A while back, I posted the conversation that I had with Dr. Larry Dixon concerning partnering with Catholics in the fight to end abortion. After that post, I went back to Dr. Dixon’s blog, where the conversation took place, and found that someone else had posted a comment in response. SR is the only name I could find on her blog, but I did discover that she’s Catholic (and from Texas). She was also very much annoyed by my “attacks” on her faith.
In a later post, I’ll address why pointing out false doctrine is not an attack on the individual who believes it, but right now I’d like to concentrate on another statement SR made in one of her comments.[1] After highlighting a few Catholic efforts against abortion , she said:
“Abortion is not about our theology, it is evil and killing millions of babies. The more of us who stand together against it, and stand together in prayer against it, together, the better chance by the grace of God, we have of doing away with it.”[2]
There’s a lot wrong with that statement (such as the fact that Catholics and Christians cannot stand together with God’s favor), but I want to spend this post tackling the first little part of it, where she says:
“Abortion is not about our theology.”
Actually, abortion is all about our theology! Everything anyone does concerning anything to do with abortion begins with that person’s theology.
Think about it. If a mother doesn’t fear God and doesn’t believe that God hates abortion or that abortion meets the biblical qualifications of murder, then she will have no problem getting a doctor to murder her unborn child. Yet if that same woman does fear God, and does believe that God hates abortion and that abortion is murder according to the Scriptures, then she would not even think of getting an abortion.
The same goes for fighting abortion. If we fear God and honor His Word and commands, we will not allow the slaughter of unborn children to go unchallenged. However, if we don’t fear God or care about what He says, we will be passive toward or even encourage this child sacrifice called abortion.
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.
Exodus 1:15-17
Puah and Shiphrah feared God, so they didn’t perform the abortions as they were commanded to by Pharaoh, even though this put their own lives at risk. This is the influence our theology has on our everyday lives and decisions. What we believe about God and His Word affects everything about us, including our response to social issues and the evil in our culture. We cannot separate theology from our lives and practice, because they are indeed inseparable.
As for the rest of SR’s statement, I’ve already addressed (in my conversation with Dr. Dixon) the importance of having a biblical separation from false doctrine so that the gospel is not compromised. As I said in that post, partnering with people who are in willing and direct conflict with God’s Word is not going to win the fight to end abortion. Saving lives is not the end of the mission. Saving souls (the spiritual life) is the primary goal, a goal which must, in this case, be preceded with saving the life (the physical life). [3] Because of that, I don’t see how we are doing the unborn any good by joining ranks with those who would endanger their souls (Catholics, Mormons, etc.).
God’s glory should be our ultimate goal in all that we do, and this requires knowing Him and what His Word and character demand. In the case of abortion, God’s law commands us to not murder, and also to love our neighbors as ourselves (including our unborn neighbors) and speak for the voiceless (Prov. 31:8-9). His just and perfect character demands justice be carried out on those who refuse to do so. Without a correct theology (knowing God and His character), fighting abortion is ridiculous, because the depraved human mind will always create an idol that will justify and allow its crimes. But with a correct theology, we have no other option but to fight abortion.
Does abortion have anything to do with our theology? No.
It has everything to do with our theology!
SDG <><
[1] (You can find every comment pertaining to this conversation on Dr. Dixon’s blog page.)
[2] https://larrydixon.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/prayer-for-the-conversion-of-planned-parenthood/
[3] The sanctity of physical life is obviously and often declared in Scripture as well, and we should fight (biblically) for this as well. However, the emphasis in the Bible is on spiritual life, which continues after physical death.
Annsley
semperscripto.com 
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