..”pro-lifers believe abortion is murder” - Bill Mahar
Ever since Margaret Sanger opened her the first birth control clinic in the USA in 1916 there has been an ongoing discussion about the legality and the morality and the political ramifications of abortion. Margaret was reportedly a racist who wanted to abort as many African American babies as possible.
From these sinister beginnings the discussion about abortion has evolved to where it is now considered a matter of a woman's rights to her own body and those rights supersede the rights of the young person she is carrying in her womb. Many politicians and medical professionals now consider abortion to be healthcare.
There has been another unfortunate shift in the public arena. In some Western countries the only place you cannot stand on a public street and pray silently is in a defined zone around an abortion clinic. In the meantime Jesus followers in these same countries have retreated and no longer engage in resistance to abortion. This is a natural response because to offer an opinion in support of the unborn is considered hate speech. Very few people are left who will stand up and defend the defenseless.
Then Bill Maher speaks the unthinkable and Jesus followers are shocked by how far the discussion about the beginning of life has shifted from protecting the unborn to acknowledging that human beings are being killed. The the truth is out. Abortion is murder and Bill is OK with that because he goes on to say:
"There are 8 billion people in the world. I'm sorry. We won't miss you."
From his perspective abortion is a way to save the planet. His remarks received a lot of push back even from people who openly support abortion on demand. It is one thing to dispose of a blob of cells and an entirely different matter to call what takes place murder. What is the truth?
In an environment where the education system, the medical system, the political system, and celebrities like Bill Mayer are touting values that are not biblical, even Jesus followers can be influenced by the prevailing views in society especially if the church is largely silent on topics such as this. It is certainly less contentious and safe to withdraw into our Christian groups and ignore what is happening around us. Another response is to simply be angry and desire God's vengeance against anyone involved in the abortion industry.
By now you may be asking: "What does this have to do with discipleship?" The environment in the western world has become so hostile to Christian thought that we have lost our right to speak in the public forum. We need another strategy and I think the answer is discipleship. All people everywhere have a God infused place in their inner beings that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can fill.
In a recent discipleship group we were having a discussion about building our lives on a solid foundation. The lesson focused on the role of Scripture being the unchangeable and reliable guide for being a successful human being. A participant confessed to her lack of desire to read and meditate on God's word but she also felt convicted to change her attitude toward the Bible and the role it needs to play in her life.
Discipleship groups can play a key role in helping Jesus followers to know the Truth so they are not swayed by the group think of society. These are also settings where those who do not know Jesus can be invited into a safe environment where they can explore what having a growing and dynamic relationship with Jesus is all about. Those who perform abortions and those who receive them are people who are deeply loved by God and they need to know that. In a small group setting they can be loved and nurtured and led to a place where they find forgiveness and peace.
On the topic of abortion we will let God have the last word:
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb." Jeremiah 1:5
K R Paton