Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
Posted on 05/15/2007 4:14:11 PM PDT by wagglebee
Rudolph Giuliani has a huge problem--and so do all other candidates that approach abortion as he does. Their huge problem are both their obviously untenable moral positions on abortion, as well as the huge number of pro-life activists and our many allies. We just don't like equivocation or ambivalence.
Jesus Christ said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." (Matthew 12:25) St. James said, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8) It appears that Rudy, and possibly other candidates, are at war with their own consciences over where they will stand on this supreme moral, social and religious issue.
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ warned the church at Laodicia, "because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:16) Simply put, Jesus prefers an abject sinner to an equivocator.
Of all people, Rudy should realize leaders must be straight talkers. They cannot send what we preachers call, "an uncertain sound." The American people respect confident leaders who say what they mean and mean what they say. We crave public officials who call a spade a spade. We want you to take a stand one way or the other. I may disagree with you, but I will respect you for standing your ground.
Sadly, Rudy's "I do but I don't," and "I will but I won't" palaver about abortion undermines the image of the strong, take action leader New York and the country needed after 9/11. But it also shows his Achilles' heel that some had hoped to wish away. It's his moral constitution. Rudy has made a series of disastrous moral choices in his personal life that will haunt him throughout his campaign. That weakness unfortunately compromises his capacity to speak with authority on moral issues, especially abortion.
Now, Christian conservatives like me do believe strongly in conversion and change; it's what the Gospel is all about. Sinners do turn to saints; drug addicts are delivered and live clean; criminals do repent and are redeemed. But these "converts" are marked by crystal clear testimonies of conversion. They will never be perfect (as none of us will be), but they evidence steady progress toward holiness of life and thought.
Rudy has yet to share with us a "sure word of testimony" and display evidence of progressive "sanctification." These are really important factors for Christian conservatives of every stripe. And, in the end, they will prove the sine quo non of our votes for a nominee.
Before he makes any more pronouncements, tortured explanations or crafts any more nuanced position statements on abortion, marriage or God, Rudy needs to go to church and visit the altar rail for an extended dealing with God. As we Evangelicals say, he needs to "pray this through and find his peace with the Lord." Then he needs to rise from his knees and testify to what the Lord has done!
Until Rudy can give that testimony convincingly, I'm afraid he will never have enough "amens" from the congregation he needs so badly.
Rev. Rob Schenck expresses his personal opinion in this editorial. For identification purposes only, Rev. Schenck is president of the National Clergy Council in Washington, DC., founder of Faith and Action, a Christian mission to Capitol Hill and is chairman of the Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance, America's oldest association of Evangelical ministers, churches and institutions. He can be reached at revrobschenck@comcast.net.
Rooty worships in the same "church" the rest of the leftists do.
I respect the authors thoughts however we are not electing a KING.
Whoever we do elect will serve 4 years and maybe 8. This is all provided we are not attacked again.
Pro-Life Ping
Ping
No, they are trying to find a way to fool as many voters as they can.
Rudy’s run for the presidency will have many conservatives at each others’ throats. We’ve already seen it here at FR, and I have the feeling my dear aunt and I will get into it before this interminable campaign is over.
Back during the Clinton administration, she and I agreed that character counts. Now she seems to be leaning in the direction of Rudy, and I’ll be bitterly disappointed if she does decide to carry the water for him. As much as I love Newt’s ability to think creatively about solutions to our problems as a nation, I could never, ever support him as a presidential candidate because, as I mentioned before, character does indeed count.
I desperately hope that Rudy gets defeated. I can’t bear the thought of having to sit out a presidential election — especially when the stakes are so high.
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
If Rudy's character is better than the Clintons, the distinction is marginal at best.
This is getting much too complicated for my old redneck ass, I just won’t waste my single vote on Rudy!
What really amazes me is how little the candidates know of Roe v. Wade.
There are actual quotes in Roe v. Wade that could be used today undo the court decision that were cited by the Chief Justice as reason enough to make it judicial law because no previous judicial precedent could be cited to counter the argument...
A little study on the candidates part could do wonders, and probably confuse the press to endless wonders...
STOP RUDY 2008 PING!
What a strange anatomy. lol
Meet their 800 pound gorilla!
“STOP RUDY 2008 PING!”
You can also call your ping “The ELECT-HILLARY Ping”
Can't go there with you. My aunt does support core conservative values. Unfortunately, she's willing to put some of them aside for the sake of electing someone who will be take-charge tough on terrorism. I agree with her that the war on terrorism should be given the highest priority. The difference between her and me is that she seems to believe Rudy is the only candidate who will be tough on terrorism. I don't.
Nah, just about any republican can defeat Hillary Clinton (who is not a lock for the nomination, much to the sadness of the Rudymites who use her as a boogy man figure). Rudy Giuliani is a leftist who must be destroyed in the primary.
If Giuliani can't beat Hillary, the GOP should not nominate him.
Just one?
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