The Problem of Pro-Life (pt. 3 - The Solution)

After yesterday's post we were left with the conclusion that provocative pro-life propaganda  promotes much anger but little change. But does making people mad and producing few results mean that something is wrong? The Bible speaks of many men whose preaching never produced many results – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Christ Himself. Paul speaks in many places about offending

people by preaching the truth (Galatians 4:16). It is not ethically wrong to offend people with the truth. The issue with the pro-life movement is that people are not being offended by the truth, but by the style of presentation. From a Biblical ethical standpoint, it should be the mandate of pro-lifers to conduct themselves in such a manner that the truth of their preaching is the only offence of their ministry. When non-believers look at pro-life Christians they should see Christ, and His love for the unborn – not hypocritical, unloving slogans.

I. The Hypocrisy of pro-lifers

Why is pro-life propaganda received with such anger and disgust? Primarily because pro-lifers are not known for practicing what they preach, and this is noticed by unbelievers. The church must be consistent on all levels of its doctrine. Sister Joan Chittister, a nun, once said,

“I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking. If all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed, and why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth.”¹

It is true that many Christians are simply seeking the birth of the baby and not its health and care. A popular pro-life slogan is 'adoption, not abortion,' yet many Christians who preach this message have never adopted. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). The Canadian equivalent of an orphan is a foster child or child in need of adoption. If believers are not adopting, fostering, or supporting those that do, it is hypocritical for them to be proclaiming to women that adoption is a viable option. The average pregnant mother actually feels as though adoption is worse than abortion because they have fears of many things such as child abuse.² Pro-lifers must first prove to the world that adoption is the best option for both the mother and child. And this must be done in practice, not in speech. Preaching 'adoption not abortion' is of little value when it comes from the mouth of those who have done nothing to make sure adoption a worthwhile option.

II. Love and truth – the mandates of the New Testament

Pro-lifers speak about the importance of 'shocking visuals' ³ and their ads are often described as 'offensive' and 'upsetting.'⁴ However, the Bible never speaks about shocking people into a right way of living. The Bible talks about “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Shocking pro-life ads are often not preaching the truth in love, but simply throwing grisly facts about unborn children, rather than addressing the woman with a difficult decision to make.⁵ The New Testament model of spreading 'good news' – whether the good news of the gospel or the good news of the value of life – is to speak the truth in love. John Piper once wrote, “instruction is not the goal, love is. Instruction is the means. It is subordinate. Truth serves love...Love aims at truth...There is an unloving way to speak the truth. That kind of truth-speaking we should repudiate. But there is a way to speak the truth in love, and that we should seek.”⁶ The goal of Christian pro-lifer is not to shock people or to fruitlessly throw facts in their face. It is not enough to merely educate people on pro-life values. The goal of the Christian is to speak the truth – that abortion is wrong – in love.

III. Love

It must be first of all within the heart of a pro-lifer to love those they are ministering to. It is not right to merely hate abortion, but one must also love those whose minds they desire to change. “If I have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). It has often been the mindset of pro-lifers that if they can prove that the fetus is a baby, the public's natural conclusion will be that killing babies is wrong. However, one of the national leaders in research, an organization that has worked for companies such as General Motors and Coca-Cola, has conducted studies that disagree. The study suggests that unplanned motherhood represents a threat so great, it is almost perceived as a death of self. Most young women's identity is so wrapped around getting a degree or having a good job that they feel a baby would end their life. An average pregnant mother does not, therefore, look at abortion as 'endure an embarrassing pregnancy' versus 'getting an abortion.' Rather they view it at as the 'death of the baby' versus 'the death of me.'⁷ Loving these women, therefore, does not begin with preaching to them about the death of fetuses. It begins with teaching that their is more to life than having a degree and getting a job. Loving a pregnant mother means showing them how they can live life with a child. Randy Alcorn feels one of the most important roles a pro-lifer can play is to open their home to a pregnant mother, or for foster care and adoption.⁸ It is imperative that we love the mothers we are ministering to more than the truth we are preaching. Pro-lifers must understand who their audience is, how they think, what is most beneficial to them, and communicate the pro-life cause with a love that speaks to people where they are at. “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). It is the moral imperative of the church to love those to whom they preach.

IV. Offense By Truth Alone

Loving people is not the end of ministry, nor does loving people mean hesitating to preach a message that people don't want to hear. Piper writes, “[Love] is not always a soft way to speak, or Jesus would have to be accused of a lack of love in dealing with some folks in the Gospels. But it does ask about what is the most helpful thing to say when everything is considered.”⁹ Love does not mean holding back the truth, but rejoices when truth is given (1 Corinthians 13:6). The Biblical mandate is to present truth. In the pro-life case, it is the Biblical mandate to stand up for the oppressed and those without a voice. “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). The truth about abortion must be made known among the public. However, it is the truth, and not the style of presentation that must be what offends people.

Paul understood this. “Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek” (Acts 16:3). Paul has made it clear throughout his other epistles that he is very opposed to circumcision. But for the sake of Timothy's reputation among the Greeks, he had him circumcised. Paul is already in danger of being thrown out of synagogues. If he is going to be thrown out, he wants to be thrown out because of the gospel, and not because of an easily resolved issue. Circumcision will not be what offends people about Timothy – the cross will be. This is Paul's approach to presenting truth, and this should be the approach of the pro-lifers as well.

If people are turned away from pro-life material by the picture on the front of the pamphlet or the style of presentation, they will never hear the truth. They are like Jews offended by Timothy's Greek father before they even hear his message. We can not be ashamed of the truth, even though we know truth will cause people to stumble (1 Corinthians 1:23). However, it must be the truth, and not our presentation of the truth that offends people. When Paul and Timothy came to the Jews, all that angered them was the gospel, and this must be how the pro-life position is.

V. Is it the Church's Job to Preach Pro-Life?

Many Christians do not want to mention abortion, for fear it will distract them from the Great Commission.¹⁰ Christians are meant to be going and making disciples – is the pro-life cause part of the Great Commission or a distraction from it? First of all it must be understood that looking after the marginalized is not the chief mission of the church – the chief mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel. As was previously mentioned, it is Biblically commanded to “defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 38:9). We can not either undersell or oversell the Biblical importance of looking after the marginalized. A church must not ignore the pro-life issue, but neither must it have social justice as its only focus. One example often looked to is William Carey. “Carey went to India to win people to Christ and to disciple them, not just by sharing the gospel, but by living it – which included intervening to save lives and labouring to change public opinion and evil laws.”¹¹ Carey fought to end the burning of widows in India, and the church of Canada ought to be working towards the end of the injustices within its own proximity. That being said, if the pro-life efforts of a church is calling its members to will require fifty hours in a day and more money than one man can earn, they are calling their members to more than the Bible does.¹² Does the pro-life cause distract from the Great Commission? No, it is a part of it. But only a part – not an all consuming task. Great men of God in the past have always been concerned about the welfare of those that are not able to protect themselves.

“John Wesley actively opposed slavery. Charles Finney had a major role in the illegal Underground Railroad, saving the lives of many slaves, while being criticized by fellow Christians because of his civil disobedience. D.L. Moody opened homes for underprivileged girls, rescuing them from exploitation. Charles Spurgeon built homes to care for elderly women and to rescue orphans from the streets of London. Amy Carmichael intervened for the sexually exploited girls of India, rescuing them from temple prostitution. She built homes, a school and a hospital.”¹³

Yet for each of these people, no one would argue that their main goal was the gospel, and their chief role was as a disciple-maker. This is to be the position of the church. The church's chief aim is to spread the gospel. Speaking for aborted babies, loving pregnant women and seeking healing for those who have gone through with abortions should all fall into line with this chief aim. The great commission will be fulfilled as people are loved.

1Ellsworth (2012), on-line document.

2Swope (1998), on-line document.

3O'Connor, on-line document.

4Hounsel (2013), on-line document.

5Swope (1998), on-line document.

6Piper (2000), on-line document.

7Swope (1998), on-line document.

8Alcorn (2004), p. 116.

9Piper (2000), on-line document.

10Alcorn (2004), p. 108.

11Alcorn (2004), p. 110.

12DeYoung/Gilbert (2011), p. 192.

13Alcorn (2004), p. 110 - 111.