Saturday, February 9, 2008

Politics

Here's a question. What is the role of a mustard revolutionary in American politics? A good deal of people that I call friends and brothers and sisters in the way adamently believe that the Republican party, with stances opposing abortion and same sex marriage is the party God and consequently the church should align with.

The Bible does advocate life. If God has created life and 'knows us from the womb', then actions like abortion or euthanasia seem to be slighting God's creation. I don't have a problem with this. Similarly, the Bible is pretty clear about same sex relationships.

But I wonder sometimes if our perspectives on 'pro-life' promotion is too narrow. The Republican Party has not aided those in poverty like democrats have when they've been in office. When I read the Bible I do see God as one who grieves abortion, but he also grieves oppression. God calls us to take care of the 'least of these'...the needy...the poor. Pro-Life is so much more than pre-birth and I think its time that the church acknowledge this and spend the bulk of its time dealing with post-birth issues of oppression, injustice and poverty. This is the better use of our time. I am not downplaying the grieving that takes place with God and those involved in an abortion. But if we battled poverty and injustice, is it possible that the circumstances that result in people having abortions would lessen, consequently getting two birds with one stone?

I'm not a republican...I'm not a democrat. I simply wrestle with what the mustard seed means in my life. Your thoughts?

2 comments:

father michael said...

I'm going to go ahead and diagree with you, Ben. You should be used to it.

Who fits the phrase "the least of these" more than innocent unborn children. Yes, God does grieve them, but the sin of abortion does not only affect the children and their mothers. It affects all of us.

If we live in a country where it is legal (and even accepted) to kill an innocent child, who is next? The elderly? The mentally challenged? Criminals?

I do not want future generations to look back and say that we did nothing while a clear evil was being committed in our country. We are obligated as Christians to stand up against evil, to be witnesses of a murder that goes on every single day. There are just as many children are killed by abortion every day as there were people killed on 9/11.

Yes, pro-life includes all life. I'm not denying that. But ignoring a grave evil that violates the fundamental principles of our faith. Isn't it just as oppressive to be killed before you even get a choice in life? There is no greater violation of civil and human rights.

Obviously God wants us to take care of those poor who are born. I think He also wants us to unite (not all Christians have a problem with abortion) against this evil.

I miss "discussing things" with you. Later!

father michael said...

Something else that came to mind a little later: We are able to sort of rationalize and ignore abortion because we don't see it. It's not in our faces.

If the government was having homeless people shot in the streets or all people of a certain age killed, there would be a huge uproar. Kind of like how people are able to get very upset about the war - because they can see the victims.

The victims of abortion are nameless and faceless, but that doesn't make them any less human.

If we wouldn't stand for the deaths of innocents who have been born, why should we allow the murder of the unborn.

You had to know that I would react to this ....