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Abortion back in the news
Written by Peter Youngren on June 8, 2009In the late eighties, think the Mulroney government, abortion was a hot political potato. The debate raged with considerable fervor into the nineties, until in this decade it has hardly been an issue that any political candidate with plans to get re-elected would want to tackle. Last time the issue was put to a vote in our federal parliament was twenty years ago, and with both pro-life and pro-choice forces deeply committed to a non-compromise position Canada was left without any abortion law. Right in line with Cuba, China, North Korea and handful of other nations. Even countries with arguably much more secularized populations such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland did not go that far, but retained some laws to protect the unborn in later stages of pregnancy,
The Canadian debate unfortunately became all too infected by theology. The pro-life proponents argued from the Bible that life begins at conception, precisely my conviction, one that I would put forth in teaching and personal counseling. What we evangelicals didn’t recognize was that Canada is a secular society, not a Christian country. Maybe we never were. I’m deeply committed to the Bible as the word of God, but in a multi-cultural society, which gratefully ours is, theology is not the means of persuasion in the political arena. The pro-choice forces were equally entrenched, unwilling to listen to reason, writing off any pro-life argument as conservative Christians trying to ram their morality down the throat of everyone; atheist, agnostic or believer. What was the result? The mother’s womb has remained the most dangerous place in Canada.
I visited Scandinavia last month and noticed that laws are being enacted that could charge a woman, who smokes excessively during the last trimester because of the damaging effects smoking can have on an unborn. The proponents of such legislation are not born-again believers motivated by theology, but legislators driven by science, which is aware of the potential viability of human life outside the womb after the 20th week of gestation.
Maybe it is time to look at abortion again. It has been in the news lately. When abortion doctor Henry Morgentaler received the Order of Canada, there was the expectation of a flood of previous recipients that would resign from what they might now consider a tainted award. The flood didn’t happen, but five prominent Canadians recently resigned or mailed back their medallions. One of those, Roman Catholic Cardinal Jean Claude Turcotte, argued that Dr. Morgentaler is a “questionable” person, who cheapens the order.
The killing of a renowned Kansas abortion doctor, George Tiller, while he was ushering during a Sunday morning service in his Reformation Lutheran Church has also received considerable Canadian press coverage. Dr. Tiller had drawn ire from pro-life groups because of his work in one of only three abortion clinics in the United States that perform late term abortions. Dr. Tiller’s murder is deplored by followers of Christ, no matter how staunchly pro-life we are. It also serves as a reminder that for all the reasonable born-again Christians with strong convictions, there is the occasional loner, who will act in a deceptive religious fervor. Our activism must always be tempered by emphasizing God’s love for all people, even those whose actions we deplore.
Do Canadians on both sides of the issue dare to take another look? Politics is the art of compromise. Conservative Christians will not get everything we want, while those who favor the status quo are being over-run by scientific knowledge. Let’s not wait for a “born again” or committed Roman Catholic member of parliament to raise the issue. How about a politician from one of the traditionally pro-choice political parties tabling a motion that recognizes both the scientific realities of human life in the womb and the need for assistance to women with unwanted pregnancies?
- Peter
Who Cares
~ Ontario
What does it matter anyways? As far as I am concerned, these children who don’t see the light of day are the lucky ones - life sucks no matter how you look at it and to not have to live it would be the greatest blessing anyone could have.
Hagere
~ Canada
Some churches show abortion videos during sunday worship service to condemn it. That is one of the grossest thing I have ever seen in my whole entire life.
Cheralyn
~ PEI
As the new mother of a 3-month-old I look at my presently sleeping little girl and I wonder at the thought that just a few months ago I had the “right” to take her life. How absolutely horable!
Pastor Peter is right. We should be able to argue as human beings that abortion is a terrible wrong without even having to mention theology. Theology has an important place in the lives of believers, but slamming it down the throats of the world never helped anyone.
People need to know Jesus, not rules.
Gerald
~ St Catharines
Peter you seem to care about people. Your ministry is expanding around the world and I pray you achieve your goal.
Louise Cassel
~ Kingston ON
I agree, the general public would never agree to no abortion at all. The church needs to learn to compromise in this secular society. We should agree on a law against late term abortions at least, and counciling for unwed mothers.
Geoff
~ EARTH
Do you have any idea how much I envy you people? You religious bonkers types who live up in a cloud somewhere, secure in your demented belief that it will all somehow work out when we die and rot and disappear?
I wish I could believe in some kind, any kind, of god; but intellectual honesty compels me to think otherwise. You’ll be happier than me all your life, and only at the very end will we discover I’m right; and since we’ll both have ceased to exist by then, that’s the definition of a hollow victory.
Josh
~ Niagara
Hagere, if that is true, then I am really concerned for those churches. Sunday mornings are a time for praise and worship to the Lord and learning from the Word, not taking part in some form of anti-abortion protests with a graphic video to offend people. I’m really having a hard time understanding why a church would go that far. People need to sometimes leave their politics at home.
Louise Yee
~ Moose Jaw
Dear Peter,
Thank you for writing that article. I agree with you whole-heartedly. There needs to be a loving logical response that honours God human life, and displays His wonderful character.
sincerely, Louise Yee
G
~ Earth.
Mr Youngren,
My take on abortion is this…
Is it more important to safeguard the right of a woman to live a life she chooses or to allow the unborn child a right to live his life.
Consider your answers in the following scenario:-
1) What if the pregnant woman suffers from AIDs?
2) What if the child is doomed to a life of severe deformity?
In both circumstances, it has to be considered whether:-
1) The woman can live with the guilt. Whether the child would welcome life in spite of the pain and suffering he was borne into.
2) The woman can take care of the child until the day she dies. And what thereafter?
This issue, and the various arguments have been ventilated ad nauseum. Leaving aside the ideological, philosophical and theological aspect, what of the actual sufferings / implications of the persons involved?
Can you or I determine what is good or bad for another person? If so, are you then willing to shoulder the burdens that come along with imposing that decision on the other person?
Are you, at the end of the day, willing to take up the cross on your back and carry the child through his life? Or are you even able to portion out 10% of your salary for the lady who can scarce provide for her newborn child?
If we are not willing to provide for those who have been forced to live a life they do not wish to live, are we at liberty to impose our airy fairy notions on these people?
Dan
~ Barrie, Ontario
I have a few questions for Geoff, who commented earlier. You said that you wish you could believe in a God and that in the end, those of us who believe in God will find out we are wrong. What if in the end, you find out you were wrong? Then what? Does it cost you anything to believe now? If you don’t believe, maybe it will cost you your life. You said that you wanted to believe. Who is stopping you, other than yourself? Even Albert Eintsein and Isaac Newton made a case for the existance of God, so you can’t use intellectual honesty as a reason. If you honestly and sincerely asked God to come into your life today, do you think you would get a response? That’s all He is waiting for you do.
Respectfully,
Dan
Linda
~ Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The problem with making laws is that they enforce ideas that are applied to human beings without taking in the fact that humans are people, individuals who were created in the image of God. God loves each individual unconditionally. We as Christians need to do just that, LOVE each person individually; we need to learn the circumstances preceding and surrounding the person who has been placed in the situation where they think the answer is abortion. Be led, as a child of God, to do the will of God; He left us here on earth to be lights to the world, so let’s do that.
If we walk a mile in their shoes, and listen with both ears, He will answer us.
Remember, LOVE never fails.
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Comments:
paula
~ niagara falls
As you have previously stated, the answer to all of our societies woes and issues is Jesus Christ and His Cross and Resurrection. With living in the Body of Christ a person woiuldnt even consider abortion, since there are so many members within you willing to do God’s Will and to be obedient to Him. There is nothing man can do to remedy societal indiscretions, other than to do what God said. “Listen to Him”, referring to Jesus. When you know and become aware of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Body of Christ being the actual living content of your human body - they witness your every transgression, even at the conception of the thought and you know they notice that and they are quick to chastise and reprove - instilling this awareness of the presence of the invisible Kingdom of Heaven and its reality of living aside and within us and then few would decide against God’s Will because you would be in the minority even to consider your body your own. In the Body of Christ you are only one member and we have to learn, and be taught, to harken to this unlimited body of witnesses and assistance, all in total allegiance to Christ our Lord and God His Father.