Here is a quote from my ethics class by Bill Tilbert who is a Presbyterian minister. It is about abortion, but is a statement about the church's heart at large in my opinion and it begs the question:
How serious is the church when it comes to our typically comfortable lives?
During the 1960's and 1970's there was an antiwar slogan that asked, "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" The point was what if there was a declaration of war and all the people just refused to participate? What if there were abortion clinics but nobody went in? What if abortion was a legal choice, but it was a choice nobody took? Changes in the law, blocking abortion clinics, demeaning name-calling will not stop abortions. The history of the church through the ages has been the history of changes brought about in soiciety through the church demonstrating and living an alternative vision of life. We need to stop telling our nonbelieving neighbors how wrong their way of life is, and we need to start showing the power of the gospel in the way we live...Let me ask you: Which has greater power? Ten thousand people who fill the streets in front of abortion clinics and shame those seeking abortions, or ten thousand people in California who take to the state capital a petition they have signed stating they will take any unwanted child of any age, any color, any physical condition so that they can love that child in the name of Jesus Christ?
Amen
Rap Beefs and the Word
6 hours ago
3 comments:
Your comments are well said, but in my experience protest does nothing to change anyone's mind, especially when it come to abortion. Let us be very clear that there is nothing in scripture that speaks directly to abortion, nor does it equate it to murder. There was nothing comparable to abortion in the society of the early church and while many will disagree with this statement it is the truth. Nothing like abortion is spoken about in the scriptures. Prolife calls it murder, Prochoice calls it a choice.
I agree with you, I am prolife and I dont think that something that will become a child should be destroyed out of fear and convenience, but I have never been anything but annoyed and offended by anything an abortion protester has done or said. I can only imagine how someone else reacts.
I do not want to have this conversation however because this is not what my post is about. I am commenting on how important living out the gospel is when it comes to transforming the world.
Jesus would not be on the lines protesting, he would be living life with a small group of people and teaching them what the kingdom of God is like.
As for the crack addict, I probably wouldnt encourage him to bring his pipe to bible study, but i sure as hell wouldnt invite him over and tell him he should stop. The holy spirit convicts, not us. IF there is one thing you can count on it is that if you start talking about "ought" and "ought not" people will do exactly what you tell them not to do. If you want to speak into that person's life you better have won the right to be heard by that person and not tell him he is wrong, but rather speak into his life the enabling word that will enable the spirit to convict and lead him to life and life to the full.
I will go all the way with you on that last statement...Honest and Caring.
"Yet do it with gentleness and respect..."
Response to:
1. Fewer abortions will happen if it is outlawed, but something to ponder is the fact that fewer abortions occur with more social programs to help take care of those who get pregnant. A democrat president will never outlaw abortion, but he (or she if our country ever gets there) will certainly see fewer abortions because of the social reforms he will create. I cannot say that I think the government should be taking care of what I wish the church would take responsibility for and what I know the private sector would do better, but the fact is that every democratic president has has fewer abortions in his term than every rebublican. This is why I like the quote, I do believe that we need to stop worrying about protesting and start worrying about pregnant women who are terrified of the consequences of their actions because abortion is a less likely option when someone knows they and their child will be taken care of.
2. To clarify the statement about abortion and the early church. I hoped to communicate that abortion was not something that needed to be addressed becuase it didnt happen. Maybe here or there, but children were to important to not have and so few survived that no one terminated a pregnancy.
3. I wouldnt call anything Christ did protest. He did not try to convince the Pharisees of his side, he told them why they were wrong and then proceeded to tell the people the truth of the Gospel. It seems like a far cry to me from picketing on the side of the road. Even the clearing of the temple was more a revolution than a protest in my opinion.
4. Jesus did it becuase he was perfect. We will always have the plank in our eyes that will prevent conviction from coming in love. I do think the spirit convicts and we might be used in that, but it will not look like a confrontation (at least not if it is going to be beneficial).
Post a Comment