I’ve been surprised lately by the tremendous amount of time and effort we have put into launching Frontline Arlington. The effort has certainly bore fruit but a few of my weekly obligations have suffered as a result. For those who read my blogs regularly you know that my blogging falls in this category. But, I’m back on track and ready to tackle our next topic from a biblical perspective.
I sincerely appreciated the lively dialogue that our last topic – suicide – created among my readers. Several of you thought a great deal about the issue from a biblical perspective and several others shared their own experiences with the topic. I’m hoping for a similar response to our next subject…abortion.
Before I dive into our new subject though, I want to share my understanding of the Bible and its ability to provide truth for all cultures, all individuals, and all circumstances for all time. I believe the Bible contains God’s Truth rather than the opinion of men. The Bible doesn’t need to be modernized or sanitized. It doesn’t need to be watered down, propped up, or apologized for. It cannot be improved upon. The Bible has been the rock of truth for millions of people for thousands of years. I find comfort knowing that I have the Bible as my guide in dealing with yet another difficult subject. Having the Bible as my guide means I don’t have to come up with my own opinion based on experience, education or what someone told me. Instead we can rely on the Truth of God’s Word.
A short historical perspective is also needed here as a primer to our discussion. The date – March 6, 1857. Just before the Civil War in a pronouncement that would become known as the “dread Scott Decision,” an American court declared that black people were not legal persons. A quote form the courts records states “A slave is the property therefore of his or her owner. A slave can be bought and sold, used and even killed at the owner’s discretion. After all they are his property.” Remember those words.
Eleven years later after the Civil War, in 1868, the people of the United States voted to correct that terribly wicked law by adopting the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. From that point on, legal protection is afforded all living beings. Therefore, the problem of legal protection for all living beings has been guaranteed for all time. Right? Wrong.
A century later on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court rules in Roe vs. Wade that unborn human beings are not legal persons. Therefore the unborn baby is the property of its human owner and thus can be killed at the owner request. Sound familiar?
To some of you this may sound a bit melodramatic. I could add that in the last 34 years since the court’s decision over 40 million babies have been aborted (that we know of) …1.5 million annually…4100 a day…180 an hour…12 since you started reading this blog.
Yet, none of these statistics mean anything if the court ruled correctly back in 1973 from a biblical perspective. If God’s Word agrees with the court’s perspective on unborn babies then anyone who calls himself or herself a follower of Christ must adjust his or her thinking and actions in life to be in line with biblical Truth. If, however, the Truth of the Bible stands in opposition to the law of the land then we are to submit to God’s Truth regardless of man’s perspective, governmental or personal.
So, here’s the question – regardless of what position you take on the issue of abortion, what Biblical defense do you have for your position? Remember – and this is essential – as a Christ-follower our sole guide for word and deed in the Bible. Our opinions, perspectives, likes and dislikes ultimately bow to the eternal Truth of Scripture. So, regardless of what we would choose if we were God, we must alter and mold our words and actions to the truth of God’s Word, not alter God’s Word to fit our opinions.
So, the stage is yours. I’ll be back in a few days to continue my series on this emotionally charged topic. Until then…
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net
www.frontline.to
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9 comments:
Todd, this is a VERY good question. I will tell you my stand on abortion and give the Biblical reason as to why. My stand is that abortion is murder! From the time of conception, it's a child.. a living, breathing, human being. Taking a human life of ANY kind is murder, even though the government might not consider it as such. The Bible states that we are to not commit murder, and by doing so, we are sinning against God. Therefore, I feel that abortion, no matter WHAT excuse you might use, is considered murder. Though the Bible does not really say anything about abortion specifically, it clearly talks about murder.
Ge 9:4
"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.
[this appears to be saying that there is life in the blood and that is why it is wrong to eat this meat]
Ge 9:5
And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
Exodus 21:22-25 When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
[the only distinction here is whether or not the woman is pregnant and whether or not the unborn baby is hurt. God appears to think highly of an unborn child and punish anyone who harms such child.]
Todd, thanks for your blog. I can be a bit of a fence-sitter, and it's a helpful reminder to keep the bible at the center of my theology. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
In the meantime, thank you for mentioning the Dread Scott Decision. I recently had the opportunity to watch a private Screening of Amazing Grace (http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/), which highlights William Wilberforce's faith in action to abolish slavery in Britain.
I wept countless times during this film - Wilberforce's courage of conviction inspires and enlightens. I think the Frontline community really needs to see this film, given our community's mission to impact secular DC. You compelled us like never before in your "Least of These" series, and this movie will further spur us on.
Amazing Grace opens February 23 and it would be great if Frontline-ers appeared at the theaters to support Christian DEEDS. Let's be activists in a relevant, meaningful way for important issues like the one you are blogging about at present.
Qui Diaz
www.evangelisting.blogspot.com
I am not well read on situations where an abortion might be considered in cases where the mother's life is in danger... Does the Bible provide guidance here?
Mark - excellent work with your proofs from Genesis and Exodus.
Here's another one along the same line.
Psalm 139:13
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
This verse tells us that God's hand is at work creating and sustaining children in the womb.
I am a product of the public education system and I have to admit that as a Christian I spend a great deal of effort renewing my mind (straightening out my worldview) when it comes to viewing the universe as created and sustained by my Living God. This is a truth I know, but compared to the psalmists I have a terribly weak grasp. For example, in Psalm 104 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps%20104&version=31) the psalmist praises God by writing out what seems to me to be his meditation upon creation and the creator.
So if God made the child, sustains the child, and the child is a child in the mother's womb then to kill it is murder.
I agree that when the Bible is clear on a subject, we must conform our thinking and actions to that Biblical truth, even if the adjustment means going against the culture or our own instincts.
But I guess I differ with the statement that the Bible is always so clear on particular issues that we can rely on it as a guide without the interpretive lens of experience.
To use your example, we all agree now that slavery--the idea of one person owning another person--is "terribly wicked." But Exodus 21:20-21 grants a master permission to beat his slave as savagely as he chooses as long as the beating is not lethal. The master is not to be punished for the beating because "the slave is his property." Hasn't our Biblical viewpoint on slavery been influenced by experience of the institution? While certain parts of the Bible seem to condone or at least accept the basic concept of slavery, people learned that the practice of owning one another is not compatible with living as Jesus taught us to live.
I think my point is that we all read the Bible through the lens of our experiences, our education, and our innate ideas about right and wrong, and sometimes this may be exactly what God wants us to do. Shouldn't we at least acknowledge the role that these things are playing so that we can submit them to God and ask Him to conform our thoughts to His?
I'm sure the Bible is clear on the subject of abortion, but unless you have been in the situtation, you shouldn't judge someone who has had one. I am not evil, I was reckless. I learned from my mistake. I have Jesus wtih me now. I used to be pro-life until the un-thinkable happened to me. Does the fact that I have had an abortion prevent me from heaven? Should I throw in the towel and stop attending Frontline? Really, stop and think aobut it. Mistakes happen. I'm sure all of you who are writing scripture have made mistakes and are far from perfect. I have to live forever with what I chose to do. I know a number of you who have posted, if you knew what I had done, would you dis-own me?
Re: anonymous sister,
After re-reading the comments section I see how you feel like people, concluding that a fetus is human life and that to end human life (when it's not in self-defense) is murder and that those who do so have done something sinful, are judging you. This doesn't seem further from my intention. Like you later you say, "I'm sure all of you who are writing scripture have made mistakes and are far from perfect", and I know you're right - all have sinned, but that doesn't mean that we can no longer talk about it being wrong. In Christ we love the sinner and hate the sin. If you're in Christ you should expect to be loved because in John 15:9 Jesus said "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you." and in John 15:12 he said "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." so we must love each other with a love like God loves himself - a perfect one. Sister, in Christ you are loved by God three-in-one and his multitude of children. Though as mere humans we don't have the ability to love each other like God through God's Holy Spirit living inside of us we are given the capacity from Him to love you. Sister, in the face of this type of love and sharing this type of bond I have no thought of disowning you.
Hey anonymous,
First Off, I love you since you are a part of my family in Christ.
i dont want you to think otherwise
I hope this comes as a loving response to your question because I am your brother, and we have to look out for eachother. I've got your back ;-)
Ok.
We all fall short, no sin is greater than another, but we have to be careful not to justify our sins as, " well if you were in my situation." or "you just dont understand what i went through." You're right, I personally don't know, but Jesus does. Look at the first part of 1 Peter 4:1, "Since Jesus went everything you're going to go through and more, learn to think like him." (message translation) My question to you is would you do it again now knowing what you know as a Christ-follower? Todd is probably going to show us some incredible insight on what the bible has to offer us, so in the next couple of posts, I hope he answers all of your questions. With God using Todd as a conduit for his love, I hope we all learn to think more and more like Jesus.
P.S. I miss frontline. ECU is a far jog from the D.C. area. See you guys in the summer when I get back.
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