Why I’m Not a Fan of Abortion and Gun Control Memes

Mike Leake

My Facebook page has been exploding with pictures like that above. They are usually connected with some statistics about abortion killing 1.2 million per year whereas guns kill only around 2,000. The post then ends with challenging Congress or President Obama to fight the real war on women (or assault weapons).

I agree with the logic. I further understand the hypocrisy of turning a blind eye to the 55 million children legally aborted since 1973 while making it a mission to control guns which kill far less children per year. I get that.

But I’m not a big fan of these memes.

Mostly because I fear that by conflating these two issues we are minimizing both the atrocity of abortion and the tragedy of events like Sandy Hook. We are politicizing pain. It is using one horrible act to make a point about another. Regardless of which of the points you intend to make you are minimizing the other.

Abortion isn’t a statistic to be used to make a point about the lack of childhood death by guns. It’s an abominable practice that deserves its own hearing. It doesn’t need to have gun control as it’s bedmate. In fact it’s distracting to do so.

Furthermore, it is insensitive and unfair to minimize the 2,000 deaths that are by guns by comparing them to another evil. It communicates that the tragedy of Sandy Hook isn’t that big of a deal compared to the tragedy of abortion. Numerically, that might be true. But every human life is valuable. To turn people into statistics is practically becoming guilty of the necessary dehumanizing of children in the womb that one must do to agree with abortion.

Let’s mourn the loss of every human life and not use these tragedies to make a political point. The end result of these memes is to say, “your gun laws are dumb”. The heinousness of abortion deserves far more than that. And the victims of gun violence deserve far more grace and compassion.

Today in Blogworld 01.23.13

Mike Leake

Church Covenant or Church Contract?

Our church just voted on our new constitution and church covenant. I found this article by Tim Brister insightful: “A church covenant spells out the intentions and aspirations of believers who confess “Jesus is Lord” and seek to live together with fellow Christians in mutual submission to Christ and to one another. What binds us together is not flawless performances in keeping the church covenant, but gospel-centered lives of repentance and faith that enrich the community living in reconciled relationships freely offering grace and forgiveness toward one another.”

MLK’s Dream and the Nightmare of Black Genocide

Abortion is also a race issue. On MLK day David Mathis showed us why.

5 Things You Didn’t Know about “Jane Roe”

Yesterday was the anniversary (can you call it an anniversary) of Roe v. Wade. Here are 5 facts about the “Roe” in that landmark case.

My Pastoral Confidentiality Policy

There have been a few recent articles on pastoral confidentiality. Tom Ascol’s is the best in my opinion.

This throws me a curveball…am I nerd? I’m not so sure anymore…

Controversy and Discipleship

Mike Leake

“What’s your opinion on whether or not our wills are free”.

The question wasn’t quite as polished but that was the core of this young man’s question. Had he asked it 7-8 years ago I would have jumped for joy assuming that God was mightily working and this dude was really interested in the really important aspects of our faith. That was then, though.

Now when I hear that question…especially from a young man that hasn’t been a believer for even a year…I cringe a little, answer him as simplistically as I can, trying to divert his attention.

I’ve come to believe that such controversial questions aren’t automatically the work of the Lord. It’s quite possible that it comes from another camp altogether. Controversy destroys new believers. In his excellent work, A Christian Directory, Richard Baxter offers three reasons* why new believers shouldn’t “plunge too soon into controversies”.

  1. It will be a great loss to you, because it will distract your souls from what is far greater. It will be more beneficial to your soul—and more pleasing to God—for you to drink deeper in the fundamentals of the gospel than spending your time in controversy.
  2. It will corrupt your minds. In place of humility, love, holiness, and heavenly-mindness it will feed your pride, and kindle a heart of division. Controversy will quench your love for others and grow in you a contentious spirit. You will ignore these sins because you assume your doctrine is sound.
  3. It can lead to such a deception that you will eventually become erroneous and heretical. You are not yet mature enough to judge of these things because you have not gotten a firm enough foundation in the gospel. Therefore, you are undertaking a work that you cannot do. You will undoubtedly end in error.

What this means for discipleship

I wish that I could say that Baxter was a goober and that he is largely over-reacting. Sadly, I have seen the ill effects of new believers too quickly plunging into controversies. I have witnessed (sadly, even in my own heart) a propensity to pride and division. Early on I believe I cared more about whether someone was a Calvinist than whether they were a good husband and father. That’s just silly.

Because I have learned the hard way from what Baxter is saying I have changed the way I do discipleship. I try to focus on the majors and minimize the minors. I will still share my opinion on various controversial matters but I will do everything in my power to bring back the conversation to the sufficiency and importance of gospel basics.

I want the people that I disciple to know theology because I believe it is the fuel to worship. But I also want them to know be more attuned to their wife’s favorite flower than the difference between infra and supralapsarianism. I’d rather they be able to name every character on their son’s favorite television show than be able to name every millenial theory. That happens by asking tough questions of life and love instead of just theological true/false questions.

Controversy doesn’t usually make good disciples. So let’s be sure that new believers aren’t distracted right out of the gate.

—

*I’ve tried to update and simplify the language as best as I can.

Today in Blogworld 01.22.13

Mike Leake

3801 Lancaster

Denny Burk provides this documentary and a brief commentary. I haven’t had the chance to watch it yet, but many people that I respect say it is tremendous. But tremendous in a horrible, this will make you weep and pray type of way.

10 Things Pastors Desire in a Church Member

Yep, these are ten things that pastors desire in every church member. I’m grateful that he put number 4 in there.

3 Ways to Thank Your Spouse for Letting You Blog

I’m not linking to this simply because Joey Cochran quoted me in the beginning of it. I’d link to it regardless because I think it’s a great reminder that us regular bloggers ought to be thankful that our wives support our blogging habits.

Roe v. Wade at 40

Trevin Wax has compiled a list of helpful links on Roe v. Wade.

Will Roman Catholics Be Saved? I really like Doug Wilson’s answer here: