"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. – Jude 1:3
In one sense it really is simple, isn't it? Christians are commanded to fight in defense of the Christian faith – the Greek word for "contend" here signifying contending for a thing, as a combatant. A combatant? Yes! Because, if you know your Bible, you know that we, as Christians, as followers of Christ, are in a spiritual war. And you also know that nowhere in Scripture do you see where we, as Christians, are commanded, in this spiritual war, to try and find "common ground" with the enemies of Christ. And there is no neutrality in this spiritual conflict. As our Lord says (Matthew 12:30): "He that is not with me is against me. …"
I thought about all this when I saw recently, on Pat Robertson's "700 Club," columnist Cal Thomas (conservative Republican) and Bob Beckel (liberal Democrat) discussing, among other things, abortion. Both men say they are Christians. Noting how Thomas led him to Christ, Beckel says that when he "came to faith" it became "much more difficult to be pro-choice."
The reporter of this story says: "They found common ground on this divisive issue by taking an informational approach, one that would require women considering an abortion be shown a sonogram – a practice they say would fully inform women without restricting choice."
Beckel: "In the end, I think what we have proposed actually could get done. The question is: How do we keep more children alive?" Referring to the high percentage of women who do not abort after seeing sonogram, he asks: "What more could you hope for than that in this climate?"
Reporter: "Bob and Cal believe voters are ready for more common ground approaches in 2008."
Well, now. The first problem with this "common ground" bit is that on abortion – since it is literally a life-and-death issue, abortion being murder – there can be no "common ground." You either believe or do not believe that it should be "legal" to murder by abortion innocent unborn babies. Period. Thus, an "informational approach" to murder is absurd on its face.
Problem No. 2: No Christian can support any legislation after which it is obeyed it can be said, in effect: "And then you can murder the baby." Examples: You must get a sonogram, "and then you can murder your baby." You must have parental consent, "and then you can murder your baby." You get the point – a point made originally by Brian Rohrbaugh of Colorado, a truly courageous, no-exceptions, Christian soldier in the fight against murder-by-abortion.
Problem No. 3: On abortion, the "common ground" bit is a total scam, a fraud, no compromise at all and accomplishes exactly what is the goal of the keep-unborn-baby-murder-"legal" gang – that goal being to preserve "choice." As the "700 Club" reporter said: The Beckel/Thomas "common ground/informational approach" is "a practice they say would fully inform women without restricting choice."
But, why would two supposedly Christian men not want to "restrict choice" when the "choice" being discussed is the "choice" to murder innocent unborn children in the womb? Are they unaware that God's Word prohibits murder? Do they know this but just do not care what God says?
Bob Beckel, with Thomas sitting there silent, disagreeing with nothing he says, sees himself as a realist, saying he thinks that what they are proposing "actually could get done." The question, he says, is: "How do we keep more children alive?" He adds: "What more could you hope for than that in this climate?"
Well, allow me to answer, please. "The climate" be damned! Since abortion is murder, we must not allow "the climate" (I assume he means public opinion and not global warming) to determine our position on murder – which should always be: We are against all murders.
And the question, as Beckel intends it, is not "How do we keep more children alive?" No, on abortion, for Christians, the question must be: "How do we convince people that since all abortions are murder, abortion is already illegal and thus must be prosecuted as murder?" Well, I do not know, exactly, how we do this. But, I do know that this must be the argument of all Christians.
Finally, on abortion, the question is not, in this climate, what we can hope for. The question, on abortion, for Christians, is: What does God say about murder, which, again, all abortions are. And He says clearly that it is prohibited and is a capital crime.
As Christians, on abortion we must not be "lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot" (Revelation 3:16). So, forget "common ground." Onward Christian soldiers! Defend the faith!
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"ENDING ABORTION: How the pro-life side will win the war"
John Lofton is editor of TheAmericanView.com and a "recovering Republican."