As I’ve been in prayer about what to post here and searching my heart for something relevant to share, I was reminded of the recent political forum that was hosted by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. I had almost talked myself out of posting this because it is controversial and it may bring about some angry feedback, but the fact is that this is a Christian blog and therefore, I hope that both those of us that contribute here and those who may read this will carefully consider what I believe that God has led me to say.
I was pleasantly surprised by the forum in general. My hope was to watch it with an open mind and listen to what each candidate had to say and try to sit through it in it’s entirety without changing the channel or turning the television off completely. The questions that Pastor Warren posed were, I believe, relevant and timely, especially for those of us who want more than just the normal political jargon from the candidates that the media notoriously supplies us with.
The Associate Pastor at my church sent out an e-mail today about the forum and he posed one additional question that he (and now I) would have liked to hear an answer on from Barak Obama. Following is one of the questions that Warren posed to Mr. Obama in the forum.
Now, let’s deal with abortion; 40 million abortions since Roe v. Wade. As a pastor, I have to deal with this all of the time, all of the pain and all of the conflicts. I know this is a very complex issue. Forty million abortions, at what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?
That should be a simple question for someone who claims to be a Christian to answer, right? Apparently not.
Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.
Considering the following that Obama has, I have to wonder if even Christians are undecided about the time that life begins and when a person is given human rights. How is that possible? Has God not made quite clear that all life is valuable and precious? Two passages of Scripture testify to God’s perspective of human life.
First, Genesis 1:26-27 describes the Creator’s intention in creating human life. God did something distinctive in human being, his most valued creation. He created men and women “in his own image.” This fact makes human life distinctive and highly valued. In Genesis 9:6, God first forbids murder because people bear God’s image. Though His hand is visible in every aspect of creation, no other part of that creation is a replication of His image. In Colossians 3:10, Paul affirms the sanctifying work of God in renewing his image in us through Christ.
The second truth that sets human life apart as distinctive is that God sent his Son to die on our behalf. In this way, he demonstrated his love for us (Romans 5:8) and, at the same time, demonstrated the value he places on human life. Jesus became human and lived among us (John 1:14) and he died to reconcile us to God. God regards human life as precious.
How then can anyone, especially a Christian, simply say that knowledge of the time when a human being is entitled to right is “above my pay grade?”