Cultural Issues

What is Your Moral Gauge?

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Here is a provocative article by Ben Stevens for the Huffington Post: Two Lesbians Raised a Baby: A Response.

The premise behind Stevens’ piece is derived from the logic of  a video of an Iowa college student named Zach Wahls that has gone viral.  Wahls makes a compelling argument that he, though having been raised by two lesbians, has turned out well.  As Stevens writes:

Wahls is arguing that a practice is not necessarily bad if something good can result from it, and that his similarities to other people (others who were raised by heterosexuals) constitute a strong argument for the normative and morally upright nature of homosexuality, and indeed of homosexual parenting.

There seems to be little or no debate that Wahls has indeed turned out well.  And if you have seen the video you will have no doubt about his intelligence or his oratory abilities either. But, as Stevens explains:

We do not evaluate things simply based on whether good or bad may be fostered in their wake. In every sector of life and policy, regardless of the debate, we evaluate them on their own merits and moral qualities.

This is a thoughtful and thought provoking article, with a moral one friend expresses this way:

Evaluate your beliefs, not on whether or not good can result from them but, whether or not they are good in and of themselves.

Men & Woman and a Biblical Perspective

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

Here is a provocative post from Russell Moore concerning Men & Women and authority issues.  The Conservative Southern Baptist Moore may surprise a few people with his opening paragraphs:

Those of us who hold to so-called “traditional gender roles” are often assumed to believe that women should submit to men. This isn’t true.

Indeed, a primary problem in our culture and in our churches isn’t that women aren’t submissive enough to men, but instead that they are far too submissive.

Moore may even shock a few folks when they read the title of this post: Women, STOP Submitting to Men.

I wholeheartedly agree with Moore’s perspective.  So, let’s add this to the Egalitarian vs. Complementarian vs. He-Men Woman Haters Club debates!

To read the rest of Moore’s post, click: Women & Men

Mormonism vs. Christianity

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

With the hubbub surrounding Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress’ endorsement of Gov. Rick Perry with a denouncement of Mitt Romney and his Mormanism, the bigger, more important point may be easily overlooked.

It is easy to get caught up with the politically related issues. I for one wonder what the opponents of California’s Proposition 8 think about Jeffress’ statement.  They vilified the Mormons after that referendum in defense of marriage was passed, accusing LDS activist of mobilizing a force that distorted the views of the population. (Click: here and here).  Those who protested this proposition will certainly not find Jeffress’ Consevative Southern Baptist ideals a viable alternative. Jeffiress’ morality views will be nearly identical (as are mine).  But as much  entertainment and intrigue as this political dilemma may offer, there is a question far more important to me:  Are Mormons Christians?

Despite the commendable moral values of the LDS, the answer is unequivocally “No”.  Morality is a by-product of Christianity, a demonstration of it, not the substance of it.  It is what one believes about Jesus Christ that makes one a Christian. And the Mormons have a dramatically different view of Jesus than do Christians.

Two respected Evangelical leaders recently expressed their own thoughts:

I think what Mohler &  Stetzer have to say should be considered.  It is far more foundational than the simplistic pragmatic question whether an Evangelical should vote for a Mormon.  The question of whether Mormons are a form of Christian will likely linger,  lasting long beyond the outcomes of the Republican Primaries next year.

A Prayer for Septmber 11

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

In anticipation of the tenth anniversary of 9-11 attacks today, which will be recognized in our church this morning, and which will no doubt be remembered in many, many other congregations across the USA, I have been benefitting from the insights and prayers of many all week.  I have particularly found the following prayer/litany by Mike Cosper from Sojourn Community Church in Louisville KY to be be rich and faithful.

May God bless you as you reflect upon, and maybe even offer up, this prayer.

***

Lord as we gather,
celebrating your glory and goodness,
we acknowledge the shadow of today’s anniversary.

Together, we remember September 11, 2001.
We mourn for the lives lost in New York City,
Washington D. C., and on Flight 93.

We lament death’s reign,
the visible and invisible forces of evil,
the principalities and powers of this dark world,
and the evil that lurks in the hearts of all men . . . including our own.

With the Psalmist, we cry:

“How long, Oh Lord?
How long will your enemies scoff?
How long will you withhold your justice
from a world that is desparate to see it?”

We lament a world at war, and we ask you for peace

In Afghanistan
in Iraq
in Libya
in Israel and Palestine
in Egypt and Syria, and all of the nations of the earth that long for freedom from oppression.

We ask for protection over our loved ones and families who serve overseas,
we pray for the fatherless and the widow,
for the poor and oppressed.

We lift up our global leaders
that by your grace they might lead with wisdom and justice
and work for peace.

And we acknowledge that all such hopes and longings point us to one who will soon return and bring an everlasting peace and justice.

Together we proclaim:

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!    (Psalm 146:2-10)

Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

Al Mohler is Right

/ Dennis Griffith / 4 Comments

I wonder, have I stepped into a beehive?  I have yet to get any flack but I wonder if it is coming.  I posted an article on my Facebook page titled: “Let’s Be Honest, A Lot of Christians Are Guilty of Homophobia“.

The article is in defense of the defense Southern Seminary president Albert Mohler gave about comments he made about homosexuality:

The Associated Press quotes Mohler as saying that homosexuality isn’t something that people can “turn on and turn off.” Mohler went on to say that “only the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ gives a homosexual person any hope of release from homosexuality.”

At the SBC Convention earlier this month Mohler was challenged to answer for his comments. His words of defense were:

“I made those statements. They are not alleged statements. I made them.”

According to reports, he then went on to outline how Southern Baptists had been homophobic and had misrepresented homosexuality. Mohler even called the Southern Baptists to repentance on the issue. However, he did all of this while maintaining that homosexuality is a sin that needs a Savior. One report…  said that the convention responded with applause.

On my Facebook post I commented that what Mohler said is also true in my denomination, the PCA, and is true of many Evangelicals.  Shoot, if I am honest with myself, it is probably true of me to some degree.  But the suggestion that some responses to homosexuality are themselves sinful is not tantamount to condoning homosexuality or the Gay Rights Agenda.

I appreciate what the author of the article pondered:

What did Albert Mohler say that was so outrageous? Was it the part about Jesus being the only Savior from sin? Was it the claim that our sinful nature goes beyond a simple choice? Any orthodox Christian should affirm salvation from our sin through Jesus and that we can’t simply decide to turn off our sinful nature.

That’s the thing. What is wrong with what Mohler said?  Is homosexuality merely a “choice”?  No doubt it is a choice in many respects. One can choose to indulge the desire or choose not to indulge the desire, just as with many expressions of sin.  It is this ability to choose that makes nonsense of the assertions that the Gay Agenda is somehow equivalent with the Civil Rights Movement of the Mid-Twentieth Century.  Folk could not choose to be Black of not.  Folks can choose sexual behavior.

However, what Mohler is pointing out is that sin is more than our behavior. However sin is expressed it is first  a condition of the heart and mind.  While choosing to not engage is preferable to hedonistic indulgence. it does not rid anyone of the condition or the consequential penalty. The wages of sin are death… Period.  This is true even if we suppress every inclination.

What Mohler is pointing out is that homosexuality is far more complex than a “choice” to act out on its desires and physical attractions.  He is reminding Christians that we need to recognize the true nature of sin – homosexuality and all types of sin.  And he is challenging us to realize we need a radical remedy. Fortunatley we have one. Mohler also reminds us of the power of the Gospel.

So, will I get any flack for concurring and posting the article supporting Mohler and his views.  Maybe a little.  But probably only from a few.  And hopefully not from anyone who actually takes the time to read the article.

Obama’s Faith

/ Dennis Griffith / 4 Comments

Suspicions abound. The questions perhaps even more.   What I am referring to is the faith of President Barrack Obama: Is he a Muslim, or what?

Though I did not vote for him, I was pleasantly intrigued during the 2008 campaign when Obama, speaking with Rick Warren at a forum at Saddleback Church, gave a testimony of personal faith that was both clear and substantive.  He certainly was more on target than anything John McCain offered about his own faith.  But the skeptics still wouldn’t buy it.

I’ll have to admit, some of Obama’s policies give me reason to question, if not the veracity, the consistency and substance of his faith.  But then again, my own sin and short-comings may sometimes give people I encounter reason to wonder about my faith.

Then in a speech yesterday, for the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama gave us another glimpse of his personal faith. CNN  provides the video: Obama’s Faith.

Many people I know were moved by his words.  But as I’ve listened to the speech a few times, I am still not sure what it reveals.  It seemed genuine, and it was certainly Biblical – far more Biblically faithful than anything I’ve heard Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity utter.  Shoot, he was more Biblical than Joel Osteen.  But some questions remain. There was still something missing.

My intent is not to knock Mr. Obama, nor his moving,  heartfelt testimony.  The fact is what was missing from his message is often missing from many pulpits.  There was a lot of religion, moralism, and Bible quotes, but there was no Christ.  It was a vivid example of what Michael Horton refers to as Christless Christianity.

Christ-less Christianity expresses the morals and mandates from the Bible, but makes no mention of Jesus.  He may be assumed or he may be ignored, I don’t know.  And most who express this probably believe in Jesus.  But he is absent from the conversation; never mentioned, invoked, or referred to.

The problem with Christ-less Christianity is that, at least rhetorically, it cuts the heart out of the Christian faith. It makes Christianity to be like all other religions – merely moralistic.  Jesus Christ is the heart of Christianity – particularly what he accomplished on the Cross and by his Resurrection.  It is by this work of Christ that the Believer is forgiven of sin, adopted by God, declared righteous, and destined for Heaven – if these benefits are appropriated through faith.

I don’t know the “reality” of Obama’s faith.  I will likely never know.  I never met the guy, and never expect to meet him.  I am not suggesting he is not a Christian.  I was pleased by what he did say.  But I am reminded by what he did not say – what many do not say – that we can never deny nor simply assume Christ if we are trying to testify about the Christian faith.

As Paul declared:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.    And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.      – Colossians 1.15-20

Lord Save Us

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

I spent this morning watching the documentary, Lord Save Us From Your Followers.  I was prompted by a note from a friend and, despite it not being on my agenda for the day, I was intrigued.

Once again, I am not sure where I have been. This film came out over a year ago.  Some of it looked familiar, so I may have caught part of it on GMC or some other television cable network.  But for whatever reason, what I saw before did not capture my interest enough. Perhaps I had an initial wrong impression.  Perhaps I was just busy and could not watch the whole thing before. But even if that were the case, I am not sure why this went out of mind so quickly that I did not seek it out when I had the time to check it out.

The driving questions about this exploration of the Culture Wars in the United States is: Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing Our Nation? That is a great question.

Here are a few brief thoughts that come to my mind having just finished watching:

  • Ouch!  This cuts close to home.  This film clearly reveals how we as Christians (and I personally) are at fault for much of the perception the UnBelieving Culture has about Christianity and Christians.
  • I was encouraged by the responses of those who are opposed to Christianity and Christians when a Believer was willing to engage them in an honest discussion. I was moved by the power of humility, compassion, repentance and confession by the Believer. Apparently Jesus knew something when he commanded his followers to first take the plank out of our own eyes before confronting others about the specs in theirs.  (Matthew 7.5) Paul, too, when he instructed the Galatians to “gently restore” those who were astray of the way of God, but that they should be careful that they did not stumble in their own sin in in the process. (Galatians 6.1)
  • I am hopeful of a positive impact. But our strategic priorities must be in order. First is the reformation of the Church, including widespread repentance of God’s people for our failure to seek genuine righteousness.  Only later can we expect to have any positive cultural impact.  (2 Chronicles 7.14)

Now for the qualifications:

I know some who read this blog will be inclined to immediately dismiss the message behind this film because some of the theological premises expressed by those interviewed are questionable (to say it kindly), because it is not a theological discussion, and/or because some of the Christians represented do not reflect your tradition. (For the most part, this is true of mine too. Only John Perkins comes to mind who I know to share a similar theological heritage.)  But to dismiss this film for any of those reasons is a sad mistake.  At the very least recognize that this film depicts how a wide spectrum of our culture views us.

This documentary runs 1:42, so to watch it takes some time.  I suppose it would not lessen the appreciation to break it up into segments.  But I do encourage honest Believers, those interested in engaging in holistic mission to take the time, however you break it up.

To watch, click: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

Never Exchange the Pulpit

/ Dennis Griffith / 4 Comments

 

With all the hubub that has surrounded Glen Beck and his aspiration to ascend to top of the Religious Right leadership, I was encouraged by an open letter written by Nancy Guthrie to the pastors of her church. 

Guthrie states that what has concerned her more than the fact that Beck is a Morman is a statement Beck made on The O’Reilly Factor:

“240 pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams on stage all locked arms saying the principles of America need to be taught from the pulpit.”

In short, Guthrie affirms her love for America, but is grateful that her pastors have refused to neglect the preaching of the gospel in exchange for preaching American principles. 

Like the Apostle Paul, I am “astonished” that so many are turning from the Gospel that they claim to have received (and are charged to preach) and are turning to another gospel – which is no gospel at all. (Galatians 1.6-9) 

If the ministers of the gospel turn to preach politics, who will proclaim the Word of Life?

To read Nancy Guthries thoughts, click: Open Letter

This IS Tennessee!

/ Dennis Griffith / 3 Comments

 

As a Tennessean I appreciate Roy Exum sharing this in the Chattanoogan a few weeks ago.  It is a treatise by the Assistant Athletic Director at Lipscomb University, Brent High, written in the days after a flood engulfed Nashville.  If you are a Tennessean, stand tall. If you are from somewhere else, here’s a word picture of what Tennesseans are about:

“It’s Monday, May 3rd. The rain has stopped, finally. What happens next shouldn’t come as a surprise. Almost instinctively, after a long night of restlessness, volunteers spring into action. It’s in their blood. They’ve been trained to do so by their parents and grandparents. From Waverly to Cookeville, Winchester to Cross Plains and in the capital city of Nashville the sights and sounds are the same.

“Without being asked, fishermen launch their boats into the muddy soup, joining the rescue efforts. Business owners and supervisors tell their employees to take the day off and jump in and help wherever they can. Neighbors, many of whom helped empty entire houses in brigade fashion the night before, transition into cleanup mode.

“Sump pumps and generators whirl. Drywall, carpet and ruined floors are ripped out. Elderly ladies gather at the church to make lunches for workers. Teenagers distribute bottled water. Pickup trucks, trailers and storage units are loaded with what could be salvaged.

“Photos and documents are spread out in the sun to dry. Wads of $20 bills are slid into pockets of those affected. Checks are written. Hugs are given. Prayers are said. Tears are shed.

“This is Tennessee.

“Almost 200 years ago Tennessee first earned the nickname ‘Volunteer State.’ In 1812 More than 2,000 Tennesseans volunteered to fight for Andrew Jackson and were the main part of Jackson’s army that destroyed the British three years later in the Battle of New Orleans. A generation later the U.S. Secretary of War asked Tennessee for 2,800 soldiers to fight a war against Mexico. 30,000 volunteered.

“This is a state where faith comes first. We don’t ask why. We know there is a reason and look forward to it being revealed. We are guided by scriptures such as Philippians 2:3-5 which says: ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus.’

“Family is a focus, not an afterthought. Don’t bother trying to do business with us the week of Christmas or July 4th. We’ll be with family. When our kids have a school play we will be there. We throw big birthday parties. We teach our kids right from wrong and aren’t afraid to give them a whippin’ when they need it.

“Here we say ‘Yes ma’am’ and ‘No ma’am.’ We try to leave a place better than we found it. We put our hand over our heart when the National Anthem is played. We pull over on the side of the road when funeral processions pass on the other side.

“We are savvy business people. We are farmers. We are teachers. We drink Coke here. We like gravy with our biscuits and potatoes.

“We are serious about our sports. We keep score in little league and we still have all-star teams and MVP trophies.

“We are givers.

“You won’t hear us wailing about where the federal government and insurance companies were in all of this. We’ll get by just fine without them.

“Right now we have a lot to deal with here in our backyard. We will handle it with dignity and class. We will sacrifice for each other in ways that are unfathomable to most. We will stand together. We will stand tall. We will come out of this stronger than we were before it.

“One day in the not too distant future a hurricane, tornado, fire, flood or other unspeakable disaster will strike your community. As you struggle to put the pieces back together we will be there.

“We will volunteer.

“We are Tennesseans.

“This is Tennessee.”

NOTE: I’ve never met Brent High, but I am proud to  learn that he and I share an alma mater: Overton High School in Nashville

What’s Glenn Beck Doing at Liberty University?

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

It was with some bemusement that I took note of the speaker for Liberty University’s 2010 Commencement: Glenn Beck.  I am not sure what message was conveyed by this choice. One possibility seems commendable. Another possibility, I fear, may be a sad reflection of attitudes within and around contemporary American Evangelicalism.

Liberty University, long steeped in Baptistic Fundamentalism, maintained its commitment to the conservative politics held by founder Jerry Falwell while broadening its umbrella in recent years by making a transition to be more of an Evangelical institution.   I applaud them for this move.  Not only do I believe that Evangelicalism is  more Biblical than Fundamentalism, an Evangelical worldview is unquestionably more conducive to a comprehensive education. 

Glenn Beck, while controversial, is a voice in the Public Square not to be ignored. I don’t much buy into Beck’s conspiracy theories. And I categorically oppose his audacious and unqualified call for people to leave churches that promote ‘social justice’.  But I do not dismiss him, as some on the far Left are inclined to do – or, at least, wish they could do.  (i.e.: MSNBC)  In short, not only is Beck an intelligent and articulate pundit for cultural conservatism, he also freelyspeaks about God.  BUT Beck is a Mormon, not a Christian.  So the god he speaks about, therefore, is NOT the Triune God revealed in the Bible.

So what is a Mormon doing speaking at a Baptist graduation? Continue reading →

Considerations for the Gay Marriage Discussion

/ Dennis Griffith / 3 Comments

While I suspect that the question of Gay Marriage is a settled issue for most of the readers of this blog, it seems anything but settled in our culture.  We are inundated by the rhetoric of both activists and those who are merely sincere and sympathetic to the seeming inequalities.

Christianity Today has published an informative article by Mollie Hemingway that brings some further insights to the table.  In short: Legalized Same-Sex Marriage WILL have a negative effect on our culture and, if not yours, the marriages of the rising generations.

Consider just opening paragraphs:

Same-sex marriage advocates frequently ask, “How would gay marriage affect your marriage?” The question is posed rhetorically, as if marriage is a private institution with no social consequences.

But The New York Times, of all papers, argues that gay unions could significantly alter marriage norms. A new study of gay couples in San Francisco shows that half are “open,” meaning that partners consent to each other having sex with other people. The Times says that the prevalence of such relationships could “rewrite the traditional rules of matrimony” by showing straight couples that monogamy need not be a “central feature” of marriage and that sexually open relationships might “point the way for the survival of the institution.”

To read the complete article, click: Same Sex, Different Marriage

To Speak or Not to Speak

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

I am torn.

According to a recent article by the Florida Baptist Witness, a group of concerned citizens are recruiting pastors to challenge a 55 year old law that prohibits non-profit organizations, including churches, from endorsing specific political candidates.  Practically speaking this law empowers the IRS to censor the content that is offered from church pulpits. 

On the one hand, I am sympathetic to this cause because I do not believe that anyone should censor legitimate speach.  In a free society political speach should not be censored. Further, while not being an alarmist, I am concerned that allowing the government this authority to regulate what is proclaimed from a church pulpit may one day broaden and include other issues that are moral-theological in nature but that have political implications – or that have simply become politicized.  The IRS is an agency with all authority and functions with a “guilty until proven innocent” M.O.  Having them as regulators is a dangerous proposition.

On the other hand, the pulpit is a place that should be unconditionally reserved for the proclamation of the Gospel.  PERIOD! While I do not like my civil rights infringed, I have no right, under God’s direction, to use the pulpit for anything other than declaring, teaching, and applying God’s Word.  Political speach becomes an easy – and often seductive – substitute for the real responsibility that ministers of the Gospel are charged to do.  Loosening the present law will not change my conviction, nor my practice, whatsoever.  But if the present law will keep some of my clergical colleagues focused on our collective purpose, well, that seems to be a good thing.

For those interested in this discussion, you might want to check out: Speak Up Movement

Why I Hate Sanctity of Life Sunday

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

 

In a post yeaterday I offered my musing about Sanctity of Life Sunday.  In my reading I also stumbled upon something by Russell Moore, Dean and Vice President at Southern Seminary in Lousville, on his blog, Moore to the Point.  I found his post: Why I Hate Sanctity of Life Sunday to be simple, insightful, and sensitive.

How can I commend a guy who “hates” Sanctity of Life Sunday, when I just finished writing about it with a positive perspective? Well, you’ll have to check out Dr. Moore’s post to find out.

Choose LIFE

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Like many conservative Evangelical congregations around the country, our church recognized yesterday as Sanctity of Life Sunday.  It seems only appropriate. We live in a culture that no longer values human life, except, perhaps, as a disposable comodity.  This is evident by not only the continued tragedy of abortion but also the growing, or at least high, percentage of Americans who are OK with euthenasia.  But we value life, because God values life.

Like other Evangelicals, we believe that life – human life – is a reflection of the glory of God. Humanity, and humanity alone, was created by God to bear His image.  Though  vandalized in the Fall, and tarnished by our own sin, all people contine to posess an inherent value because we are still bearers of the image of God, even under all the rubbage. 

One of the things I mentioned to our congregation is that there are several ways to obsereve Sanctity of Life Sunday. The most common, I suspect, is to show support for being Pro Life and opposed to abortion.  Like many others, we partner with the local crisis pregnancey center (which, in our case here in Bristol, is led by a man who preceded me as pastor of Walnut Hill Church).  I also mentioned that adoption is a very important practice. More than that, adoption is a beautiful illustration of the Gospel. (I’ll compose another post to explain that, perhaps tomorrow.)  Another related practice is Foster Care, which is in critical condition here in Sullivan County, Tennessee.  (Perhaps I’ll draft yet another post about this issue, either this week or next.)

But back to the most traditional emphasis connected to the observation of Sanctity of Life Sunday. It strikes me that there are two ways we can go with our observation of this day:

  1. We can celebrate LIFE
  2. We can protest abortion

These are related. And both can be accomplished. But it seems to me the emphasis always leans toward one of these options or the other.

For me personally, I am glad to be part of a church that focuses on the celebration of Life.  The recent tradtion at our church is to launch a competition between the men and women to see which group/gender can fill the most baby bottles with coins during the time between Sanctity of Life Sunday and Mother’s Day.  All the money collected goes to the AACPC here in Bristol.  It is a fun and postitive tradition that focuses on serving those in need more than decrying what we hate. (Though, I do hate the practice of abortion.)

What you will not see at a church that I pastor is a yard full of crosses on Sanctity of Life Sunday – nor during any other time of year.  I am not levying accusations at those who do this each year. There is a place for protest, and I suspect that there are people who are reminded about how monstrously large the abortion industry is in this country.  But my preference, and my position, is that it is better to celebrate and serve LIFE.

There is a practical, and compassionate, reason for my position. 

I often wonder about the message being sent to the women who have chosen to have an abortion – and to a lesser degree, the men who were complicit in that decision.  I wonder what they perceive of the love of Christ for people like them, people labeled “murderers” by the most vociferous anti-abortion activists.  In our churches, and in our pregnancy centers, we caution women considering an abortion that someday down the road they are very likely to feel a high degree of guilt should they decide to terminate their pre-born child’s life.  Reasearch and experiece has proven that to be the truth.  And it is women (and men) like that I wonder about. When they see the crosses covering a church yard, representing the millions of children whose lives are taken each year, including the life their decision ended, what message do they infer the church is sending them?  I am afraid that the message hurting women receive – whether or not it is the message intended to be implied – is: “We told you so.”  Or worse: “We hate people like you (people who kill innocent children).” 

I wonder how inclined a woman, feeling the weight of a decision she cannot retract, would be to seek counselling for her grief from a church that has marked her sin with a Scarlet Letter “A” – for Abortion – in the form of a garden of crosses out on the lawn.  I wonder if these women drive by and sense the love of Jesus flowing from such an expression of the Body of Christ.  I am sure many have received help, forgiveness, and hope through these congregations. But I ask myself, “How many more women drive-by fearing they will never be forgiven or accepted in such a place?”

Again, I am not indicting those churches, nor those Christians, who choose to observe Sanctity of Life in this way.  There is a place for advocacy on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves (in this case, the unborn).  What I write here in this post are only my thoughts and concerns.  But they are real thoughts and real concerns, deeply held. And for those reasons, whatever others do on this day each year, I will CHOOSE to CELEBRATE LIFE!