If It Ain’t Right, It’s Wrong, Right?

The majority of most [sane] individuals ultimately realize that our conscience must guide us when difficult decisions are to be made. Regardless if one believes in God or not, we often speak of doing things in “good conscience” or “bad conscience.” [I think] society still believes that good behavior is "conscientious" and bad behavior is "unconscionable".

But, especially in an “anything goes” society, what exactly is "conscience"?

Basically, it is [still] the power of making a judgment between good and evil. Conscience answers the question, “What is the right thing for me to do here and now?”

The news of yesterday revealed that George Tiller’s Clinic had closed. Although deeply saddened by this man’s murder, do I think there should be memorials for him? No, I do not. Am I saddened that the clinic has closed? No, I am not. Although Tiller’s murder was a tragedy, his work was evil and must not continue but…

will “the abortion issue” ever be resolved?

I don’t know, but as they say, as long as abortion exists, those of us who oppose it will not be silenced – even with the tragic murder of George Tiller.

Abortion is a tough issue, yet, as a friend once wisely observed, if it is not considered murder, than why on earth was Scott Peterson accused of two murders?

Mmmm…. makes ya wonder, huh?

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Fundamental to all religious sentiment is reverence. Once we acknowledge that God exists and that He is creator and Lord of all that exists, we become aware of how minusular we are in comparison to God. [Most] are both fearsome and fascinated by God and in relation to Him, [most] find themselves in a posture of awe and submission.

This is reverence.

Reverence for God extends to all that is of God. Nothing of the creation that surrounds us is really ours to do with as we please – it is all God’s doing and a result of His loving will. Each of us is called to respect and reverence all of God’s handiwork as we are called to reverence and respect God.

We perceive that God’s human creatures are the masterwork of creation, that they have a particular dignity all their own and that, therefore, they have a claim for special reverence. Scripture effectively expresses this by stating, “humankind is created in God’s very own image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Human life is sacred and is to be revered and respected because it is a special reflection of the holiness associated with God.

Abortion’s Religious Slant
These fundamental religious insights are the basis for the church’s teaching about abortion. No human life, even the unborn, is ours to do with as we please because all human life is God’s. This is the foundation for the claim to inviolability and respect that each of us has the right to expect from others and they from us.

This claim to inviolability and reverence, this human dignity, is prior to all achievement. Human dignity does not depend of human accomplishments or even on human potential. It does not have to be earned. It does not have to be demonstrated. It is a presupposition established by God and therefore beyond all human demands for proof or justification. That which is human has a right to be, simply because it is there and simply because it is God’s.

The willful destruction of any innocent human life is wrong because it is a violation of the rights of God the creator and therefore a violation of reality. Killing an innocent human being involves interfering with that which is not ours, treating as our own that which is God’s alone – it is an offense against the reverence we owe to God.

This is easy to understand when we are dealing with human beings that we can see and touch however, for some, it is harder to see human dignity with those not yet born. Nevertheless, the dignity and worth is there because even the unborn belong to God in the same way and to the same degree that each of us belongs to God.

For those of us convicted by God’s Truth, abortion is never a debatable issue -- ever -- regardless of the circumstances. Abortion is clearly wrong and all the reasons are very clear. Abortion becomes a tough issue, however, when all reverence towards God is removed from society.


Abortion’s Secular Slant
A society, such as our own, that permits the general killing of innocent, unborn children runs the risk of eventual self-destruction. Such a society launches a logic that will lead to social suicide.

The basic protection that society must provide its citizens with is “the protection of the right to be.” Our Declaration of Independence clearly expresses as self-evident the truths “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and that governments are instituted to secure these rights. Whether one believes in a creator or not, the responsibility of government in the matter of human life is clear.

When abortion was legalized in our country, government, in effect, said that the unalienable right to life doesn’t apply to certain beings that are, nonetheless, human beings. An entire class was instantly eliminated from the law’s protection. For all practical purposes it made every unborn child legally vulnerable.

In doing so, government posed a threat against all of us. If unborn human beings can be left legally unprotected, then what about the terminally ill, the elderly, and those who’ve lived out their “usefulness”? What about the “misfits”? The “unpopular”?

Well, you know where we’re going here… according to the government, there is, unfortunately, no longer any value with certain lives are now considered “society’s burden.” But we must consider that here we are not dealing with religious logic but with simple social logic.

Legalizing abortion was a judicial and social mistake – a grave mistake that we must remedy if our country is to preserve its very foundation.

The question to be faced here is not whether a reversal of our country’s position on abortion is called for but how that reversal can be achieved.


Abortion and the Individual Challenge
Personally, although I am adamantly against abortion regardless of the circumstances, I do not believe that anything I can do [within my own power] will convince anyone of its evils because only God can soften the hardened hearts. So what is the acceptable route to defend our unborn babies in a society that no longer values life?

Is it acceptable to do nothing? If not, is acceptable to do everything? Are any and all means acceptable as long as the end is good? What is my obligation as a Christian woman toward those who provide abortion services? Despite his work, it is my strong opinion that murdering George Tiller was unacceptable but…

I also believe, however, that Christians should take steps under the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to help change the destructive direction in which our society has embarked. The way we address the horrors of abortion will be determined by our humble repentance as a nation and by our love for our country and our reverence for the human dignity that comes to each of us from Almighty God.

May God forgive us and help us all.

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The following video, Everyone Against Abortion Please Raise Your Hand, courtesy of You Tube.