Jun. 3, 2009 - A Pro-Life Response to Dr. Tiller's Death
What a mess we are in, huh? A killer kills a killer. One is called a martyr, the other a murderer. Only the martyr is a martyr because he believed that the ending of human life is perfectly acceptable so long as it's still in the womb. The murderer is unquestionably a murderer, but now others are being held responsible for his actions merely because they were voluable about their belief that life in the womb is valuable and should be protected ("hate speech" legislation, here we come!).
There are a lot of emotions tumbling around right now. Most of them are understandable, on both sides. I can understand the anger and sadness from people who genuinely believe Dr. Tiller was saving women's lives, even though I completely disagree with that assessment of his actions. I can also understand the confusion in the pro-life community over what we should feel. After all, if we believe that the unborn are valuable human lives, then we believe Dr. Tiller was a long time committer of legalized murder. But if we believe all life is valuable, can we rejoice in his slaying? The answer should be a resounding "No!" One of the worst attitudes a person can have is rejoicing in someone else's pain. That should not even enter the mind of a Christian. How can we as believers rejoice in a killing and hope for someone to spend an eternity apart from God? If that is how we feel, then the other side is right, we are a bunch of sickos. Let us prove them wrong, please! And on the other side of this, it is shameful that abortion advocates are taking this opportunity to try to silence pro-lifers completely by slapping the label "Domestic Terrorist" on anyone who speaks up, and trying to pin responsibility for this slaying on people who have never advocated violence in any way and who thoroughy condemn this act and all violence.
So, what should a pro-life Christian feel in response to the killing of Dr. Tiller?
In my opinion, the overwhelming emotion should be sorrow. There is much to be sorrowful over here.
A man was murdered. In a church. A family lost a husband, father, and grandfather. The slain man died having spent nearly 4 decades ending the lives of the unborn and was by all accounts unrepentant. The killer, well, he's a murderer. He took vengeance when he had no authority to do so. He has ruined his witness and brought shame to the name of Christ. He has dragged the pro-life movement through the mud because of his foolish and horrific behavior. The murderer's action set back the cause for life years, and perhaps has permanently changed things for the worse--in this way he may well be responsible for the deaths of many more unborn, having strengthened abortion advocacy and given abortion a saint/martyr. Both men will face the ultimate Judgement with blood on their hands. All of this is cause for great sorrow.
If we are Christians, our example is Christ. It is true, even He displayed righteous anger in the Temple. But did He kill? No. And when a disciple of his sought to defend him with a sword, Jesus not only rebuked the disciple but healed the man who the disciple had injured. Jesus saved a merciless persecutor of Christians--a killer, essentially--in a dramatic way. That was Saul, who became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Throughout history, we have seen murderers and wicked men make an about-turn, weep over their evil acts, and spend the rest of their lives atoning. It happens regularly still in places where Christians are severely persecuted, and the Church in those places has the right response--accept their former torturers and killers with love and open arms, as brothers in Christ. Even those of us who believe that Dr. Tiller was essentially committing murder on a daily basis should have desired that he live to have radical encounter with Christ. We should love enough to want even the worst of the worst to experience the life-changing love of Jesus. We should be so full of the love of Christ that others experience Him through us. If we do not have that kind of love, then we are not Christians at all.
Comments
Jun. 3, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Just wanted to say I agree. This is one time when that old saying "Two wrongs don't make a right" comes into play.
~Charityrose
Jun. 3, 2009 - Pro life response
Posted by Anonymous
This is W.O.F. from forums...
amen and amen to your response.
We used to live near where Dr. Tiller's clinic was.....and my prayer was that his life and heart would be radically changed and he would see the truth about the "help" he offered.
I cry for his parents, his wife, his children..and for his soul.
I cry for all the unborn babies and their mothers whose lives were ended (and yes..their mother's lives were ended too!) by this man.
I cry for the murderer. How awful to bear such a burden on your soul.
Jun. 3, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cappuccinosmom
Thank you! WOF, that "amen" means a lot to me, coming from you. :)
Jun. 3, 2009 - Vigilantism
Posted by Dad
I think if we are honest, we can understand, and on some level relate to the killer's motivation. Year after year Dr. Tiller murdered babies with impunity, under the protection of the law. One could ask, have we no obligation to protect the innocent from ruthless killers, even if it means the death of the killer?
Some such line of 'reasoning' must have been in Roeder's mind when he entered that church with a gun.
In the face of such 'righteous vigilantism' I am always reminded of the following dialogue from 'A Man for All Seasons,' in which Thomas More confronts a young fanatic named Roper
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Margaret More: Father, that man's bad.
Sir Thomas More: There's no law against that.
William Roper: There is -- God's law!
Sir Thomas More: Then God can arrest him.
William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
--------
In the end, 'holy vigilantes' like Roeder and Roper cause incalculable harm to the cause of Christ.
Jun. 4, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by FruitfulFamily
I told my husband the same thing "A Killer Kills a Killer". That would have been a perfect book for the existentialist!
Jun. 4, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cappuccinosmom
Awesome quote dad! Thomas More made a lot of sense!
Jun. 5, 2009 - Rather than continuing to spend
Posted by Carol Sue
Rather than continuing to spend so much thought, emotion & energy on pro-life vs pro-choice, let's deal with root causes.
Education about responsible behavior in areas including relationships, sex & what parenthood will entail would be a start. Let's all adopt the "unwanted" babies & children...let's love & educate them so they have a much better chance of becoming healthy adults.
If we're going to be Christian, how about 'loving our neighbors as' ourselves.
Jun. 5, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cappuccinosmom
Absolutely Carol Sue (are you "our" Carol Sue?) :)
There are already many wonderful programs aimed at just those goals, and there certainly need to be many more!
