Every year around election time the question is brought up about where people stand on abortion. I have had a ton of people ask me if I am pro life or not. I guess some may gauge their answer to see who I am voting for. I give a confident; "pro life" and move on. Every time I answer this question I think about my wife and if she was ever placed in this difficult situation in the future how my confident answer would be put to the test. Picture this hypothetical situation; one where while delivering your kid the doctor told you that your wife could possibly lose her life or your kid's the chance is 50/50. What would you expect her to do?
"Aha"-my pro life answer gets tested. Are you pro life at all cost? That is a question I think you gotta ask yourself. That is why the Roe vs. Wade was passed in my opinion. The Supreme Court Justice System thought there was a grey area there. Collectively they made a decision that it would not be constitutional to blanket the country with a anti-abortion law. My question is this: is there a grey area here? If the bible says no (thou shall not kill) then why do we create one? Is this area black and white? Some say it is. I want some smart people out there to give me some clarification on this topic. I need help here.
And last but not least, do you think that (thou shall not kill) commandment used above is a stand alone commandment and consequently we use this one in election year and all the others fall to the waist side?
Here are the others:
"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God…
ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'
SIX: 'You shall not murder.'
SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'
EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'
NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'
TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'
**Are these not just as important to you? Do we fell as strongly about laws being in place to protect us from being charged in these areas. (coveting, honoring, aldultry etc.)
Thanks for your help in advance on this one.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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8 comments:
I guess I look at the pro-life issue as one that protects innocent unborn babies from being killed. There are laws to protect people from doing things that have harmful physical effects on other people - murder, robbery, assault, etc. These are choices that people make that are crimes against others. Breaking any of the commandments is sin and in God's eyes all sin is the same. But in our earthly life some sin has greater consequences than others. So the question for me is: Do I see that unborn life as a baby? I do believe that life begins at conception - Most prochoice people will say that they believe that a woman should have the right to decide what she does with her body and I don't argue with that theory. However I believe that there is another person involved in that choice - that of an innocent baby. Therefore I think abortion should not be legal. I do know that there are some instances where that would be a very tough call to make, but God didn't guarantee us easy choices. Anyway - that is my point of view. Love you bunches - Renee
Hi! I met your wife this weekend when she took our pictures and was looking at her blog and saw the trip you took which led me to this page. Anyway, I love to hear others opinions on this matter and I have one myself but am always willing to listen to others. I will begin by saying I am a social worker and this you may think helps to make my decision but, I am also a Christian who loves the LORD, my GOD and I feel no guilt or disapproval for the feelings I have. Abortion is so "Sticky" and I have encountered it many times with others in my life. I will start by saying that I know how difficult it is to be young, single and have a child. I decided to love and care for the child I have but I have a hard time judging or feeling like those that did not are WRONG. I would not have been there to contribute monetarily, emotionally or physically. I also believe that those that are extreme pro life have probably not been faced with the "What ifs" in life. My husband and I have friends that recently had a 1 month old baby girl die. They were told at 16 weeks that the baby did not have a brain and would not develop one. The doctors gave them a choice of delivering early or giving birth to a baby that would die. If they were to give birth at 16 weeks it would of course die before or instantly after delivery. Is this not abortion but just a little nicer wording. Obviously our friends decided to carry the baby and loved her and thanked GOD they had her as long as they did. But even with such LOVING, FAITHFUL, OBEDIENT Christians they say that was there choice but they would never think twice about someone that made the opposite decision. We need to think about the parents that have babies that do not want them that end up burning them with cigarettes or beating them to sometimes death. I think that it is so hard to take a side on this matter because you are saying that is how you feel no matter what and anytime you say you are pro choice it seems people look at you as not a Christian or atleast not the Christian they are. No matter where you stand on this matter I think the important part is that you do not judge others for their decisions because as we know a sin is a sin and if this is true judging is as wrong as the act.
The commandment given states, "You shall not murder." The murderer takes unjustified action to cause the death of another. The Hebrew word used here also encompasses causing human death through carelessness or negligence. It is very important to first establish what God says before you're confronted with a tough situation. Often, Satan tempts us into sin by causing us to doubt that God's Word is true. He did that with Eve, and he did that with Jesus. There are many situations in which it would be easy for us to rationalize away God's truth. With abortion, let's begin with the belief that murder is wrong. Aborting babies is murder. Therefore, aborting babies is wrong. Then, however, come extenuating cicumstances: Rape, incest, endangerment of the life of the mother, the baby won't live anyway.
1. Is it okay to abort a child who is the result of rape or incest? No. Abortion is murder, regardless of how the child was conceived. The circumstances surrounding conception don't alter that fact.
2. Is it okay to abort a child if carrying it to term will endanger the life of the mother? No. Aborting a baby in these circumstances means that you take an active role in causing the death of a baby who has no culpability for warranting such action. It's not self-defense because the baby is not intending to act in such a way to harm the mother. I realize how difficult it must be for the very few who are actually faced with this situation, but we cannot let hard situations turn our moral compass.
3. Is it okay to abort a baby who will not live anyway? No. First, such diagnoses have been known to be inaccurate and wrong. Second, if we (at least most of us) do not support euthanasia for people outside the womb, then why is it okay for babies inside the womb? Such action is essentially euthanasia, and it's normally done because the parents can't handle the grief of carrying such a baby to term. This is another difficult situation where we must rely on what we know to be true: Abortion is wrong, and God is enough.
I realize that I've simplified my explanations for these incredibly difficult situations. The important this is that you establish what is right and wrong before making decisions in tough circumstances, and you don't let your emotions in those circumstances change what you believe to be right and wrong. Rely on God and His Word rather than your feelings.
That is a tough question...I do not claim to be one of the "smart" people you asked for to respond, and my answer might seem simplistic to some. However, I try to look at this issue (and others)through Jesus' eyes. Were he given the choice on any of these unborn babies lives, under any circumstance, would it be abortion? For me as a Christian that answers the question.
Thanks so much for you input. I agree with you all. I really do not see it being so much a tough question for a little person like me. BABIES being killed is wrong. Period. There is no fighting on that. I also think that God would disagree with that just as he would the death penalty. I just do not hear as much protest from the church in that category. Thanks so much guys for your input. I better know how to combat this issue. Thanks,
Zach, you stated, "I also think that God would disagree with that just as he would the death penalty." I must disagree with you there b/c I do not think that God would disagree with the death penalty. He instructed Israel to use the death penalty, and he didn't undergo a character change just because Jesus came. I don't interpret the story of him having mercy on the adulterous woman as a mandate to eliminate the death penalty. I do believe, however, that the legal system in America is seriously flawed, and the death penalty here is possibly unbiblical.
I agree with you that the justice system is somewhat flawed when it comes to the death penalty. I just do not know how we can want to outlaw one and not the other. My logic is how can we take a life that we can not create. You did make a point that "HE" instructed Isreal to use the death penalty. I think that is right b/c "HE" our Lord Jesus Christ can do those sorts of things. But does not make it right for us to? Life inprisonment for the unjust, to me is cool. But how can I decide if a man/womans penalty is enough to take his/her life? Laura, you John and I are going to have coffee and talk more about this!
This post is sweet.
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