is meant by that is what I will address in point 3, but some actually refer to opportunities.  At times it is a reference to the opportunity of a teenage girl that finds herself pregnant that will be surrendering many chances in life.  As our President said, “I don’t want my daughters to be punished with a baby”.  Life isn’t found in “stuff” and in “opportunities”.  Christ proclaims that life is found elsewhere.  To believe otherwise reflects a heart that is still infatuated with worldly pleasures.
3. It proclaims that the answer to suffering is death.  Many who support abortion do so while adopting an Ecclesiastes 4:2-3 mentality, which basically says that for some death is far better than life.  But the mentality of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4 is that of a despairing man that is devoid of Christ.  The gospel gives hope in the midst of suffering.  The gospel proclaims a good purpose of God even in the midst of suffering.  An Ecclesiastes 4 proclaims death as the solution to suffering.  Whereas Scripture says that death is part of suffering and not a solution to it.  The solution that Christ provides for death and suffering is found in His redemptive acts. Abortion on the grounds of an Ecclesiastes 4 mentality denies the power of the gospel.
4. It teaches that it is okay to return evil for evil.  Pregnancy because of rape and incest is horrendous.  It should be mourned and fought against.  Those committing such crimes should indeed be punished, and punished severely.  But arguing (even as many Republicans now do) that it’s okay to abort a child that results from such evil is morally acceptable is backwards.  Scripture proclaims that we should not overcome evil with evil but to overcome evil with good.  You aren’t punishing the perpetrator by aborting your child.  You are punishing the child and even yourself.  A gospel changed heart overcomes evil with good.
5. It looks more like Rome and less like the early church.  Rome paid little regard to children.  As one letter from a husband to his delivering wife shows, “"I ask and beg you to take good care of our baby son, and as soon as I received payment I shall send it up to you. If you are delivered (before I come home), if it is a boy keep it, if a girl, discard it."  The early church fought against infanticide from a very early point.  They were the ones finding discarded babies and taking them into their communities of faith.  They were the ones that eventually ended the practice.  Those that were closest to the time of Christ reflected the heart of Christ to “let the little children come to me”.  They understood that the gospel is a message of life and should foster a community of life and not one of death. 

Those are only five reasons why supporting abortion reflects and unchanged heart.  In saying that my point is not to say, “therefore, you had better vote Republican”.  Personally, I don’t think the solution is solely political.  Perhaps that will be one means that the Lord will use to end abortion.  But it is not the only way.  What I am saying is that as believers we ought to be involved in fighting this social injustice. 

Check out Abort 73 and get involved.  (Warning: The videos on that site are graphic)

Why I’m No Longer Indifferent Concerning Abortion

That title might be a little misleading.  It would be more accurate to say why about ten years ago I stopped being indifferent on the issue of abortion.  But that was too long. 

About ten years ago I was having a discussion with a woman that I highly respect and care very deeply for.  For some reason we started talking about abortion.  I gave my opinion (as a relatively new believer) that I did not really see the point in people arguing about it.  Why even bother trying to convince someone that abortion is wrong?  I was trying to make the point that it’s really not a gospel issue.  Therefore, we are just alienating people by entering into this debate when we should just share the gospel with them.  No sense even talking about abortion. 

Then she hit me with a 2 x 4 across the face.  Not literally but the words that came out of her mouth floored me. 

“You know, I was almost aborted”. 

Immediately it wasn’t just debating talking points.  Though I would not have ever supported an abortion for someone in my own life, I was still largely indifferent.  Why not just give women the right to choose.  Honestly, I was probably very close to what Joe Biden said last night.  Personally, and because of religious convictions, I am not for abortion.  But I just don’t see the reason to legislate this. 

Then I thought about my dear friend having been aborted.  She wouldn’t be here right now.  Nor would her children.  For the first time I really began to understand what it means that life begins at conception.  Of course at the time it just seems like you are aborting something like a bean.  But here I was staring at one of those “beans” that was full of life, and hopes, and dreams.  Those would not be in existence had her mother not being talked out of an abortion. 

This is why what I believed 10 years ago and what Joe Biden said last night is backwards thinking.  You cannot say, “I believe that it is life, I personally agree with the stance of the Roman Catholic Church, but I do not believe that should be legislated”.  If it’s really “life” why is it not okay to abort your child when he/she is 2 years old instead of still in the womb?  I mean how dare we infringe upon the rights of parents to “abort” their children.  Especially, the way this economy goes.  If we lose our jobs and we are starving, what kind of parent am I to allow my child to suffer?  What kind of parent am I to allow my child to live in a world where he/she does not have a bunch of options to be successful?  Why am I not loving just to “abort” them when they are 2 or 4 or 7 or 11? 

The reason why we can defend a woman’s freedom while letting another little woman’s or little man’s freedom not be protected is because we do not see them as people.  On that day when my friend said, “I was almost aborted”, I realized that this isn’t merely about words.  This is about life.  This is about real people.  That is why I mourn the legality of abortion and every instance of it.  I mourn those 50 million deaths in the same way as I mourn with those that have a miscarriage, or lose a child to SIDS, or even lose a child later in life.  Every case of abortion isn’t a political win for a woman’s choice.  Every abortion is a death of a child.  That is why I am no longer indifferent to the issue of abortion. 

And it is a real gospel issue.  Come back later today and I’ll explain why this is a gospel issue…

Today in Blogworld 10.12.12

10 Questions for Expositors with Brian Croft

Brian Croft answers 10 questions from Colin Adams.  It’s always interesting hearing how other pastors prepare sermons and what they take into the pulpit.  Interesting read. 

What Happened at Vatican II (And How to Pray 50 Years Later)

I am becoming increasingly interested in the more contemporary version of Catholicism.  (Not in a “I’d like to convert” type of way, but in a “how do we reach them with the gospel” type of way).  So I appreciate this article from David Mathis. 

Can I Change the Lyrics to Your Song?

A common question asked of the people at Sovereign Grace Music is whether or not somebody can change lyrics to their songs.  Read Bob Kauflin’s answer. 

Eight Ways to Go Wrong in Bible Study

The names for these are tremendous.  I’m thinking about tweaking them a little and stealing (err…borrowing) them.  Read the comments on this one too, there is a good question asked by a reader and a great response. 

You’ve probably already seen this…but hey, why not watch it again:

An Idiots Guide to Week 6 #NFL Predictions

Last week I was 8-6.  Not a bad record for an NFL predicting moron.  For most of the first half I thought I had called the Browns upset over the Giants.  Then reality hit.  Weeden did decent not sure you could say fantasy sleeper.  Brees was okay but not the fantasy stud of the week.  Matt Hasselbeck looked more like Elizabeth.  I was right about the Tebow chants and almost right about Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, and Mendenhall’s stellar return.  Not horrible but also not very good.  Sounds like my fantasy football team.  Here is your idiot’s guide to week 6 picks.

Steelers over Titans
Falcons over Raiders (It’s going to be close though)
Browns over Bengals (They’ve got to win eventually, right?)
Rams over Dolphins
Jets over Colts
Lions over Eagles
Chiefs over Bucs
Cowboys over Ravens
Bills over Cardinals
Patriots over Seahawks (low scoring game)
Giants over 49ers
Vikings over Redskins
Packers over Texans (3 Schaub interceptions)
Broncos over Chargers

Fantasy Stud of the Week: Eli Manning
Fantasy Sleeper of the Week: Andrew Hawkins

Other Crazy Picks:

Trent Richardson goes off for 150 yards and 2 scores
Titus Young finally shows up for the Lions 8/120/1
Brady Quinn leads the Chiefs to a low scoring victory
Tony Romo looks like a Pro-Bowler and Joe Flacco looks inept
If not for Eli’s 5 TD performance Ryan Fitzpatrick would be fantasy stud of the week
Russell Wilson’s leash gets shorter with a crucial 4th quarter turnover
Joe Haden shuts down AJ Green

6 Reasons We Don’t Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice or Mourn With Those Who Mourn

Last night I preached on Romans 12:15-16.  It’s a tremendous passage that if applied to our lives is a great barometer of our pride.  Seldom do we rejoice with those that rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.  In preparation for the sermon I found help from a sermon that John Piper preached on the same text.  Here he lists six reasons why we might not be rejoice with those who rejoice or weep with those who weep.  I thought you might benefit from them too:

1. We are too wrapped up in ourselves to rejoice or weep with others. We are so self-oriented that what is happening in the hearts of others has no effect on us.
2. We feel above the emotional life of the ordinary person. Children laugh. Women cry. I’m a man. Or it doesn’t have to be male arrogance. It may be merely high-brow arrogance. To laugh with them or to cry with them would put me down on their level and I have a certain refined, aristocratic, high-culture status to preserve.
3. We are hypercritical and our main reaction when we see emotion is to analyze it and point out its distortions or excesses or bad tendencies or shallow roots. So our hypercritical analytical heart keeps us emotionally at a distance and prevents our hearts from empathy with others.
4. We are resentful or envious they have joy and we don’t. We feel gypped, passed over, given a raw deal. So envy makes it impossible for us to rejoice in their joy.
5. We are simply the kind of personality that doesn’t have a discernable emotional life. We don’t rejoice or weep over anything. And so we don’t weep or rejoice with others. It may be owing to parents. Or to a traumatic experience. Or to some physical condition.
6. We may be depressed and temporarily numb in our own emotions.