Posted on 07/11/2018 12:20:56 PM PDT by gattaca
Evangelical minister Rob Schenck was once a militant leader of the anti-abortion movement, blockading access to clinics to prevent doctors and patients from entering.
But after more than 20 years in the movement, Schenck experienced a change of heart. Though firm in his evangelicalism, he has disavowed his militant anti-abortion stance.
"I live with regret," he says of some of his former tactics. "I remember women — some of them quite young — being very distraught, very frightened, some very angry. Over time I became very callous to that."
Schenck now sees abortion as a moral and ethical issue that should be resolved by "an individual and his or her conscience" — rather than by legislation.
"This is not a question for politicians," he says. "When your end goal is a political one, you will, without exception, exploit the pain and the suffering and the agony of those who face the issue in their daily reality, in their real life."
Schenck describes his change in outlook as one of several "conversions" he's experienced as an evangelical Christian.
"Change is a part of the spiritual life," he explains. "Anytime we stop changing we stagnate spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, we stop growing."
Schenck's new memoir, Costly Grace, tells the story of the different phases of his religious and political life and explains why he changed — and how he now preaches a more inclusive message, embracing the people he once demonized.
Interview Highlights
Enlarge this image Evangelical minister Rob Schenck says change is a part of spirituality: "Any time we stop changing we stagnate spiritually, emotionally [and] intellectually." Courtesy of Purple Mickey Productions LLC/Harper Collins On becoming an anti-abortion activist in 1988
There was a very close identification with the civil rights struggle, and I came to see this as a kind of civil rights struggle for the most vulnerable of human beings, those in the womb. And so as time went on, I embraced that. It took me a little while to become totally convinced of the rightness of that cause and I would take that into more than 20 years, actually 25 years of activism.
On ways he and his fellow anti-abortion activists made it difficult for women seeking abortion
Young People More Likely To Shift Toward Supporting Abortion Rights, Poll Finds NATIONAL Young People More Likely To Shift Toward Supporting Abortion Rights, Poll Finds We engaged in mass blockades. Sometimes we would have a dozen people in front of the doorways to a clinic. Other times it would be hundreds. On occasion we actually had thousands. And so we created human obstacles for those coming and going, whether they were the abortion providers themselves, their staff members, of course, women and sometimes men accompanying them that would come to the clinics. And it created a very intimidating encounter.
There were, of course, exceptions. There were women who would later thank us for being there. There were adoptions arranged where women would go through with their pregnancy, deliver their child, the child would be adopted through the pro-life network, but that was a relatively rare exception to the rule.
On reflecting on how his rhetoric while protesting abortion clinics and doctors may have contributed to the violence toward abortion providers, such as Dr. David Gunn (who was murdered in 1993), Dr. George Tiller (who was was wounded in 1993 and murdered in 2009) and Dr. Barnett Slepian (who was murdered in 1998)
California Law Adds New Twist To Abortion, Religious Freedom Debate SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS California Law Adds New Twist To Abortion, Religious Freedom Debate This became more about us, about me, about our need to win, to win the argument, to win on legislation, to win in the courts. I will tell you that my acceptance of that responsibility had to come only after a long period of reflective prayer, of listening deeply to those who were gravely affected by those murders, in therapy with my own — I will be careful to say — Christian therapist, who helped me come to terms with what really happened and how I may have contributed to those acts of violence through my rhetoric, and eventually in a confrontation, a very loving one but nonetheless an encounter, a very strong, very powerful encounter, with the relative of one of the doctors shot and stabbed. ... And it was ... actually at a Passover Seder table when I was confronted very gently and very lovingly by a relative who happened to be a rabbi of that one abortion provider. In that moment, I realized my own culpability in those in those terrible, terrible events.
On the evangelical support of Donald Trump
Roman Catholics And Evangelicals Move Apart In Their Political Priorities RELIGION Roman Catholics And Evangelicals Move Apart In Their Political Priorities I think it's a grave error. I think it has compromised our spiritual and moral integrity. In fact, I entitled my chapter on Donald Trump, "Donald Trump and the moral collapse of American evangelicalism." I think it's a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump, and I think it may lead to the demise of American evangelicalism as we have known it. But my hopeful thought is that, that as the phoenix arises out of the ashes, so a new evangelicalism will emerge, mostly led by a new younger generation of evangelicals that are truer to the faith that is at the center of evangelicalism.
On what he hears from some politicians who voted for Trump but have doubts
I would never name names, ... but I have heard that many times over. You know, I can't embrace him, sometimes even say very vulgar things about him, certainly paint him as a reckless, irresponsible and deeply offensive individual. I've heard even top level officials including members of Congress call him "insane, crazy, a lunatic — but he's our lunatic, and he's going to help us achieve our objectives," and they're willing to make that deal. To me that equates to selling one's soul.
NPR finally reports on evangelicals, and it’s a hit piece.
I’m SHOCKED.
Who’d he knock up? The reason most guys who love abortion love abortion.
This guy is a real piece of work. Apparently his brother is a Catholic priest.
Bfl
Bishop Fulton Sheen had a story of a young priest that he met that was railing about the riches of the Church and how the Church had too much money. Sheen looked him in the eyes and said, "How much did you steal?" The young priest's face went white, and he stammered, "What did you say?" Sheen went on, "How much have you been stealing from the collection plates?" The man broke down and admitted the whole thing, that he had been stealing from the parish coffers for years.
National Proletariat Radio
My thoughts exactly.
Why not legalize murder? Banning it won’t stop it completely.
Faustian bargain?!
Dude... you support abortion! You MADE a Faustian bargain. You are completely and totally morally compromised because you want a socialist utopian outcome with God yoked to your vision - when it should be the other way around.
Murder is legalized. It is known as abortion.
NPR makes MSNBC look moderate.
I listened for over 20 years before I just couldn’t take it anymore and turned it off.
It Pisses me off to no end that we Conservatives FUND the Marxist NPR.
Just a wild guess, but this guy is an “Evangelical Minister” like Elizabeth Warren is a Cherokee Indian, right?
NPR or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is funded in part by the GOP rinos...The House and Senate committees recommended level funding again.
In my opinion, there is a very subtle and quiet falling away happening right now in evangelical churches. The mainline churches are long dead in their heresies, but in evangelical churches there is a growing momentum to surrender to our corrupt culture.
Sometimes this is guised as a means to be more seeker friendly, but mostly it is borne out of growing urge to be accepted by our cultural gatekeepers via assimilation, also known as surrender.
The Word of God does not change. We can certainly be more compassionate, but we cannot lose our resolve in standing for truth. I do not understand who would ever want or need salt that has lost its salting properties.
This man might not be responsible for an abortion, but he probably has a family member who is.
Abortion is clearly murder. When I was an atheist I felt the same way. Logic 101.
Dusting off the abortion “rights” talking points by NPR. WTH do we fund public radio? In this era, it is pointless and just a soap box for liberal insanity and vile propaganda.
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