WARNING: This is a very blunt and personal view on the issues discussed and are entirely my own views and not those of any organisation I may be associated with!
Just saw this poster that is going to be used I gather by Churches across the nation in the run up to Christmas 2010. It is an interesting concept and design and I think I get where it is coming from.
A design to show that Jesus started as a real baby and it is an image that everyone, or at least most people, can relate to. The lower caption pointing out that ‘Christmas’ starts with ‘Christ’ etc….
I could take issue with the main caption in pointing out that Christ was born 2000 years ago and therefore has already arrived etc… but that would indeed be petty.
What I found interesting was an article on Christian Today that says secularists have got all hot under the collar about it. This following quote being classic secularist nonsense:
“It gives the impression that it was politically motivated, that they are trying to put across some sort of subliminal message,” said Terry Sanderson, director of the National Secular Society, according to The Guardian.
“The image is too specifically associated with pro-lifers to be seen in a benign context.”
Sanderson added, “They should go back to angels and cribs.”
The last sentence showing his true colours and renders everything he said previously as not worth listening to. So as usual with these types as long as Christians stay silent and not dare speak up we can carry on in our freakish weird world of believing in God. But we must not under any circumstance have our faith say anything to rampant secularism and go poking our noses into society with our ‘moral convictions’ about truth and justice.
Sanderson is of course referring to the Channel 4 Marie Stopes adverts that ‘subliminally’ advertises abortion services.
Well Mr Terry Sanderson how is this for a non subliminal pro-life message: Abortion is the murder of the unborn!
Of course I don’t take lightly the horrendous emotional and psychological issues surrounding abortion and unwanted pregnancy. I have heard all the arguments about what about rape, what about babies with some sort of illness or disability, a woman's right to chose etc…. But the bottom line is that for a large majority of Abortions in this country the reason comes down to inconvenience and selfishness on the part of the couple. They simply don’t want the responsibility of looking after a child at that point. There are possibly some very very few instances where there may be some grey area but rarely. How can inconvenience, timing, cost, even disability or pregnancy due to rape (extremely rare by the way) trump the right of a child to have a chance in life? No one can decide that the child's circumstances once born would be too hard and not be fair to bring them into. Who are you to make that decision?
The issue in part comes down to the devaluing of corporate human life in the western world today. For so many different reasons but two being Darwinian evolutionary thinking and the Western idol of self. Where does an Embryo/Foetus become a human life. In UK law it is at 24 weeks! After that the medical profession and Government has deemed that you are now worthy of some protection in law! Despite much evidence to the contrary and babies being born before that time and surviving.
Again I state that I do not say any of this lightly and fully take into account the awful circumstances people find themselves in and the financial, practical and counselling help that they need and that is often not available to them. Yes it can be heart breaking and painful and mind bogglingly difficult to raise a child under, well any circumstances actually.
But this is a human being we are talking about and once conceived has every right to existence as any other human being. It is made in the image of God, knit together in its mothers womb (Psalm 139). Oh no, there I go with that God talk again.
4 comments:
found your blog via newkidonthebloxk
some very interesting thoughts.
:)
Fragz
Congrats on the "redecorating".
I will never ever see eye to eye with the NSS (only one extra letter to the SS note). I see them as a bunch of "daddy issue" militants who are on a hypocritical crusade... but this you know.
I caught a similar article in the major press earlier in the week. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind.
I think the hostile reaction may actually may be triggered a little by suppressed guilt. When you remind the world that the greatest luminaries in the history of civilization were all foetuses at some point, you automatically bring into question a liberal approach to abortion.
There's an extremely famous pro-life quiz that puts forward various modern reasons for abortion and asks if you would support them... it then reveals that in each case you would have murdered Wesley, Beethoven, Ethel Waters and Jesus.
I truly believe we have no right to casually toss aside the life of others. Being largely pro-life I am adamantly against those who would do such a thing merely for the sake of convenience.
That said it becomes increasingly hard for us (especially being male), to argue the case against some of the harsher reasons for abortion... I'm thinking here particularly with regard to rape. While it is true that the baby has done nothing wrong... it must be incredibly hard for a woman to consider carrying, delivering and rearing a constant reminder of the atrocity committed against her.
I'm not condoning the practice... I am merely demonstrating that we must not be without sympathy (and not suggesting that you yourself are without it).
I think it's very important to celebrate and support (emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, practically and financially) the positive decisions people make as much as, if not more than attacking liberal attitudes to abortion.
And in the spirit of positivity I'll share something inspirational that this story brought to me. The image of the foetal Christ is not taken from one singular child's image. It is a composite made up of many ultrasounds of different children. It is a reminder that Christ is in all and that we as God's spiritual children are all part of the body of Christ.
Fragmentz - Welcome to my blog!
Nick - Thanks for the comments. I know there is always that 'well you are a man so you can't understand' thing when talking about abortion. I accept that as a man I cannot 'fully' grasp the emotional and psychological impact of pregnancy and abortion.
And as you said I am not saying any of it lightly and without huge amounts of sympathy and heart felt agony over such things. Nor would I self righteously condemn anyone who has gone down that route. It must be dealt with sensitively and with much Grace.
But the bottom line is what God thinks. I realise this is a grey area for some. However I fully believe that the Word of God shows God is against abortion. Whilst no sin is unforgivable and the Grace and love of God extends to all those who accept Him I believe it is infant genocide in our time. As Christians is it not our duty to speak out about injustice.
"I could take issue with the main caption in pointing out that Christ was born 2000 years ago and therefore has already arrived etc… but that would indeed be petty"
He Is "On His Way" .... again! :)
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