Somebody BETTER go to prison for this one.

GodWords readers know that I’m against abortion. Regardless of your position on abortion, though…this should make you angry.

Planned Parenthood is not, in my opinion, a good organization. This video is proof that at least one Planned Parenthood manager is corrupt, and should be investigated. A man and woman, posing as a pimp and prostitute, went to the Planned Parenthood in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. During their visit – which included asking about birth control, abortions, and health checkups – they indicated that they were involved in prostitution involving minors (as young as 14) and illegal aliens.

This particular Planned Parenthood leader apparently doesn’t care about any of that. She was not only willing to look the other way, she was willing to help criminals to game the system, avoid detection, and keep their business rolling.

I’m going to follow this story, and will keep you posted. In the meantime, you might ask yourself a simple question: how common do you think this is?

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How would you explain abortion to an 8 year-old child?

That question poses some difficulty for a lot of people. Obviously, most 8 year-olds don’t need to know about abortion…but if your child asked you “What’s abortion?”, how would you answer honestly?

According to Abby Johnson, a former Executive Director for Planned Parenthood, most abortion-industry workers wouldn’t be able to answer that question with any kind of accuracy. Despite spending nine years with Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas, she didn’t really know the truth about abortion.

Now that she knows the truth, she can’t work for Planned Parenthood. She can’t communicate directly with her former employees, as Planned Parenthood has taken out a restraining order against her. Why would they do that? Obviously, to prevent her from spreading the truth:

Abortion is when a mommy pays a doctor to kill her baby.

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New Jersey’s state senate has defeated a bill that would have legalized gay marriage.

The bill got only 14 of the 21 votes needed to pass. Gay rights advocates pushed hard to get it to pass, since Governor John Corzine (D) promised to sign it if it passed. Incoming governor Chris Christie (R) has promised to veto such a bill, should it reach his desk. So, for the foreseeable future, New Jersey will not have gay marriage.

New Jersey already offers civil unions the same rights as marriage. Five states have legalized gay marriage: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

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On September 11 2001, America was attacked. I will not forget.

Like most Americans, I love my country. Like most Americans, I don’t personally know anybody who was killed in those attacks…still, like most Americans, I will never be the same.

Even after eight years, I find that I’m unable to put my feelings into words. I’ve never watched the movies or documentaries that tell stories from that day. I avoid reading articles about that day. Despite living far from the east coast, and despite the fact that everyone I knew was safe at the end of the day, there’s a place in my heart that I don’t want touched. The wound is surprisingly fresh.

I will not forget.

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I’ve never considered Newsweek any sort of authority on theology, primarily because they’re not. Dedicating a section of your magazine to religion doesn’t mean you know what you’re talking about…especially when you’re well-known for being absurdly biased.

I’m biased, by the way…just not absurdly so.

Back to the point. The bad logic in this article should be obvious to all, but – I’m sure – some will miss it. Here’s the rundown:

1. Newsweek claims that the Bible doesn’t actually condemn homosexual behaviors.
2. Newsweek claims that even if the Bible does condemn homosexual behaviors, it doesn’t really mean it.
3. Newsweek claims that since many people routinely ignore the Bible’s instructions on divorce, we shouldn’t bother paying attention to the parts about homosexuality.

Yep. It’s that bad. Here’s a quote for #1:

It probably goes without saying that the phrase “gay marriage” does not appear in the Bible at all.

Ah, the old ‘argument from silence’. Since the Bible doesn’t mention reverse mortgages, it has nothing to say about reverse mortgages. Such arguments ignore the actual content of the Bible and paint it as irrelevant to modern concerns. As anyone who’s read it with an open mind can tell you – whether believers or not – the Bible contains useful instructions on virtually every issue modern man runs across. There’s nothing new under the sun.

Here’s #2…talking about the New Testament passages where Paul strongly condemns homosexual behavior:

…Paul is referring in this famous passage to the depravity of the Roman emperors, the craven habits of Nero and Caligula, a reference his audience would have grasped instantly. “Paul is not talking about what we call homosexuality at all…

Unfortunately, there’s nothing in the text to substantiate such a view. It’s simply made up, imposed on the text, and accepted as true. Just as unfortunately, many will read that and say “Hmmm…I didn’t know that!”.

Here Newsweek tells us (#3) that we shouldn’t bother applying Old Testament passages about homosexual behaviors:

Twice Leviticus refers to sex between men as “an abomination” (King James version), but these are throwaway lines in a peculiar text given over to codes for living in the ancient Jewish world…

Their argument is that, since few people follow the Levitical instructions for cleanliness or for sacrificing animals, the portions that mention homosexual behaviors are “throwaway lines”. That’s a ridiculous claim, of course. Each passage must be taken in context to see to whom it would apply.

Again:

The Bible endorses slavery, a practice that Americans now universally consider shameful and barbaric.

The Bible does NOT endorse slavery as Newsweek’s readers would understand it. Had they done their homework, they would have seen that the kind of slavery that the Bible talks about is more like employement than enforced servitude…but it’s always been a stretch to think that Newsweek’s religion department would do their homework.

For the record: homosexual behaviors have been around for millenia, and my opinion won’t change that fact. To be honest, I really don’t have a serious objection to homosexual having civil unions or marriage ceremonies. Here’s what I do object to:

• I object to ignorant and biased people pretending they know what the Bible teaches.
• I object to politically-motivated loudmouths pretending there’s any scientific evidence that anyone has ever been born homosexual.
• I object to people who have no interest in God telling impressionable people what God does or does not expect of them.

To all of my gay friends: I love you. I don’t condemn you. I accept you as you are…but you already knew that, didn’t you?

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Because of the recent American elections, I’ve had a number of conversations about issues like abortion, and have come to realize that there’s a lot of ‘fuzzy thinking’ out there. This is one of my replies from a recent ‘fuzzy’ discussion:

When it comes to abortion, the issue is often divided into two groups: arguments about how to avoid abortion, and arguments about what to do about unwanted pregnancy. That sometimes causes people to argue badly, because they’re not really communicating about the same thing.

I lean toward the prevention side in most of my arguments…like this:

Can’t afford a baby? Don’t get pregnant. Babies come from having sex, so don’t have sex if you fall into this category. If you can’t afford a baby (and aren’t willing to work hard to afford one) you shouldn’t get pregnant. If working that hard is INCONVENIENT for you, don’t have sex.

See? I lean toward a no-nonsense Prevention argument. If each young woman was as concerned about NOT getting pregnant as about having cute shoes, listening to cool music, or dating that hawt young man, there would be lots fewer abortions to deal with. Instead of chasing the symptom, I go right for the cause.

Have a relationship problem? Don’t get pregnant. Relationships are serious…including being the parent of a new baby. If you’re having serious relationship problems, fix them before having one.

Don’t get me wrong…I know that this is only half of the equation. I’ll get to the other half in a moment.

Too young to have a baby? People object? Don’t get pregnant, or ignore what other people think. If you think you’re ready to have a baby, make sure you’re able to handle the situation without the help of those who disagree.

When it comes to the “before” side of the equation, I don’t play games. This isn’t a matter of asking non-Christians to act like Christians…this is a matter of common sense.

We’re teaching kids in Kindergarten where babies come from, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that sexually active people get pregnant at a higher rate than virgins. Yes, I said it: virgins. Too few people are able to say it with a straight face, but I have no problem saying it to a young teenage boy or a group of college students. Don’t want to get burned? Don’t play with fire. Not ready for a baby? Don’t have sex…period. It’s the only sure-fire way to avoid the problem, and EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.

Now for the second half of the equation: the “after”. How should we handle an unwanted pregnancy? I believe that we should take the same no-nonsense approach. Why? Simple: irresponsibility in one area can’t be fixed by irresponsibility in another.

When someone does what they know they should not, and ends up pregnant, we shouldn’t help them avoid the consequences of their actions. We should help them DEAL with the consequences. When I say “we” I mean everybody in society, but especially Christians.

No, I’m not ignoring or downplaying the fear and uncertainty that comes with an unwanted pregnancy…they’re very real. No matter which ‘convenience’ factor the woman faces, the issues are the same 92% of the time. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 92% of abortions are performed for the convenience of the mother. This info doesn’t come from an anti-abortion position, it comes from one of the most pro-abortion groups in the world:

1. She had voluntary sex, and got pregnant
2. She doesn’t want to deal with the consequences of her actions because her life would be more difficult as a result.

Loving Caring Respecting Affirming Listening Answering Helping Sharing Laughing Paying Praying and Planning…that’s what a woman with an unwanted pregnancy needs. That’s what we should provide for her instead of government-assisted consequence avoidance.

The issue isn’t just about killing a real human baby. It’s also about the character of the mother. If we help her THROUGH the mistake the first time, she’s less likely to make it again…and more likely to help someone else. Whether she keeps the baby and struggles to make it or gives the baby to someone who can, she’ll be infinitely more mature and responsible than the young woman who learns that she can act as she pleases with no thought for the future.

There’s a third group I haven’t addressed: the “after after”. How should we deal with those who have had abortions? Simple: we love them, accept them, and teach them. That’s what God does for us, right? He doesn’t have to approve of our actions to accept us as we are, and we should do the same for others. That’s grace, and there’s not enough going around these days.

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Like many churches in America, my own church spent a little time yesterday focusing on Veteran’s Day. One of my friends had a pretty serious negative reaction, suggesting that such things exemplified nationalism at its worst. She suggested that America had done evil and didn’t deserve anyone’s allegiance. She implied that veterans made her feel sick to her stomach because they ‘believed the myth of redemptive violence’. She wrapped all of this in a seemingly-impregnable cocoon of self-righteous anger. Here’s my response:

See, I was bathing the baby and noticed that the bath water was getting a little dirty…

I’m totally with you on most of your points. Americans aren’t, in my mind, God’s specially-chosen people. Blind nationalism can be as destructive as blind religion. It’s difficult to applaud one’s government when it acts contrary to all a Christian should hold dear. However: not all nationalism is jingoism…and it’s not wrong to be proud of the principles on which America was built. It’s good to honor the good intentions of those who founded our country. It’s fitting to remember men and women who willingly gave their lives in the service of others. It’s wise to recognize God’s hand in the creating and sustaining our nation…not for America’s glory, but for God’s.

There were times when Israel wasn’t screwing up, times when Rome spread the gospel, and times when America has been a place where Christians and Christianity were welcomed and encouraged. It’s easy to demonize a people for being disobedient, abusing their power, or for being just plain stupid…but let’s not pretend that man is in charge. God is responsible for installing the governments of America, Losetho, and France. He does not do evil, but evil men and women serve His purposes and unwittingly give Him glory.

I agree that our allegiance is to a King and His Kingdom…serving the creation rather than the creator is nationalism at its worst. However: let’s not create a false dichotomy of anti-nationalism where America somehow acts on her own, independent of God’s sovereign plan. Nations are tools that God uses to reach the hearts of men, and they serve His purposes. Even America.

Your thoughts?

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