More Thoughts On Funding Abortion

Posted on November 4, 2009
Filed Under The State |

I’m glad this has stimulated some thinking. Regardless of where you or I end up on this, most everyone seems to agree that it is worth pondering—not to imply that you haven’t already. But to ponder it together, is a good thing, I believe.

As I read through your thoughtful comments, it seemed to me that several things needed to be stated or clarified.

1. Civil disobedience must be confined to the single item in question. It does not give one the right to disobey in all areas. Many of you implied that this discussion could lead to a revolt against all taxes.

Not true.

So, for example, if a mother ordered her son to steal the neighbor’s goat, he is not, therefore, now free to come home after curfew. So, too, settling on option three (it is unethical to pay taxes used to fund abortions) doesn’t give one license to withhold all taxes—or run red lights, or refuse to put quarters in the parking meter.

2. There is often confusion regarding Romans 13. This is a “design” document, describing how the state “should” act. It is not a descriptive of what is. So, when Romans 13 says that the civil magistrate holds no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong, this is obviously prescriptive not descriptive—laying out the “ought”, not the “is”.

Without these kind of “prescriptive” blueprints, it would be impossible for God’s people to know how it should be and therefore unable to stand before the king, or the husband, or the owner of the vineyard, and say “this is wrong”.

3. There is a lot of confusion over the statement by Jesus “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s”. I would like to deal with that, but it will take a whole blog to do so. I’ll do that next time. In the meantime, ponder if Jesus is saying by this “whatever Caesar asks you for, you are to give it to him”…Is this what Jesus is saying? Many implied by their responses that they think so. I believe this is a misunderstanding of the text itself and what the rest of the Scripture lays out for us.

Although this may seem to be a very difficult topic and some, if not many, are uncomfortable talking about it, I believe we must. And, I believe we are obligated to follow it to its proper biblical conclusion, regardless of the cost—whether that is no cost or whether that is a heavy cost. The cloud of witnesses that surround us in Hebrews 11 certainly did not shy away from those decisions which cost them dearly.

The Scripture says “the world was not worthy of them.”

We are called to do no less.

Comments

13 Responses to “More Thoughts On Funding Abortion”

  1. Carrie on November 4th, 2009 1:54 pm

    I’ve not studied much Greek, but a very good friend of mine who is incredibly devout has and from what he has told me the translation of Romans 13 is cloudy at best. I need to study it myself to see for myself but it is widely know that King James believed in the divine right of kings. I believe that is quite evident in reading that passage that his personal beliefs may have had something to do with translation.
    The governing authorities of this country do strike fear in me and I do what is right. There are many taxes the people in this country pay that are against our very Constitution. There are many laws we follow that are inarguably unconstitutional. I cannot give honor to those who do not posses it themselves.

    It is time for us to realize things are about to get tough. Our comfy cushy lives are going to be changed. It’s not a matter of if we want it to happen or not. Christians will be persecuted. There will be genocide, and it will be worldwide. I suppose the real question here is do we hide and wait for them to come to us or do we stand united now and fight for our beliefs. The beliefs this country was founded on to begin with.

  2. Steve on November 4th, 2009 11:53 pm

    My $.02…
    Because Christ’s kingdom was “not of this world”, Jesus did not need to overthrow or resist the tyrannical rule of the Romans. Undoubtedly, many of the taxes collected by Mattithyahu/Levi were used by Rome for the corruption of G*d’s people (and Temple), wars, idol worship, and the like. Similarly, much of America’s tax monies are already used for similar, ethically dubious purposes (wars, corruption…pick a commandment). Ideally (ref. Rm 13), the state functions to promote the public good while restraining the evil inherent in mankind. Governments, like the men who create them, are all imperfect, and like the church, more or less pure – with rulers appointed by (and thereby answerable to) G*d. An investigation of Simon and his fellow Sicarii is helpful here; how did Jesus approach the zealot movement? Did He lend credence to their “worldview” by advocating an abstention from the payment of “unjust” taxes? Did he join their crusade against the idolatrous Romans and their suppression of G*d’s Law? Or, did he forgo civil disobedience and instead advocate for another kingdom altogether? Was His approach effective? I think Augustine was onto something with his two cities (kingdoms) approach. Further, I believe politics to be decidedly downstream from culture; that is, politics are shaped by culture and not the other way around (as many in the Christian coalition would have us believe). Thus, it is foolish to hope that cultural change will be effected through political transformation when politics are a lagging indicator of the broader culture. Rather, counter-cultural Christianity – beginning with my household and promulgating outward to my church, community, and beyond - will shape culture (with Christ as the cult-center) and by extension, politics. By no means am I advocating political withdrawal; indeed, Christians “have a duty to seek the welfare of the city” (Jer. 29:7). Instead, I believe civil disobedience and political activism in general to be of secondary (tertiary?) importance to the reclamation of the church in America. I have every intention of continuing the fight against abortion in the political arena, but I am firmly convinced that my family’s catechism and Christian instruction (Prov. 22:6, Deut 6) will ultimately be of more value to Christ and His Kingdom. Phil. 3:19-21, Heb. 13:14.

  3. Trey on November 5th, 2009 11:11 am

    Steve, I thought I was going to disagree with you, but I do not. Our political and cultural problems are the result of the lapses of the God’s people, not the other way around.

    Our way out of this mess is the one way it always is, through Jesus and obedience to him. That said, we are called to speak the truth and live Godly lives, and that will put us at odds with Caesar, but our primary responsibility is obedience to God. He takes care of the rest and leads us.

  4. angela on November 5th, 2009 2:54 pm

    Dr. Tackett, I was an FFI student Fall 2000. Although you weren’t there except to teach one lesson on our nation’s Christian heritage, I feel like we are old friends after traveling with you through the Truth Project in three classes. I appreciate you and for pressing us to think on these issues.

    I have figured out a way to promote the “every child a wanted child” notion and also legally not pay taxes. We are researching adoption currently, and there is about a $12,000 tax credit per child that can be used for up to four years of taxes. For example, if we adopt one child and then owe $2,000 in taxes that year, then we will still have $10,000 credit to be used for three more years’ of taxes. Depending on how much in taxes you owe, you could legally not pay taxes for four years! … at which time you could adopt another child!

    My idea - and I’d love to have more people jump on board - is for Christians to care for orphans around the world by providing them a forever family… while at the same time providing less money to our govt to provide abortions. Everyone (especially the unborn little ones!) wins.

    Blessings, Angela

  5. John on November 6th, 2009 2:09 pm

    For me the most dissapointing aspect of this entire discussion is that people seem to think this is about politics. It most clearly is not! Abortion is about life & death. It’s not about preferences & it’s not about legality. It’s about life & death & if we will allow people to kill babies. It sounds like such an easy choice when stated so clearly. Will you allow someone to kill babies by using your money? We can dumb it down all we want & use cliche’s & non committal phrases all we want, but in the end the choice is clear. I will not allow someone to kill my baby so why would I fund the killing of someone elses baby, whether they have made “a choice” to do so or not. Ceasar says kill. God says defend the “weak” (Pslm 82). Render to whom you will.

  6. Randy on November 6th, 2009 3:23 pm

    Right now we are all mostly falling into the camp of the Puritans. The early Puritans believe that the Church of England was corrupt but could be purified by staying involved. Isn’t this exactly were we are with the US Government. Eventually though, their efforts failed and they became Separatist. Could this be where we are heading with the American Government. Most of us are willing to stay and continue to fight for a better government and rule of law. Hoping that our efforts will seem reasonable to those in power. At some point, we may be faced with deciding to leave this great land and move to a place that is more open to our beliefs. The only problem with this is that we don’t have very many places left were a christian could go and find refuge.

  7. Steve on November 6th, 2009 5:42 pm

    John – Out of curiosity, how would you define “politics”? What of the terms “Polis” and “Oikos”?

    The state – or temporal authority - is generally understood to have at least some role in matters of life and death. Whether this refers to capital punishment - or the legality of murder in certain “convenient” circumstances, government does play a role (political by definition). American denizens find themselves in a political climate which, in many ways, resembles that of ancient Greece and Rome. For example: in ancient Rome, unwanted babies were often exposed at the city gate - without legal ramification. And, of course, as Christ evidenced, there were myriad punishments for which the penalty was death. Which brings me back to my belief that abortion has both political (polis) and social or cultural components. As a citizen of the state, I am beholden to its laws. As a baptized Christian, I am also answerable to the church (and by obvious implication, G*d).

    “We are to be subject to governmental power and do what it bids, as long as it does not bind our conscience but legislates only concerning outward matters…. But if it invades the spiritual domain and constrains the conscience, over which God only must preside and rule, we should not obey it at all but rather lose our necks. Temporal authority and government extend no further than to matters which are external and corporeal.” — Martin Luther

    My larger point in my earlier post was twofold: 1.) A corrupted culture (in itself, a near-impossible word to define, but which everyone seems to have an understanding?) leads to a political environment in which murder is acceptable and 2.) Cultural and political change begins with the family unit (oikos) and emanates outward.

    SDG,

    Steve

  8. Jo on November 7th, 2009 6:04 pm

    In the past few months this crisis has been on my mind and heart…
    and my prayers were answered with a Divine-To-Do-List…foremost…
    I now have the privilege to be apart of a group of dedicated people who love the Lord and seek to do His will by providing assistance and counseling for women who face a life or death decision concerning an unexpected pregnancy.
    Our CPC (Care Pregnancy Center) is not large yet therein is great heart…where we believe each encounter with these expectant mothers is a divine appointment …an opportunity to share comfort, truth and “Living Water”.
    Not only do we provide free pregnancy tests and abortion counseling (by permission), but if the mother chooses life for her child, we offer counseling and child-care education through the first two years of the child’s life along with providing for the physical needs of the baby as much as possible.
    A new program is offered to council the fathers (often confused about their role and systematically denied the right to be involved).
    Abstinence information is being effectively shared with students in private and public schools and is increasingly in demand.
    Also, there is a program to help both men and women deal with the now recognized trauma, Post-Abortion Syndrome…
    All of this offered with the help of the Lord by a small staff, mostly made up of volunteers.
    I guess I have discovered that the “ponderings” you have shared and the comments returned are worthy conversations..but also there is much we can do for the the sake of these mothers and their little ones now..and it is good to know great things are happening (some poles indicate opposition to abortion is up to 55%).
    Anyone, anyone who loves the Lord and has a special burden for the unborn can be apart of this ministry, the centers are located across the country.
    “It is one of the most powerful and significant ministries of our time.”
    PS…Dr. Tackett….what a fine opportunity to share what the Lord is doing for the sake of mothers and their unborn children in these centers on that uh… new TV show your hosting???
    hmm…

  9. Sue on November 9th, 2009 10:41 am

    RE: Del’s statements: #1: Is there some way of designating where your taxes get used? If not, then you are either going to pay for abortions or not pay any federal income taxes at all. So I don’t understand your comment saying “Many of you implied that this discussion could lead to a revolt against all taxes.”

    #2: giving to Caesar what is his does not mean give to Caesar whatever he asks of you. The problem lies in defining exactly what is Caesar’s. The Scripture seems to indicate that the tax is Caesar’s, so give him that.

    It seems to me that a part of this issue is what we do personally. Pharoah ordered that the mid-wives personally kill the babies themselves. If the state ordered believers to start killing their own or others babies, I think that would be something God would expect civil disobedience in. Or if the state ordered something else that was in direct conflict with the Law of God that we each were supposed to do personally, like stop teaching our children about Jesus, we should disobey. I think that we should obey the Scripture in the paying of taxes because those spending the money will be held responsible for how it is used. And we should also keep our voices raised against the God-dishonoring policies and laws and at the same time, use our time, talent and treasure to help change views on the personal level, like so many are doing who wrote about their efforts at crisis pregnancy centers and so on. I believe that is the right thing to do.

  10. Jim on November 18th, 2009 6:18 am

    I retired from a large corporation 8 years ago. I recall a conservation with my chairman when he was surprised to learn that our company health insurance covered abortions. He asked me what the Catholic Church did. I replied they deleted abortion coverage and added we could also if we want to make an issue of abortion. After some thought we decided to keep the coverage because the law allows women to abort and we did not want to impose our views on employees. The chairman and I oppose abortion except to protect the life of the mother. We also believe marriage should be between a man and women but do not police the private affairs of our employees or provide same-sex benefits. Christians in positions of authority should express their views but not always impose their views, especially when they don’t agree with the law. They should lead by example. They should work to change the law and pay their taxes (corporate and private) even when taxes support issues and actions that are not consistent with their Christian views.

  11. angel on November 23rd, 2009 7:55 am

    After listening to Focus on the Family this morning about abortion and other very serious issues, I am thankful to the gentlemen who clarified the “render to Ceasar” verse in the Bible. I now understand as a Christian, I render to Ceasar what is ‘his’ (regarding welfare of the state) but on matters concerning the right to life of unborn children and other godly commands, I will render to our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom. Isn’t it that simple?? As Christians, we should be more aware of our God-given rights as His ambassadors and take courage just as the men on the radio program did this morning.

  12. Pat on November 24th, 2009 9:02 pm

    In the late 80’s and early 90’s I was a participant in Operation Rescue. Before I became involved I had some real soul searching because of Romans 13. I came to realize that if a law is against God’s Law then God trumps.
    We’ve come to that point once again. This time many of our “giants of the faith” have taken a stand. Will you? Have you signed the Manhattan Declaration yet?
    http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=116974

  13. Chris on December 15th, 2009 9:02 pm

    Dear Del,
    Sorry for the late hit on this. I’ve just gotten done leading a group through The Truth Project and it has been pretty all consuming. As we looked at community tonight, I spent part of the discussion time introducing my group to the Waldensians. I did that because I think we need some of those right now. I don’t mean those who believe asceticism is the way to spiritual perfection (as they are often summarized) but those who sell out completely to the truth, regardless of the cost, and hold the Word of God as their supreme authority, personal Bible study, the promiscuous preaching of the gospel, and standing firm in the faith even amidst the strongest persecution. There are a few things that our government seems to be proposing, including tax funding of abortions, that I won’t be able to acquiesce to. I’m not sure exactly what that means but I think sooner rather than later, I will have to obey God rather than men, I think it’s going to cost big. But then isn’t the God of Truth worth it and more?

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