Responding To Your Feedback: Part 8 (Pro-Choice Christian Edition)

Every so often I receive comments on my blog posts and emails from readers who want to share their input on what I have written. Although many are supportive and friendly, plenty of others are critical, mean-spirited, inaccurate, or some combination of those attributes. On occasion, I do not respond to emails or approve comments because I don’t see how the exchange could be edifying. All that said, I would like to acknowledge some of these comments and emails when it seems appropriate. “Responding to your feedback” posts will be written directly to the author, but I will keep the individual anonymous by assigning him/her a nickname.

The Comment For The Day

The comment I’m responding to today was left on my post entitled “Christians, You Can’t Support Abortion.” Yes, the argument in that blog post is just as black and white as it sounds. Admittedly, that’s not a popular approach, but I naively believed that I had made my point clearly enough that no one would argue against it.

I didn’t expect everyone to agree with me, but what else could someone bring up to support abortion that I hadn’t addressed? But then… This comment, although 100% off the mark (in my opinion), is worth discussing because the author mentions talking points that any pro-lifer should be able to comfortably discuss.

I’ll be referring to the writer as “Your Honor” because she seems quite concerned with the law. You’ll see what I mean in just a moment.

*I am presenting the comment with no editing.*

“Julie,

Your religious positions are, of course, your own entitlements. There are so many words in your article and the seriousness of your commitment is obvious. As an ordained pastor and what I hope is an equally serious position as a committed Christian, I have only one question

Why do you believe that your private beliefs should determine our national LEGAL policy pertaining to women’s reproductive health?

In my ministry I encounter women who agonize over matters dealing with pregnancy – none of which are trivial or “selfish.” The provision of abortion previously guaranteed by Roe v. Wade was not a humanist plot to undermine Christianity nor a “woke” response to “liberal” demands. It was a LAW informed by consultations with the medical communities of our nation and a health measure meant to confront the plague of death dealt by “back-street” abortionists.

Again, WHY should your private belief system trump our nation’s lawful and considered provision of our public health policy?

(Please don’t quote scripture to me. As a preacher and a teacher I know and understand biblical reference. I do not use God’s revealed truth as a polemic battering ram, for that is, indeed, blasphemy. I do pay attention to the fundamental messages of Jesus – “love your neighbor.” That “right to Life” teaching, like the periscope found in the Gospels, deals with the living reality of our neighbors in the world and not in the fantasies of an unborn neighborhood.)

May the peace of Christ guide you.”

Responding To Your Feedback

Dear Your Honor,

This might be the saddest piece of feedback I’ve ever received. You’re a woman who won’t renounce murdering the unborn. Where is your maternal instinct? On top of that, you’re a pro-choice Christian who has put herself into an influential position. So, you not only impact your circle of family and friends, but you also deceive whoever mistakenly follows your spiritual guidance. My heart breaks for your church and you. All right, let’s examine your thoughts a little bit.

Responding To A Pro-Choice Christian: Point 1

“Your religious positions are, of course, your own entitlements. There are so many words in your article and the seriousness of your commitment is obvious.”

This opening gave me a chuckle because I am talkative and have thoughts on nearly everything. Therefore, telling me I wrote “so many words” was pretty funny. However, then I wondered why you would bring that up. You aren’t making a joke or seemingly trying to be mean. So, what’s up with the remark?

After reading through the entire comment, I suspect that you don’t see words as a way to work through the pro-choice/pro-life debate. Are you more of a feelings person? What else would I have but words to reason whether abortion is a sin or not? I turn to the Word of God and use words to explain I have arrived at this conclusion: You can’t be a pro-choice Christian.

Woke Vernacular

Before remarking on my many words, you mentioned my religious beliefs are my right to have. I agree wholeheartedly. Everyone has a right to believe whatever they want to believe. On the other hand, not all beliefs have equal merit. I expect you haven’t forgotten that there is only one true God and one way to Heaven.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John14:6

Your language struck me in the first line of your comment. You didn’t actually say “beliefs.” You chose the word “positions.” Christians don’t typically refer to what they believe as a position. Generally, that word is reserved for political stances. Right out of the gate, you are approaching this very spiritual issue as if it is simply a matter of legislative reform.

You also said “entitlements” instead of “rights.” That might not set off any alarms for some folks, but I instantly understood where you are coming from. Entitlement is a word those concerned with social justice like to throw around. It carries baggage with it in any conversation with a conservative Christian. Telling me I have entitlements suggests privilege on my part and a strong leaning to the political/social Left on yours.

Given all this, I want to be crystal clear with you. I’m coming from the understanding that abortion is not a legal issue. It’s a biblical one. As an alleged pastor, why don’t you look through a biblical lens, too?

Responding To A Pro-Choice Christian: Point 2

“As an ordained pastor and what I hope is an equally serious position as a committed Christian, I have only one question:

Why do you believe that your private beliefs should determine our national LEGAL policy pertaining to women’s reproductive health?”

All right. I need to address the elephant in the room before I move on. I strongly believe that women are not qualified for pastoral ministry. Does that mean women are not talented speakers, not intelligent enough to understand the Word, or unable teach well? No. The Bible is specific on this issue, though, and God has not given women that spiritual role.

Mike Winger has a fantastic video on this topic that I have shared in other posts, but I’m happy to share it again. Thankfully, he has included timestamps for each topic. Although I feel certain you have already heard and disregarded every argument on this topic, I pray you listen to biblical teaching on this and repent.

Despite my inability to recognize your spiritual role as a “pastor,” I am willing to respond to you as a fellow Christian. In addition, I believe you are serious and firm in your position as a pro-choice Christian. Though we disagree, I am glad that you take the issue seriously. Frankly, there is nothing funny about abortion.

No Link Between Beliefs And Law?

The first thing we should acknowledge about beliefs and legislation is that they are intrinsically linked. All our rights come from people believing we should have them. For some, those beliefs are from their relationship with the Lord while others have formed their beliefs from other sources such as feminism, progressive Christian influences, and the loud voices pushing deconstruction. Do you honestly think someone would vote for policies he or she didn’t believe in? And how do you suppose someone comes to believe in certain policies? They have a set of beliefs that inform their worldview. Everything goes back to what we believe.

“Reproductive Health”

Your Honor, let’s be real. Abortion, killing an unborn baby in the womb, is not healthcare, and it has nothing to do with a woman’s reproductive health. Actually, the fact that she’s pregnant usually suggests that her reproductive health isn’t too shabby. Did you read the section of my abortion post in which I addressed this? I mean, I know it was a lot of words, as you said, but I explained some important topics concerning abortion as healthcare (i.e., miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy). Additionally, I offered how low the statistic really is for abortions due to risk to the mother. (It’s a likely overestimated 4%.)

Allow me to add one more argument against abortion being healthcare. Pro-choice advocates often offer the example of a woman needing the abortion to save her life. That is, the woman will die if the pregnancy isn’t terminated. That argument is completely hollow. Let’s say I’m 6 months pregnant and truly need to remove the baby in order to survive. No one needs to kill the baby. A doctor can induce an early labor and give the baby a chance to live. If it’s an emergency situation, there is always the option for a cesarean section. Admittedly, the baby could die in these scenarios, but we would be trying to do everything possible for survival. A woman’s healthcare doesn’t automatically negate the health and well-being of the baby.

In case you’re wondering, the youngest premature baby to survive was born on June 5, 2020. Richard Hutchinson weighed 11.9 oz. when he was born at 21 weeks and one day.

Responding To A Pro-Choice Christian: Point 3

“In my ministry I encounter women who agonize over matters dealing with pregnancy – none of which are trivial or “selfish.” The provision of abortion previously guaranteed by Roe v. Wade was not a humanist plot to undermine Christianity nor a “woke” response to “liberal” demands. It was a LAW informed by consultations with the medical communities of our nation and a health measure meant to confront the plague of death dealt by “back-street” abortionists.”

I don’t doubt you encounter many women who have found themselves pregnant and scared. When we don’t plan for pregnancy, the idea of what’s to come can be terrifying. Full disclosure: it can be terrifying even when that baby was planned. Though it might not feel trivial or selfish, I think you’re being too generous by saying none of the matters women consider are trivial or selfish. Let’s be honest and acknowledge that saying, “I’m not ready yet,” is a selfish reason to have an abortion. Adoption exists, right?

Roe v. Wade

I don’t think Roe v. Wade was a plot to undermine Christianity, but it certainly had an anti-Christian agenda. By and large, why do women want access to abortions? They want to have sex with whomever they choose whenever they choose. A promiscuous woman building her “body count” can’t risk getting pregnant, and birth control isn’t 100% effective. Essentially, women don’t want to be weighed down by the consequences of their actions. They want to live in their sin while taking no responsibility. I should ask you this: Do you think we should enshrine consequence-free fornication into law? I ask because, whether intended or unintended, that’s what happened with Roe V. Wade. And it came with a heavy cost. Over 63,000,000 babies lost their lives between 1973 and 2019

You mentioned illegal abortions. They’re a sad thing, aren’t they? They are unnecessarily risky crimes which kill one person and put the other at risk, too. But why should we make a criminal act into law to accommodate the criminals? Convenience? Roe v. Wade may have redefined murder, but God didn’t.

One more thing about the alleged good Roe v. Wade did. Those Supreme Court justices didn’t know anything other than what they were told according to the medical standards of 1973. Medicine hadn’t captured just how alive and truly human unborn babies are. They didn’t have the imaging we have now. They hadn’t seen the footage of abortions taking place.

Most importantly, no one for Roe v. Wade seems to have understood that each unborn baby is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and has value thanks to Him.

Responding To A Pro-Choice Christian: Point 4

“Again, WHY should your private belief system trump our nation’s lawful and considered provision of our public health policy?”

I’ve already answered this, I think, but I’ll say a bit more. The government is not always correct.

The government deciding to legalize the murder of an at-risk population is so obviously a sin that I originally thought your comment was a joke. But the punchline never came.

Listen, the nation’s leaders can think up all the sinful and repugnant laws they want, but their law will never trump God’s Law. Your Honor, I expected you, of all people, to understand that because you are an expositor of the Word, after all. I fear what you may be teaching your flock.

If you’re concerned about health policy, then you should also be concerned about everyone’s health. Even babies’ health.  

Responding To A Pro-Choice Christian: Point 5

“(Please don’t quote scripture to me. As a preacher and a teacher I know and understand biblical reference. I do not use God’s revealed truth as a polemic battering ram, for that is, indeed, blasphemy. I do pay attention to the fundamental messages of Jesus – “love your neighbor.” That “right to Life” teaching, like the periscope found in the Gospels, deals with the living reality of our neighbors in the world and not in the fantasies of an unborn neighborhood.)”

As a Christian, let alone a preacher and teacher, why would you not want to use God’s Word to understand abortion? The Bible should inform our understanding of the world, political stances, and worldview…not the other way around.

I don’t think using the Bible to explain one’s abortion beliefs is contentious or argumentative as you claim. And certainly, it isn’t blasphemous to point to scripture while explaining the value of human life, the wonder of creation, the importance of protecting children, and the command to not murder. You see, abortion is not nuanced or complicated when we turn to God for answers. You can hide behind your Bible degree and title all you want, Your Honor, but you’ll stand before God just like the rest of us. You’ll have to answer for what you taught on this issue and your support for what is nothing less than child sacrifice. Ma’am, you can’t be a pro-choice Christian if you understand the Bible.

I have one final thought. Jesus told us hard truths along with His more positive messages. Don’t divorce. Pray for your enemies (Luke 6:27-28, 35). Hell is a real place, and more people will go there than to Heaven (Matthew 7:13). You’re going to suffer if you follow Christ (Luke 9:23). Do you believe that Jesus wants you to do all kinds of difficult things in your life, living sacrificially for Him, but letting unplanned/unwanted babies be born…that’s where He draws the line? Your Honor, those unborn children are not a fantasy. Those are real people, real lives, and real souls.

Those very real lives are ended with ease on a daily basis because people like you have dehumanized them and ignored the scriptures you don’t like. I genuinely pray your heart can be softened on this issue.

Final Thought

Your Honor, I can tell you care about people, but I ask you to consider whether or not your stance on abortion is the correct way to help them. Sometimes we think we know best and want to lessen others’ suffering, but we end up making it worse. Take a hard look at what you believe. Is it biblical? Is it Christlike?

All right, readers. Do you have any thoughts for Your Honor? Do you agree with her?

Image courtesy of Jan Kahánek via Unsplash.