Looking for Tolerant and Thoughtful Dialogue on Abortion by Quigg Lawrence

There is nothing worse than a dogmatic zealot who cannot have a discussion with someone who holds an opposite view without resulting to insults or character assassination. It surprises me that so many educated people do this and cannot find away to listen and talk without rancor.  Behavior likes this often signals a weak intellect or a real insecurity about one’s own position.

Strangely this disease is found in both the left and right camps. Both ultra-liberals and ultra-conservatives may act in this way.  On the rare occasion that I have heard a debate between people who hold diametrically opposed positions, it is great when they can debate ideas and also listen to the other person with charity.

As I have always told my children, I have no problems with someone who is a true liberal. While they may hold differing opinions from me on many issues, if they are “liberal” in the sense of being truly open to new ideas and differing positions than we will likely get along famously.

So with that preamble and call for charitable discourse, let me ask a hard “why” question.  Most people would get very angry and denounce anyone who killed a puppy or a mother dog who was pregnant with puppies yet many of the most vocal animal rights friends think the shedding of innocent blood via abortion is not only acceptable but is a right to be celebrated and defended at all costs.

Why is that?

What makes every sane person recoil at the idea of killing a puppy or prematurely born puppy?

What makes so many of those same people think it is ok, even good to abort human babies, have third trimester abortions or even allow life birth fetuses to be left to die?

As former abortionist Bernard Nathansen, MD said, “It is an eclipse of human reason.”

For Christians and Jews who look to Scripture as authoritative and inspired, what do we make verses like:

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood …

What I have witnessed in 26 years of pastoral ministry is that women have a inborn desire and heart to mother and nurture. It is against their nature to do harm to their child. In case you want to parse words, the NT uses the same word, “brephos,” to describe both pre-born, born and young children.

Because our church loves women and loves women who have had abortions, we offer Rachel’s Vineyard retreats. This is a retreat that offers the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to those involved with an abortion  (By the way, these are for men as well as women since both males and females are involved and wounded by abortion.)

What I have witnessed in the holiness of the prayer room and in counseling sessions is that abortion deeply hurts women.  It is beyond words how it negatively affects a woman’s heart and soul.  Same for men.

So why is abortion defended so vigorously?  Why in discussing and debating the issue do proponents so often need to tell tales of horrors from when abortion was illegal.  Let’s hear the more than balancing tales of horror since abortion became legal.  Let’s hear of the deep soul wounds and destructive life choices that followed an abortion.  Let’s hear the truth about how it causes guilt, infertility, depression, low self-esteem, emotional imprisonment and self-hatred.

How many women are afraid to speak and tell their story because they feel so guilty and worthless.

To anyone involved in an abortion the Lord offers you forgiveness and grace. COMPLETE FORGIVENESS and cleansing. He does this not because you deserve it but because He is a God who loves to forgive.

I would love to hear some charitable and thoughtful responses, especially those that are  drawn from Scripture.

Quigg Lawrence is the senior pastor at Church of the Holy Spirit. Visit them on the web at www.coths.org.