God's pro-life authority can be found in scripture

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The writer's first error assigns blanket blame and vigilante terrorist suspicion upon all those who treasure life, all for the murder of five abortionists. In reality, more than five have been murdered when one considers the medically proven humanity of the millions of aborted unborn since Roe vs. Wade — material proof that the professor's scales are grossly unbalanced.

Indeed, all true biblical social justice this professor seeks begins with honoring the two highest commandments: Love God completely and love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:21-37, Proverbs 6:16-17, 24:11-12, Romans 12:17-19, Deut. 32:25, James 1:26-27 speak to this.

The second error lies in her failure to recognize God's pro-life authority throughout scripture and in modern civics. Starting in Genesis 1:28, God explicitly commands humanity to "be fruitful and multiply," an order repeated to Noah and his family. Near Moses' birth, Hebrew midwives who revered God by example defied the Pharoah's order to kill newborn boys (Exodus 1:15-17), and God blessed them. As each abortion, each child sacrifice (the professor's analogy — not mine) subtracts another human life, by default the family is damaged, not helped.

The writer utterly failed to recognize the Mosaic Law's very explicit, capital prohibition against sacrificing children to Molech (Leviticus 20:1-5). The choice between life and death, blessing and curses (Deut. 30:11-20) also evades the professor's attention. She further failed to cite Hosea 6:6, where mercy and knowledge of God are explicitly required over sacrifice and burnt offerings. Romans 12 also speaks of a "living sacrifice," with a change of thinking and use of one's gifts toward love.

In stark contrast, the abortion culture and industry sacrifices children on the altar of personal convenience for profit — the "Molech" of our time. Those who truly adhere to Judeo-Christian doctrines — and represent them faithfully — will never submit to the ancient, reprobate paganisms the professor unwittingly endorses even as she calls them "odious." Spare the public such double talk.

Deran S. Eaton, Waldorf

A letter in your June 12 edition demands a reply ["Nowhere in the Bible is there a statement prohibiting abortion"].

The writer, a professor of religion, ardently defends the career of Dr. Tiller, the slain Kansas abortionist. She also staunchly defends abortion in general, and says there is no biblical injunction against it. Has she not heard of the Fifth Commandment?

Toward the end of her torturously reasoned letter she demolishes her own position by stating that Dr. Tiller "killed in the service of life."

Now in order to kill something, it must be alive. Thus she calls the good doctor a killer; then, ipso facto, what he killed must have been alive. Then exactly what did Dr. Tiller kill? Certainly not bugs or weeds. Over the years he killed 60,000 living babies, who happened to exist on the other side of the birth canal.

In her own words the good professor has called abortion the act of killing.

Patrick F. Fogarty, La Plata

This is in response to the religious scholar's letter "Nowhere in the Bible is there a statement prohibiting abortion" [June 12].

The letter stated that there has never been an absolute, unqualified "pro-life" position in the history of biblically based religions. There has always been a pro-life position in the Catholic church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2271 states, "Since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable."

As Americans, we love our laws and our freedoms. I understand the law on abortion won't go away anytime soon, but it should change and grow toward "fewer abortions" as our president said just a few weeks ago. The Catholic church has taken care of the poor and the dysfunctional families the letter speaks of through Catholic Charities, Gabriel Network and Birthright pregnancy centers nationwide. And, of course, we help heal the wounded hearts of post-abortion women and men with Project Rachael. If anyone needs hope locally, they can call 301-982-2008.

We could play this tennis match all day. But this is the truth:

"All the wars ever fought, all the holocausts ever perpetrated, all the plagues that ever raged, all the bombs that ever dropped, all the famines that ever laid waste to the land, put together, have not killed the number of human beings wiped out by abortion," a quote from Priests for Life Web site.

Susan Nottingham, Waldorf