Evolving Faith

Josh and I hid in the back room of Arby's in Kalamazoo. We were not that busy and we had people up front. He was the manager, so he was counting down a drawer in his office. I was on drive thru and there was nobody in the drive thru, so we chatted in the little dingy office. I sat on a milk crate in the doorway.

As often happens with my friends, the topic was one you were not supposed to talk about in mixed company. It was abortion. This was a tough one for me at the time. I told him that I personally thought it was wrong, meaning I was convicted that I would never in my power enable one. This was a personal spiritual conviction. On the other hand, I understood that the issue was more complex than that, and I found it hard to say I had enough information, so I didn't think it was a politically decision making issue for me. I really believed this at the time. This was an easy position, because no one could tell me my own choice was wrong and I wasn't trying to force anyone else.

I think he was in a similar mindset, because the issue was not pushed, the inconsistency not questioned, we moved on. My faith didn't just end with personal direction, in included a firm belief in an absolute truth, and absolute right or wrong. This weak position, which I was aloud to get away with completely ignored this. In spite of that, I held roughly this position for much of college. I even used the term human law as a distinction from God's law, when talking this issue.

A couple years ago, a friend of mine, James, wrote an article about someone he met who drove a decorated pro-life van and regularly protested pro-choice politicians and individuals. I read this article during one of my work days and it brought me back to this old college position. I wasn't that person anymore, I couldn't say it is wrong for me, but OK for you. The God I had gotten to know, didn't work that way. So, I could relate to this van driver, even support him. He was trying to bring to light the ugliness of abortion and proclaim this is wrong, this is murder,

I might not have a approached it the same way, but this was what I was convinced of being true. First, man is a creation of God. We are God's from our very conception. Second, murder is the unjust taking of human life. In scripture, in old testament law, it is clear that if you kill a unborn baby, you are to be killed (1). Killing an unborn baby is murder. Third, as this is true, we as a nation should take a stand against this. This is not a popular position, but it is the one I have by faith.

This morning, at church, we had a special sanctity of life service. This meant the topic was on this very topic. It hit me differently this time than it ever was before. I sat in the red chair of the large auditorium and Pastor Jeff was passionately making his plea to the people. It wasn't enough that we know that this was wrong, but we needed to act. We need to remove the legislators who were pro choice, we needed to stand for the rights of the unborn, we needed to cut of funding, as best as we could from organizations, such as Planned Parenthood. Then as I listened he presented a haunting fact. 75% of pregnancies are ended because the mother is concerned a child would impact their life.

This set my mind in a completely new direction. My conviction was not on the legislators or organization or acting in protest. Fighting these things don't fix or stem the problem. The 3500 abortions that are performed everyday are not caused by any of those things, they are caused by the people. Legislators in place by the will of the people, Planned Parenthood exists because it can find the support of a community, when I protest all I do it take a stand and can be safely ignored by the opposition.

What am I to do? I want the number of these murders to go down, but it is clear the nation as a whole even challenges the fact that this is murder. It is a fetus, instead of a baby. It is a voluntary termination instead of killing. Even if the right to abort affected by Roe vs. Wade was overturned, would it change the heart of the people?

The ground fight in this battle is not going to won with signs and gross pictures. It is going to be won the same way all moral issues are won, with love and education. If you care about the unborn, love those who are having children, educate them on God's desires, support them when they have needs that they can not meet and pray for God's will.

1. 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. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.