Posted on 05/10/2012 6:54:21 AM PDT by cleghornboy
I feel a lot of the fault also rests on the men in their lives. Aside from the heartbreaking story here on this thread, where someone tried everything they could ....TOO many men are the ones leading women to the deed.
A friend of mine, I was assured, wanted a baby. It was her soon to be husband who could not face a pregnancy, as to tell the family would have risked the rath of his parents,
and the postponement, perhaps forever, of their beautifully planned upcoming wedding ceremoney and reception. This couple was in their late 20’s, for crying out loud. Why would ANY parent condemn someone at this age?? Why would anyone be SO afraid of their parents still at this stage? I personally feel they were just worried that they’d lose financial support of their parents - seriosly.
In other words, they would have been too ashamed and embarrased, and risked whatever THEY perceived as scorn from their family. So, before actually becoming man and wife, they aborted their first child. I was distraught over it for months, as I’d tried for hours to talk some sense into her, but she was completely following the lead of her boyfriend. They were from a pretty religious Baptist family background.
If people would just get RID of these ideas that APPEARANCES must be perfect — or that a baby RUINS a women’s life ...that a baby is an EMBARASSMENT, etc ....a lot of abortions would never happen. We need to get rid of these unrealistic stigmas.
We need to start truly supporting women, and families — in much deeper ways than ever before, as Christians.
I faced an unplanned pregnancy at a young age, but thankfully I had important and KEY people around me who steered me in the right direction — namely my then boyfriend now husband, AND a best friend who was a strong Catholic. However, I sort of instinctively knew who to go to and who not to go to — as if I’d gone to my mother, she would have pushed me into an abortion, I’m sure of it.
Then, of course, there ARE those women who have all that, but still choose to abort. It’s for THESE women, whose reasons seems purely and utterly selfish, that I just don’t have much pity for. I don’t know how they live with it. My daughter is the most precious person, and raising her has been the crowning achievement of MY life. But it really was my husband who stuck by me who made it possible ... he could have had so much power over the situation.
“The sinner was a thief, not a murderer.”
By this logic, suicides are also condemned as they premeditate and take their own lives.
You can get off your high horse regarding this.
As I said in this piece, abortion is always objectively sinful. It is a grave evil, objectively speaking. But we cannot judge a woman’s internal guilt. That is for God alone.
Nope. Suicide is premeditated murder of a soul. Massada is a perfect example of this rule. They drew lots precisely because no one wanted to be the one to commit suicide. In fact, in some circles, the story is that Josephus was the one who was supposed to, but instead he ran away rather than commit suicide.
I’m calling the Viking Kitties on this one.
I think there are several posters of FR who hammer hard at women’s guilt over abortions, supposedly from a ‘religious’ perspective, with the hope of driving all women who have had abortions away from conservative Christianity or Judaism. The posters themselves probably being liberal/left agitators.
Of course abotion is forgiven if the woman repents of her sin and changes her life. That’s why Christ died on the cross. It is silly to think otherwise. Millions of women have had abortions and if the liberal left could drive them all away from basic religious thought and adherence, they would very much like to do so.
So go play your scare tactics somewhere else.
Well, being Jewish your approach is from THE LAW.
The Christian approach is from THE GOSPEL.
There is a lot of difference between the two. The law has is moments but there are times, depending on the situation, when the gospel is to be applied, not the law.
Arguing further is a waste of time since you do not believe in the Gospel.
Your question is based on a false premise. It cannot be answered until the inherent falsehood is corrected.
Please do some real research, correct the falsehood (I have underlined it for your convenience), and then post the corrected question.
Your stance is completely at odds with the New Testament.
Actually, your stance is completely at odds with the Old Testament. God forgave David for the murder of Uriah. Look it up.
to those who divorce...and REMARRY
Moral guilt can apply to the abortionist-mother, the abortionist-doctor, the abortionist-political-advocate, the abortionist-boyfriend/husband, the abortionist-legislator, thre abortionist-judge, and any of the other accomplices, according to their direct, willing cooperation with evil.
That's the moral aspect. The article doesn't even mention the secular legal aspect. Show me where it does.
In relation to a Christian’s response to a continued sin, was Paul being judgmental when he told the Corinthian Christians to remove themselves from the man who had taken his father’s wife?
In order for sin to be forgiven, it must be repented of. If sin is not seen as sin by the sinner, the sinner cannot repent. How can sinners be taught, unless someone teach them?
Whenever possible, live at peace with all men is a Christian mandate. Certainly, in dealing with sinners, compassion must be our first emotion, as Christ exemplified, but that does not mean we are never to make judgment calls. Telling someone they have no right to judge others is out of harmony with Bible teaching. But the judgements Christians are encouraged to make are for the purpose of growing the Kingdom and safeguarding the Truth, not for determining who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. Only God can do that.
“Hate the sin, love the sinner” is instructional to a degree, but does not completely cover the entire issue. Many have taken from this phrase that active sin should not be addresses as wrong, but that we should just love the person into seeing for themselves without giving them instruction, that their sin is wrong.
Thank you.
The question can now be addressed.
1) Abortion is a hideous act; a matter of mortal sin. One who commits it, with full knowledge and consent, damns himself to Hell (and cuts himself off from Holy Communion. He faces an immediate and automatic excommunication). One who, having committed it then repents and asks God's forgiveness can be forgiven, can be saved from Hell by the unmerited grace of God, and restored to Communion. That is the Gospel.
2) Divorce is a matter for civil governments to argue about. The Church rejects the notion that a marriage, validly contracted, can be ended other than by the death of one of the spouses.
3) "Remarriage" following a civil divorce, is a misnomer. It is, in fact, an ongoing and institutionalized situation of public and unrepented adultery. It is a matter of mortal sin. Those who engage in it damn themselves to Hell (and cut themselves off from Holy Communion.) They too can repent, be forgiven, and be restored to Grace ... persistence in the ongoing and institutionalized situation of public and unrepented adultery would contraindicate repentance.
A sin that has not been repented of continues to be a sin. We can and should make a judgment call in these areas. Should the woman confess her sin, then we no longer worry or concern ourselves with the past sin. It is in the past.
Actually, no G-d didn’t. The first child of that union was stillborn and his family was torn asunder. Their son presided over the destruction of Israel. That ain’t my idea of forgiveness.
Someone needs to do some brushing up on this Jewish guy Moses then...
Let’s not confuse three separate issues:
We must always be willing to allow for forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is ultimately between the woman and God. He forgave Saul (Paul) who was guilty of putting many Christians to death so His capacity to forgive those who truly repent is quite vast. We should be equally willing.
There are still consequences to sin and one of those may be a lasting feeling of guilt over taking the life of a child and the knowledge that this can never be undone. Another consequence may be the shunning by friends and family members. I would not say that such shunning is judging, any more than a parent would willingly allow their children access to a repentant sex offender. We should, however, have compassion for those who admit that their actions were wrong.
The third issue is societal. Abortion should still be strongly condemned and we should not stop speaking out against abortion simply because some will feel “judged”. That is often the Holy Spirit at work pricking the conscience of one who needs repentance.
Agree. Arrogant is Biblically correct, except for the adultery question. Jesus did say that adultery was the one sin that breaks the covenant. Although the injured in the couple is always free to forgive the adulterer and continue in the marriage, but is not obligated to.
Amen.
Good point.
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