So says a bumper sticker that I saw today. I've seen it before, and it has always bugged me, and today I decided to blog about it. This post may touch on more sensitive topics than my usual "I ran 5.3 miles today." I apologize in advance if I offend you.
I recognize that there are genuine disagreements about the morality of abortion. Some people really, sincerely believe that a fertilized egg is as human as a one month old baby. If that's what you think, then, yes, you ought to be fighting abortion. You should be not just anti-abortion, but anti-choice. You shouldn't stand idly by while babies are killed.
The reason that I'm pro-choice is that it's not nearly so clear to me that a fertilized egg really is a baby. It has the potential to grow into a baby, but I don't think it is one, yet. I think calling it a baby is a result of black and white thinking. It's certainly a baby during the ninth month, even though it hasn't been born yet. And there's no point along the way when we can say, "There, it's a baby." So it must have been a baby all along. I just don't buy that. I think it can develop from not-a-baby to a baby gradually.
I understand that there is genuine disagreement about this. I don't think I'm necessarily right, and I don't jump (as some pro-choicers do) to attribute malevolent motives to pro-lifers.
What really bugs me about this bumper sticker is the idea of declaring who is allowed to be a Christian and who is not. It takes an awful lot of nerve to declare that someone who thinks they're Christian really isn't, because they disagree with you. How does one get to that level of certainty? "Yeah, there are over two billion self-identified Christians in the world, in no fewer than 34,000 separate Christian groups, but I'm the one who decides who's really Christian."
Somehow, I have a vision of the ancient Pharisees with bumper stickers (on their camels?) that say, "You can't be Jewish if you are a tax collector," and "You can't be Jewish if you are a prostitute." Guess what, people! That's not the message that Christ came to spread.
So, yeah, if you believe abortion is murder, then fight to stop it. If you think there's a moral imperative here, so be it. But don't tell me I'm not a Christian just because we disagree. That's taking it too far.
Friday Fragments
4 years ago
4 comments:
Hi there:
I just found your blog yesterday and think it's a great way to motivate your running! About today's entry- there is SO MUCH attributed to Christianity that is anything but "Christian" these days and I just attribute that bumper sticker to that. There are hate-groups that claim they are fighting for "White Christian America", people who protest at funerals saying that "God wanted that person to die", etc. It's unfortunate that originally peaceful religions are used to wage war, too. It's a pile of hypocrisy if you ask me!
Keep up the great blog!
Thanks for stopping in. This blog (like most, I suspect) is really just self-indulgence, but it's nice to hear that someone else besides me enjoys it.
As for hypocritical Christians, you're right. That's really my complaint. But I also note that, as much as I disagree with a lot of stuff done by Christians, supposedly in the name of Christ, I wouldn't say they aren't Christians. I would say that they are imperfect people, just like the rest of us.
USJogger
I have to applaud your response to the comment. I wish there were a lot more people like you unafraid to speak out.
God wouldn't want you killing his innocent children, would he?
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