There is “no bad impact from having an abortion.” This is what one church leader explained in a recent denominational gathering of other church leaders. This leader insisted that abortion is good for women, and society, as it helps them become economically empowered””among other things.
On this episode of CareCast, Care Net’s podcast on faith, family, and life with Roland Warren, Care Net President and CEO, and Vincent DiCaro, Care Net’s Chief Outreach Officer, dig more into what was said at this leadership gathering about how the church should deal with abortion in a post-Roe world. Let’s listen in on what Roland and Vince have for us on the newest CareCast.
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Why Saying “Abortion is Good” is a Problem
If you’re a regular listener to CareCast, you might recall a recent series where we covered The Four Arguments dealing with how to talk to Christians who profess to be pro-choice. In that series, Roland and Vince discussed some of the strongest biblical responses to engage others when talking about the life issue.
With God’s help, we keep recording new podcasts because it’s a great way for us to provide you with information that helps you engage others in the life issue. We must keep speaking light into a dark culture. And sadly, not only in the dark culture, but now, we need to speak to the church. Recently, at a denominational meeting for the Episcopal Church, leaders discussed where the pro-choice faith community should go now that Roe v Wade has been overturned.
One of the leaders in this gathering said the following:
“Freedom is just a mirage if one doesn’t have bodily autonomy”¦”
This leader insisted that abortion helps women to be economically empowered and that there is, “no bad impact from having an abortion.” One commentator said in writing about this church leadership gathering, the leader sought to designate abortion not as an undesirable last resort or a necessary evil but as an “unalloyed social good.” In other words, a “pure social good.” So, abortion, according to this church leader, is good for women and good for society.
“Freedom is just a mirage if one doesn’t have bodily autonomy”¦” Isn’t this exactly what Satan said to Eve, Roland points out in the latest CareCast. This was the perspective behind Satan’s temptation of Eve. Satan was encouraging Eve to say, “Your body, your choice.” Think about it: “Your fruit, your choice.” He was encouraging Eve to have autonomy from God by grabbing the fruit and consuming it””even though God had clearly said, “Don’t.”
Where did eating the fruit land Eve? Destruction came from that decision. This church leader needs prayer. He is saying exactly what Satan said to the culture””to women””and that’s incredibly dangerous for all of us. Not only is it problematic, but it’s also deceptively wrong because any true freedom requires restraints. You can’t have freedom without restraints. Roland and Vince discuss this in depth on the podcast. Have I mentioned that you should listen to it?
But for a quick thought: Imagine we agree to play a baseball game. What if I said, “I’m going to play this baseball game. But I want true freedom while I play. I want full body autonomy””so I can do whatever I want.” So, you throw me that first pitch. I hit it, of course. Then, I try and catch it myself. Or, as I’m running bases, I go outside the baseline and run into the stands, grab a hot dog, and come back down to step on home plate. Wouldn’t it be illogical to create my own rules as I go?
If there are no constraints around a game of baseball, then you may be playing catch””but you can’t play the game of baseball by your own, made-up rules. You didn’t create baseball, you’re just playing the game. You aren’t the author of life, so you can’t play by your own rules and decide who lives and who doesn’t””or whose life has more value.
James wrote in his New Testament book, “If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (1:26-27).
In the Bible, orphans and widows were the most vulnerable. As Roland and Vince do well to point out, today, you might add another group to this list””the unborn child. But what does James’ writing from a long time ago have to do with Roland and Vince’s baseball example?
The constraints we are given in life generally come from God and are given for protection””of the game””of those playing the game. The point is, rules and warnings should exist to protect the vulnerable, and in some cases, protect yourself against yourself.
It’s most often wise when facing a life-or-death decision to ask, “Who’s going to suffer?” Will the vulnerable suffer? Or will it be you?
When the culture decides to not protect the vulnerable life of the unborn, we are sad””but we are not surprised.
When a church leader from a prominent denomination decides to go against protecting the vulnerable, we must see it for what it is””not an “unalloyed social good,” but as useless and deceived religion.
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