Young Evangelicals and Fetus Fatigue
by
Motte Brown
on Mar 6, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Justin Taylor has a great piece on Boundless today about Martin Luther's path to matrimony. So check it out when you have time. But I'd like to draw your attention to an excerpt he published on his blog Between Two Worlds from fellow blogger Douglas Groothuis' "Recovering from Fetus Fatigue."
Here's a portion of Groothuis' post:
It appears that millions of evangelicals, especially younger ones, are experiencing fetus fatigue. They are tired of the abortion issue taking center stage; it is time to move on to newer, hipper things -- the sort of issues that excite Bono: aid to Africa, the environment, and cool tattoos. Abortion has been legal since they were born; it is the old guard that gets exercised about millions of abortions over the years. So, let's not worry that Barak Obama and Hillary are pro-choice. That is a secondary issue. After all, neither could do that much damage regarding this issue.
Evangelicals (if that word has any meaning), for God's sake, please wake up and remember the acres of tiny corpses you cannot see. Yes, the Christian social vision is holistic. We should endeavor to restore shalom to this beleaguered planet. That includes helping Africa, preserving the environment, and much more. However, the leading domestic moral issue remains the value of helpless human life. Since Roe v. Wade, approximately 50 million unborn humans have been killed through abortion. Stalin said, "One death is a tragedy. A million dead is a statistic." Too many are now Stalinists on abortion. The numbers mean nothing, apparently.
I wonder if Groothuis is a reader of the Boundless Line comments section? It seems his observations are perfectly congruous with the sentiments expressed by many of our readers on the issue of abortion.
So I have to ask, are you suffering from fetus fatigue?
1. Eliza had the following to say on Mar 6 at 2:46 PM:
Yup, definitely.
2. Samantha had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:10 PM:
100%, completely, absolutely NOT.
Every time I hear of a person I know or a friend of a friend getting an abortion, my heart feels like it's bleeding inside. I ache for that innocent baby - yes, baby - and for the girl/woman in a bad position or just too shallow to deal with the repercussions of her and her boyfriend/husband's actions.
It breaks my heart to hear of so many violently murdered babies who are carelessly tossed aside as if nothing more than a piece of redundant flesh.
I'm also saddened by the fact so many in my generation simply don't value human life in general. It's not just babies; it's all age ranges. Or that's my experience anyway.
3. Louise had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:25 PM:
Yes, I definitely suffer from "fetus fatigue" however I am neither young nor evangelical.
4. NeedACatchyName had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:38 PM:
The problem isn't so much a case of "fetus fatigue." The problem is that young evangelicals want a candidate that will actually do something about abortion instead of just talk about it.
We're tired of voting for pro-life candidates who affirm the unborn's right to life and then...do nothing about it. I would love to vote for a candidate that would actually end abortion. However, instead I get to choose between voting for a pro-choice candidate and abortion remaining legal, or...a pro-life candidate, and abortion will still remain legal.
You want me to vote for you because you're pro-life? Then put forth a plan to actually end abortion. A constitutional amendment would be nice, since even if you "stack the Supreme Court" with pro-life justices to overturn Roe vs. Wade, their decision could be reversed by a later pro-choice court. The bottom line: if you're actually going to take steps to end abortion, then I'll vote for you, maybe even regardless of your stances on every other issue since this one is so important. But if your going to be another in a long line of pro-life candidates who makes great speeches supporting the unborn but your actions don't actually change the situation, then why should I vote for you because of your stance on abortion when I could be voting based on issues you'll actually be able to influence?
5. Jordan Peacock had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:39 PM:
Let's split things up.
Am I tired of the political posturing, attempts to legislate morality and the the loss of balance that the abortion issue seems to bring to evangelicalism?
Yes, definitely.
Am I frustrated with issues such as cultural anesthetization towards abortions and the horribly screwed up priorities of groups towards Planned Parenthood?
Absolutely.
But the 'pro-life/pro-choice' legal debate is one where I have seen strong Christians disagree over a wide variety of points. I believe far more good would be done with active involvement of the church and people in the church working in the lives of the women who feel the need to have abortions.
I know my wife and I would adopt in a heartbeat if it meant saving the child from that fate, and we've already talked about it. Friends of mine have a 'safe house' for people in need of extra support and guidance.
There may be a place for the state in this, but to a Christian that should be secondary to actively living out the kingdom of God on this earth in all areas...including caring for the unborn.
6. Marc from Peoria had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:50 PM:
Yes.
Mostly I'm concerned about the narrow interpretation of pro-life. Yes, we need to speak out for those lives that are being snuffed out with the legal acknowledgment of the dignity of their lives. But our generation (defined as those who have always known an abortion culture) has begun to see other, more entrenched violations of human dignity that have largely gone by unnoticed.
As an aside to the quoted selection in the OP, comparing getting trendy tattoos to trying to relieve hunger in Africa is insulting.
Abortion (if I can say this) is an easy thing to oppose. When sin against God's created life occurs in the form of an abortion, there is nothing to do. Look after the women who are left damaged, for sure, but the greatest recipient of the crime is dead and can receive no help or love.
Contrast against things like sex trafficking, apartheid, religious persecution, persistent socio-economic education gaps. What about all the kids that managed to get out of the womb, but now find themselves in a world that will only support those who come from a specific place? These are the people with hope, if there are those who are willing to get dirty and do some mentoring, tutoring, selling, nurturing, understanding and supporting.
All anti-abortion activists have to do is yell.
So perhaps an expanded view of "fetus fatigue" would be termed "desire for a more holistic view of 'pro-life'."
7. S had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:53 PM:
Yes. I do.
I feel that the focus should be on why women are in the position that they feel abortion is their only option.
Legal wranglings make for good news, but even if abortion was not legal, there would still be women seeking them. (Granted, the number would definitely be less than now that it is legal.)
I have a problem with people who choose to vote solely on this issue, because with all the candidates that have been pro-life since Roe v. Wade, none of them has changed anything.
8. Christina (in green) had the following to say on Mar 6 at 3:56 PM:
I'm not tired of it...just wondering if its time for a new tactic.
I would rather work towards erasing the need for legal abortions than trying to fight whether it needs to be legal or not.
Fortunately, progress has been made in limiting the need for abortions - fewer teenage pregnancies, and a lower % of those pregnancies resulting in abortion. We've got one demographic down, as I understand it...now to tackle the other one...the one that Planned Parenthood actually caters to - the poor and suppressed?
9. Nicole had the following to say on Mar 6 at 4:05 PM:
I used to suffer from "fetus fatigue" and saw other issues (such as gay marriage) as worth of my more time to debate and discuss. Then, through conversations with different people whom I greatly respect, I realized that abortion is legal murder. As a nursing student, I am being taught to value life and do no harm. Where better to begin that process than in the womb? In addition, I realized that abortion doesn't just kill the baby, it has far-reaching effects on the mother as well. No more fetus fatigue. :)
10. Jacob had the following to say on Mar 6 at 4:36 PM:
It wasn't fatigue, but over the first two years of college, I sort of "forgot" about the tragedy. Then, over a Christmas break, I read one of Francis Schaeffer's books on abortion in which he vividly describes the various abortion methods and procedures. It was a powerful reminder of the utter brutality and barbarianism of abortion. You cannot call yourself a compassionate person and care about human life, dignity and suffering and support abortion. I say again. It is utterly inhumane and those who perform such procedures are barbaric.
Jamming a needle into the skull of a preborn infant and injecting a solution that dissolves the brain (all without any anesthetic for said infant) followed by the crushing of the skull is evil, and so are those who would do such a thing.
11. Kellie had the following to say on Mar 6 at 4:40 PM:
Well, the fetus inside me is causing some fatigue. :-) Seriously, abortion has always been an issue close to my heart. Usually how a candidate feels about abortion decides my vote (I changed to a republican from an independent for the primaries so I could vote for huckabee). Yeah, I think the environment and AIDS in Africa are important issues too, but we're taking about babies being killed and people not valuing a human life. That's more importabt to me.
12. Casey the student nurse had the following to say on Mar 6 at 4:50 PM:
I'm in nursing school, and just the other day i read this staggering statistic in one of my (peer reviewed) books.
About 3.5 million unwanted (unplanned) pregnancies happen each year, of these, 1.4 Million Abortions occur. Thats 4 out of every 10 unwanted pregnancies that occur in abortion - staggering.
That said, only about 6 million pregnancies (all) occur in the US every year. That makes almost 25% of ALL pregnancies that end in abortion.
Obviously, and i think even among Christians, there is a thought process in this country that abortion simply isnt that big of deal.
When 25% of babies conceived each year die due to decisions made by those of us out of the womb, that IS a big deal.
13. Josh had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:05 PM:
I probably suffer from some strain of "fetus fatigue", but what's more likely is that I can understand the nuances of the abortion debate a lot better. I'm a lot less likely to paint it as the evil-abortion-loving-eugenicist-nazis versus the God-fearing-baby-cuddling-Christians nowadays.
And in more honest moments I would admit that I have more apprehension about the death of a convicted murderer who doesn't know Christ than about the death of an unborn child that goes straight to the arms of Christ.
14. Rachael had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:05 PM:
I don't think I could ever vote for someone who was not against abortion unless no one was.
I wish there could be a new political party, one that was pro-life (in the anti-abortion sense) and one that supported health care for all and one that clearly had some plans to proactively deal with some of the horrific social conflicts that are happening all over the world...
(By the way, if anyone attacks this, I may not respond...these are just my thoughts, I have no interest (and likely ability) in defending them...also the focus of this post is on the murder of unborn babies, so I think it would be good to keep the focus on abortion.)
15. Kristin had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:10 PM:
Just think of how many of our peers are not here today because of the holocaust of abortion. No wonder it's so hard to find a spouse these days -- we're missing millions of people who could have been spouses to those of us who are "survivors".
16. Michele Samuelson had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:11 PM:
No, I don't have "fetus fatigue." HOWEVER - I do think that Christians need to be looking beyond just abortion when choosing political candidates to support. For instance, if we could lift oppressive tax burdens in cities, counties, and other taxing entities, we could improve life for the poor, who are targeted by Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocates. If we had school choice, we could lower the school dropout rate, and also improve situations for young women who often find themselves pregnant and alone.
So many things contribute to a society that ends up condoning abortion. We have a long road ahead and must learn to broaden our focus.
(Also - the American young person's opinion on abortion is radically different than that of the baby boomers who use abortion as their sole political issue, simply because they live in a time where technology is helping to win the moral argument. It's a child - they know and accept that in much greater numbers than ever before. This is not a battle we will win in the Legislature or the courthouse. It is, as ever, a battle for hearts and minds.)
17. Rachael had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:30 PM:
Josh (13)....I'm not 100% sure about your last line, unfortunately...
18. Amir Larijani had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:36 PM:
I only get irritated when pro-life groups and evangelical leaders start jumping to early conclusions to endorse political candidates. The result of this has been egg in the proverbial face of the pro-life movement as a whole.
Fact is, none of the major candidates are committed pro-life advocates. In addition, I think we need to revisit this neocon notion that it's our job to "inflict democracy on every living creature."
I'm a Cold War Reagan conservative--and if not for medical issues I'd be in the Army right now--but I'm not high on fighting everyone else's wars either. Aside from the fact that we don't have the economic capital to be globocop, we are causing needless deaths in places like Iraq. Even with respect to the Christians in Iraq, our war efforts have done more to drive Christians out of Iraq than to spur true religious freedom.
Even in Afghanistan, the Bush administration had to intervene to spare the life of a man--who converted from Islam to Christianity--from a death sentence.
If the people we are "liberating" do not have religious freedom, then it is fair to ask (1) what we have really accomplished, and (2) are the accomplishments of our troops--and they have done an impressive job--worth the cost in lives and capital?
As a lifelong pro-life veteran who has worked as a speaking director for a maternity home, President of a country Right to Life chapter, and counselor at a crisis pregnancy center, I would submit that it is fair to ask these questions with respect to our foreign policy.
If we are not careful, we could end up in the "we are destroying the village to save it" paradigm. THAT is anything but pro-life.
19. James had the following to say on Mar 6 at 5:52 PM:
I'm not suffering from it, and abortion was legal before I was born. The deaths of millions of helpless, voiceless innocents is NOT something I can ignore. And I cannot, CANNOT, support someone who will knowingly support such a thing. Else their blood is suddenly on my hands, and I cannot stand the thought of that. And if I do nothing, then I am as good as supporting. So, I fight against it in the only way I can really: I vote.
And if opportunities arise to help out places like crisis pregnancy center or something, then I will take them. So far, I haven't had such an opportunity yet, but I'm looking out for one.
Just because abortion has been around a long time does NOT mean that its a non-issue any longer. I mean, genocide has been going on in Africa for even longer and we're still incensed about THAT (*coughbonocough*). Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I see hypocrisy in some of those who are all gung-ho about helping Africa. They rightly decry the needless death of innocents over there, yet support the needless slaughter of innocents HERE all in the name of "freedom of choice." EE-YUCK!!
20. Carrie (the original) had the following to say on Mar 6 at 6:04 PM:
I'm not sure if it is "Fetus Fatigue" I suffer from. I get quite agitated at the "do what feels good" attitude that leads to unplanned, out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
I actually had a very long conversation about abortion and the pro-choice society we live with a (gay) med-student friend of mine. I went off about the Planned Parenthood website (they offer no adoption resources, they just advise you to contact the state). I told him about my married friend who was (purposely) pregnant with her first child. The doctor actually tried to convince her that she was too young to get pregnant (she was 25)!
I told him that abstinence education should take precedent.
As far as politics go, I don't think I'll be voting for a major party just because all major party candidates I differ with on so many issues.
I think politics has evolved to where if your worldview is eschew, there is much more a candidate and I differ on than being pro-life. I don't think you can be for amnesty for illegals, lower taxes, civil unions, and be pro-life. That just isn't going to happen which is why I'm not running for office.
21. Holly had the following to say on Mar 6 at 6:41 PM:
Fetus fatigue? Not really... I am fatigued, though, by the claims of one political party that they have a monopoly on these moral issues. When we (evangelicals) continue to elect folks who run on an anti-abortion, pro-family, pro-morality ticket, and then don't hold them to their promises, we're selling ourselves short. Let's make our votes more dear, friends. If we really really believe this should be a governmental issue (I don't) and more specifically a federal issue (I believe that even less), let's make the people who promise to do something do it! Electing them for saying the right words during campaign season makes us a bit foolish, I'd say.
22. Josh had the following to say on Mar 6 at 6:55 PM:
Rachael (17)...
I'm sorry if I was unclear with my previous post. Abortion truly disgusts me, but there's a pragmatic part of my head that says the unborn are with God after they die which lessens the impact of the tragedy somewhat. Given a broader perspective I think I will always see more tragedy in the death of the unsaved then in the death of someone who will be with Christ.
23. Annika had the following to say on Mar 6 at 7:08 PM:
If abortion is murder, what about all the discarded embryos from IVF? Most candidates take a very narrow view of "pro-life" and only talk about it during the campaign. I'd like to see less talk and more moral action from "christian" candidates.
24. Leah had the following to say on Mar 6 at 7:32 PM:
I think Australia is always a bit behind the US when it comes to these things (or rather, when it comes to EVERYTHING!). While the abortion issue has been around for a long time, it only takes "centre stage" occasionally, so I don't think Australians are yet "tired of the abortion issue taking center stage", whether they be evangelical or not even Christian.
However, while we should be making an effort to provide solutions to pollution and poverty, I believe the primary responsibility of a government is to look after its people, not the people of Africa. And turning a blind eye to the millions of little people getting killed each year is not looking after them.
25. Ted Slater had the following to say on Mar 6 at 7:43 PM:
Annika -- I share your concern about the embryos discarded during the IVF procedure. These "snowflake kids" should not be so casually brought about and then so casually discarded. While the motives for bringing them into being may be honorable, the consequence -- which many have just never considered -- is as tragic as abortion.
26. Becky had the following to say on Mar 6 at 8:56 PM:
*sigh* I feel like this is going to be a fatiguing comment full of asides.
1)it requires a major blink to support IVF as it is now performed, and be incensed about embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Consistency would be nice.
2)I view abortion as almost worse than murder, because it ends a life before it has the opportunity to begin. However,if I found myself pregnant...we'll say date rape, though I haven't had a date in a couple years...as a minister's daughter, I know I would likely secretly seek an abortion rather than endanger my father's career or shame my family by carrying a child out of wedlock. I would take the silent eternal weight of internal guilt rather than the scorn of the church. Knowing this would be my likely choice, I have a hard time with making it illegal.
3)Abortion is a war where there are many voices, where people have been on the frontlines for 30 years. It is important...however,I believe my particular battle is improving healthcare and education in developing nations. One can't be everywhere at once.
27. DannieA had the following to say on Mar 6 at 8:56 PM:
I"m not sure...I think if you ask people about Roe v. Wade...people that I know are pro-life are more interested about making abortion harder to get...and trying to make sure women get counseling, ultrasounds etc...they usually don't talk about doing away with Roe vs Wade, but more about promoting life no matter what the circumstances are. And Maybe that's where the better service and work is at...not in pulling hairs in the "should we abolish it and make it illegal" and "should women be penalized for it"
on a personal note....really personal, 4 years ago I was sexually assaulted and I did not tell anyone right away...due to my body being in shock...I had a pregnancy scare when I went for 3 months without my monthly cycle. You can only imagine the thoughts I had if I had ended up pregnant...fortunately, I had a good family and upbringing, and had been strong in the Lord so I know I would have done the right thing (I ended up not being pregnant...just out of whack from PTSD)
But I've learned not to judge so harshly women who think about aborting their child...sometimes it's for selfish reasons and sometimes it's because they are not thinking clearly...
I think that's why the focus has shifted from the legality of abortion to trying to sway people from it.
28. Chris had the following to say on Mar 6 at 9:09 PM:
Ted writes:
These "snowflake kids" should not be so casually brought about and then so casually discarded.
I've got an honest question. If these "snowflake kids" should not be "casually discarded", what about the large percentage of unborn children that are naturally, spontaneously aborted? Some think it may be as high as half of all pregnancies. This would make it a much larger number than the abortion rate or the number of IVF embryoes that are "left over" (for lack of a better word).
If we're really concerned about life, we should be concentrating on that. If half of all people over 65 just dropped dead for unknown reasons, the whole nation would be up in arms, demanding that government do something about it.
29. Leah had the following to say on Mar 6 at 9:31 PM:
Becky- surely you wouldn't keep something illegal just because you feel you would want to make the wrong decision? (That is, if you recognise wanting an abortion- no matter the reason- is wrong?)
I mean, is your father's career more important than a baby's life? Is a family's pride more important than a babay's life? I saw a soap opera episode once where a minister's daughter got pregnant (voluntary sex) and her father told her to either marry the guy involved or get an abortion because he would not tolerate the shame. I was absolutely disgusted with him. I thought Christians were supposed to show love and help those in need, not put our own pride before them??
And if your church were to scorn you for getting pregnant from a rape, then shame on the church. I'd be looking elsewhere. A church should be a support network when such things happen to a person, not a courtroom of judges. We've had an out-of-wedlock pregnancy in our church (and it was consensual, not rape) and did the church scorn them and turn them out?? No. We did remove them from their positions of leadership in the kids' youth group (as is to be expected), but our minister still happily carried out their premarriage counselling and married them when they requested it. Note that I am not condeming you for your instincts- I'm simply saying that, given your instincts, shouldn't that be all the more reason to strive to keep abortion from being an option for you and others in that situation? (Some more light may be shed on my opinion of these things in the next paragraph aimed at DannieA).
DannieA- thanks for your story. Too often people condemn a person for even thinking about abortion. Temptation is not the sin- actually acting on it is! Like you said- for many women, they don't consider abortion simply for convenience, they do it out of complete fear and not thinking straight. I think these are the most important times we must keep abortion from being an option, because these are the women who, given time to overcome their shock and consider their options, find that they would rather keep the baby (even if it ends up going up for adoption).
30. Rachael had the following to say on Mar 6 at 10:11 PM:
Josh (22),
I think I was unclear. Let me just say that I sincerely hope the "pragmatic part of [your] head" is right... I'll probably never be solid in my opinion on that issue. Could it be true? Perhaps...He knows who He has called...and He is a just God. And He is a merciful God...
Rachael
31. Jason Dubya had the following to say on Mar 6 at 10:57 PM:
Christina... you say that we need to eliminate the "need" for abortion, but I wasn't aware that there was a "need" for abortions. There is a need for people to quit having sex if they can't handle the consequences of having sex, but there isn't a need to kill the child that results from it.
http://www.abortionfacts.com
32. Jason Dubya had the following to say on Mar 6 at 11:11 PM:
I see "fetus fatigue" (that label has an incredibly smarmy-tone to it) as nothing more than weak or wary Christians wanting to back down in order to be seen as "relevant" in our culture. It reminds of me how we as Christians longer really talk to our friends about asking Christ into their lives or asking them to read the Bible. No, that'd be too "preachy" or too condemning. Besides, maybe we don't even believe that stuff ourselves anymore. Or maybe we just want to sneak God in under the radar while we show our friends how much like them we actually are, to relate. "Winning souls" is no longer in vogue in Christianity. That was popular back in the late 90's, but now? Eh... not so much.
Basically, the culture doesn't really care (at face value) about the abortion issue anymore, so why should Christians? I'll tell you why: because it's MURDER (whether it's got the apologetic "legalized" tag in front of it or not). And I feel bad for anyone who doesn't like it being called MURDER because that's exactly what it is. MURDER. Over 45 million of them since 1973.
33. James had the following to say on Mar 7 at 12:36 AM:
Becky (#26):
to your comments:
1) Absolutely!
2) Secret? Hardly! God would know, and you'd grieve HIS heart greatly. And I'm certain that your father would rather you carry the child to term rather than murder the child. How in the WORLD do you justify dodging the consequences of your actions (should this happen to you) justifying the MURDER of a child. Even that unborn life has near infinite value compared to reputation, etc.
Now, I'm not saying I'm unsympathetic to the plight of women who get pregnant (due to poor choices, etc.) and don't want the ramifications to hurt their families. HOWEVER, my sympathy does not extend into enablement for them to legally murder their unborn children. Once again, sanctity of human life. It's so sacred that God declared that restitution for murder could only be met with the taking of the murderer's life! That's how valuable that unborn life is.
34. Trina had the following to say on Mar 7 at 12:40 AM:
No fetus fatigue for me. I agree with Groothuis' article. It seems as though the younger generation (even in the church) feels the need to champion some anti-establishment causes. I even heard a pastor give a message about abortion and blamed the reason for it on poverty. (hogwash!)
(Never went back to that church)
Anyway, Vote pro-life. And whenever you are given the opportunity, advance God's kingdom by doing your part in representing Jesus--to a woman hurting from an abortion, or to one who needs love and support that has chosen to give life to her child,Support crisis pregnancy centers, give to the poor ...
Don't get caught up in the hype of today's politics but try to remember that every time you support a pro-life candidate you are standing up for "the least of these" who cannot speak up for themselves.
35. H.A.P. had the following to say on Mar 7 at 5:08 AM:
in response to Becky #26
Almost two years ago my cousin married a wonderful godly man who was conceived in an very similar circumstance to the one you describe in the second part of your comment. I'm so glad that his mother decided to give him life despite his father being a rapist. His mother is really one of my heroes. Years later she married has three more children. I guess my point is despite the trauma, the embarrassment, and everything else, his mother decided that the child she was carrying was her child too and had no less value than one conceived in love. Currently my cousin and her husband are preparing to go to the mission field, and I know his mother made the right choice.
36. Grays had the following to say on Mar 7 at 6:09 AM:
Abortion is a bit Carthaginian to me...child sacrifices to the god of Self. I'm not tired of the issue. Kids need protecting.
37. Ted Slater had the following to say on Mar 7 at 7:27 AM:
Chris -- you ask, "If these "snowflake kids" should not be "casually discarded", what about the large percentage of unborn children that are naturally, spontaneously aborted?"
I'm not sure what the point of your question is. I'm not sure if you're trying to diminish the "snowflake kid" situation, or if you really want to bring an end to the phenomenon of embryos naturally failing to come to term.
38. John D. had the following to say on Mar 7 at 7:29 AM:
It's very difficult to think about the horror of abortion, all the time, without getting very depressed.
I can pray for God to end abortion, or at least make it less common. (That's happening, by the way -- abortion rates are as low as they've been in years.) I certainly will not vote for a pro-choice candidate, though nothing is going to happen at the federal level to change abortion law.
I like to say that the decisionmaker with the greatest influence on the abortion issue is not the President, not a Supreme Court Justice, not a Congressman, but the young lady who walks through the clinic doors. Reach her, make her think twice about aborting her baby, show her the ultrasound and tell her about alternatives like crisis pregnancy centers, and abortions don't happen -- and once she and thousands like her decide to choose life and save their babies, what the Supreme Court does is a lot less important.
39. Loris had the following to say on Mar 7 at 8:08 AM:
One of the major problems that I have with legalized abortion is that it was imposed on the US from the top down. The Justices ruled, and there it was. I think that when some activists started making loud noises about it in '73, the issue should have been put to a popular vote in each state. Refresh my memory if I don't have it right, but I think that's how it should have happened.
This ties in to my dislike of activist judges legislating to the exceptions. If you legislate to an exception, you get a bad law that no one will benefit by except a very few.
40. Eliza had the following to say on Mar 7 at 8:24 AM:
Chris actually has QUITE an interesting point! The fact is that many women miscarry without even knowing it, because of low progesterone or some other reason. If you're not paying very close attention to your body (including taking your temperature at the same time every day and tracking it), you're not going to know. Medically, these miscarriages are "abortions".
Organizations like Focus on the Family do have a lot to say about infertility, and that's great. Also, they offer support for women who have had miscarriages, so, I think that part of their perspective is pretty consistent. Nobody is saying that miscarriages don't matter.
Personally, I do feel like consciousness of the unborn has to play some sort of role in the matter. If you have a body but no consciousness, are you really "existing"? I'm not convinced that embryos actually have souls. Of course, I think the burden of proof should probably be on the side of proving that they don't rather than proving that they do. Which is, of course, impossible to do.
41. Christina (in green) had the following to say on Mar 7 at 9:13 AM:
Lol...Jason...your right.
Bad choice of wording on my part.
How bout the "perceived" need of abortion. Which is real. There are women out there who simply don't know that there's an alternative.
I read somewhere once that that is the biggest deception played by satan and its a deception that needs to be attacked head on and forcefully - someone needs to tell them and make it clear that they DO have a choice.
42. kaarina had the following to say on Mar 7 at 9:14 AM:
Unfortunately, at this time, there's more I can do about poverty, starvation, human trafficking, the repressed rights of women and children around the world (I'm thinking, for example, female genital mutilation), educating the illiterate, and other social justice issues, than there is that I can do with stopping abortion.
That doesn't stop me from praying. But I believe abortion arises out of certain kinds of social conditions -- ones that are indifferent to the humanity of our fellows. If you show fellow man that you love him (because God loves you), gradually he will learn to love others, as well. Being a one-issue activist never interested me. I'm waiting for there to be something I can do, aside helping my local pregnancy crisis center. It's not fatigue.
43. Colin had the following to say on Mar 7 at 9:27 AM:
I don't think that it is so much "fetus fatigue" as the realization that legalized abortion isn't going anywhere in the current culture. Politically opposing Roe v. Wade has become a bit like opposing a tidal wave.
To me, it seems that the best use of our time and energy would be to actively seek out and love women who believe that abortion is their only option. Opening our homes and communities as hopeful alternatives will do more to prevent abortions than protesting at clinics ever would.
Those women who do have options and are only getting an abortion out of pure selfishness will always find a way to get the abortion, legal or not. Let us focus on those deaths that we can prevent. If a statistical view of abortion is our society's problem, the only way to fix it is to fix the problem individual by individual.
44. obewan had the following to say on Mar 7 at 10:26 AM:
John D at #38 Writes:
“Reach her, make her think twice about aborting her baby,…. once she and thousands like her decide to choose life and save their babies, what the Supreme Court does is a lot less important.”
I agree. If we put more effort on encouraging adoption and promoting abstinence instead of attempting to forcefully impose a morality on people who might choose to abort anyway (in spite of our laws), we would do a lot more good.
Voting for me now has become a choice between the lesser of two evils. Yes, Bush was pro-life, but his administration has brought an unnecessary war that has brought death to potentially tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. Since I did not vote, I can wash my hands of that bad decision, but if I had voted for him I would be doing some serious thinking about the real outcome of that choice. The “party of God” won the last election, but we still have legalized abortions. I would take the absence of the Iraq war over a candidate who gave lip service to the pro-life movement, but did little to prevent actual abortions from happening.
I am a little burned out on this topic to be honest. I am no longer a one party voter, and can see the moral benefits of being an independent. That does not mean that I cannot continue to support the pro-life movement, or participate in abortion protests (as I have in the past). Rather, it means that I can take the long view of things and vote the elections based upon the projected REAL moral outcomes rather than casting my vote based upon ONE hot-button “moral” issue.
45. Jason Dubya had the following to say on Mar 7 at 11:36 AM:
Christina...
Yeah, that sounds more accurate. Different people have different perceptions of need. I mean, a girl who comes from a family without a lot of money is going to feel more financial pressure about having an abortion than a girl who comes from a wealthier family. Of course, the girl from the wealthier family could receive the same amount of pressure in that her parents had plans for her life that didn't include a child at such an early age.
I think what we need to stop doing is looking at not having the abortion as an "alternative". It's just a way of re-purposing our point of view on the issue. I know the girl considering abortion probably wouldn't see it that way, but instead trying to get her to view adoption or keeping the baby as "alternatives", we need to show her (in a loving/caring way, of course) why and how abortion truly is no alternative for her. That requires telling her the horrible truth about what abortion really is.
46. Matthew had the following to say on Mar 7 at 11:49 AM:
I'm with the majority of posters here when I say that I still think abortion should be banned entirely by law, but I haven't seen a lot of candidates make good on their promises to make that happen. So maybe I do have "fetus fatigue," but only because I don't see voting for pro-life candidates as very helpful in the fight against the cruel, inhuman atrocity of abortion. I would also like to see a slightly more consistent ethic of human life on the Republican side of things-- moving things like human trafficking, poverty, and human rights up on the agenda. A healthy respect for the brutal nature of war would also be appreciated-- right now it seems like war is just another means of accomplishing our strategic objectives, rather than a grave decision only to be taken as a last resort when we are in imminent danger.
47. Shae had the following to say on Mar 7 at 2:50 PM:
Several people have mentioned that the only thing Christians can do to stop the mass slaughter of helpless preborn children is vote pro-life, but there are more direct and effective ways to oppose this holocaust. Why don't we take advantage of every opportunity to expose to the public, through words and images, the suffering of the preborn child? Why aren't more Christians motivated by compassion to go out to the death camps and try to persuade the girls going in not to kill their babies? Would we not take this kind of action if infanticide were legalized and mothers were carrying their newborns into a building to be ripped to pieces or burned to death? We have become desensitized to abortion and are not properly horrified by it. We are like the Christians who believed slavery was immoral but did nothing to help the human beings victimized by it. Baby-murder has become entrenched in our society and people are willing to live with it. But God commands us "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction."(Prov.31:8)
48. Kari S. had the following to say on Mar 7 at 2:55 PM:
I was conceived back when abortion was illegal, and my parents got married mostly due to the societal pressure that existed at the time. My mother did not want to be the wife of a small-town businessman, but she didn't see the alternative - neither abortion nor single motherhood was really considered an option at that time. How thankful I am! They were married 37 years before her death, and my brother and sister and I had a happy, stable childhood, despite my mom's occasional unhappiness. My point is this: when abortion was illegal and therefore not an option, people figured out other options - and they worked. Easy divorce is another problem - when it was hard to get, people made their marriages work a LOT more often. Kids benefited greatly, once they were born - and of course, got to be born too. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (easy divorce and legal abortion, or the cultural attitudes we now have?) Both came together and fed on each other...Can we ever "go back"? I pray so...
49. farmer Tom had the following to say on Mar 7 at 4:48 PM:
Young Evangelicals and Fetus Fatigue
Lets see, I'm not young, tonight I feel a hundred years old.
I'm not an evangelical, I'm a fundamentalist.
And I'm a Constitutionalist. I believe that the declaration of Independence is the organic document upon which our nation is founded. The Declaration is the document which tells what kind of government we are going to have, the Constitution is the document which regulates how that government will operate.
And at the very center of the foundation walls is this stone.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
No I do not have Fetus Fatigue, because I understand that the very foundation on which my personal liberty rests demands that we value life above all other things. Life is a gift from the Creator God. It did not evolve, it is not a man made construct, life is an evidence of the Creator God.
We can not allow ourselves to have fetus fatigue, because when we no longer make an effort to defend innocent unborn life, then the godless humanists will move on in their pursuit of eliminating all unwanted life to include the old and aged, the feeble, sickly and even those annoying Christians who keeping preaching that man is a sinner.
Life must be defended, we must not give in to fatigue. Life is always worth fighting for. This means that we support politicians who actually practice what they say about life, introducing legislation to stop abortion, pushing for an end to fetal stem cell research, and standing with those in the pro-life movement at their rallies and meetings.
So hang in there, "be not weary in well doing", "fight the good fight", because life is worth defending.
50. Brenda Antos had the following to say on Mar 8 at 12:14 AM:
I think a lot of us are evangelical Republican fatigued on the issue of abortion .. All these years... no real plan for change Nothing laid out.. just wanting the law changed.. It comes of arrogant and small minded. Just pious posturing. I think its ridicules to waste any more time or precious lives with such a inefficient dead end way to save lives. I am ashamed ..
We are looking for a better way to stop the madness because the way we are doing it is not good enough.. I have just joined the pro-life democrats they are far more proactive. They believe the right to life doesn’t end at birth and really do something about it.
Evangelicals republicans... I don’t see the action backing that up. Its very limited to a few aspects of life...I am voting for a democrat this year because abortion rates seem to drop when we have those Pro- choice dems in office! So yes I am a young evangelical like many we see a dead end way of dealing with a serious issue. We must value ALL life at the same time.To say abortion is more inprortant then all the rest of human suffering is not what Jesus taught... Its all equely important. We are all Gods children..utill we see and value that... abortion and genicide and cruelty to others will not stop..Pro life is a way of living.. We want real results ..this way of doing things isn't working.. Its foolish to keep using this method to stop abortions. Its time to grow up, and move on to better ways to change the laws. .The more we value life at all stages.. in all places the more we will make life valuable in the hearts an minds of our society
Don’t confuse fatigue of a bad way to stop abortion and looking for a better way ...with fetus fatigue
51. James had the following to say on Mar 8 at 9:33 AM:
For those who mentioned that they're getting tired b/c even most pro-life candidates turn a blind eye to IVF, etc. I have this to say:
I'm not tiring of that fight EITHER. It's a smaller one, but its on the same vector as abortion and thus it's in my reticule as well. However, just like in battle, you can't take it all on at once. Target priorities. First is abortion, then we can proceed to IVF and sacrificing children so young that they're only a few hundred cells big that they're killed just to get the stem cells.
If there's one big figure who I am totally in agreement with on pro-life, it's Albert Mohler. I am holistically pro-life. How can I not be? The innocent are being slaughtered quietly by the millions. The numbers now even far exceed that of the holocaust. It's just that this holocaust is done more systematically, voluntarilly, quietly, and cleanly than how the Nazi's did it.
Over 40 million dead, and like the holocaust numbers of 7 million, that's just ONE subset of those killed under the same over-arching theme of killing for the sake of another's convenience.
And it is happening, protected by supreme court precedence, on OUR SOIL.
Of course the global war against terrorists (not terror....terrorISTS) is important and should be continued. That is something our military is handling. We don't need the military for this kind of war against the unborn and the elderly or terminally ill. What we need are people who, when the subject comes up in public or private conversation, will stick to their morals and hold their ground. WE are the voices for those who have no voice. And, not just constitutionally, but BIBLICALLY, we have a duty to speak up.
As the prophet Micah said, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Silence on this issue is wrong. We cannot just decry this among ourselves (for if we protest only among ourselves, we are evangelizing the choir, while those who need to hear are outside and not able to listen.....this is also applicable to actual evangelism), but rather in life speak up for the unborn and disabled/elderly/terminally ill (who some say should have a legal "right" to die.....funny how disabled persons organizations are leading the fight against such a "right") when the issue comes up.
We said it and still say it about a group of men, women, and children who were slaughtered like cattle in a systematic and factory-like manner over a half-century ago. And their numbers were smaller, but no less signficant. And so I say it for those dead to the culture of death now:
Never Forget.
They were valuable enough for God to create. And He is NOT pleased that they're being slaughtered like this. As the people of God, we should be equally incensed that others would treat our Lord's wonderful creations so wrongly.
52. Kellie had the following to say on Mar 8 at 10:14 AM:
In response to Chris (#28): Do you think that miscarriages are not tragic for families? They are.
53. Paul had the following to say on Mar 8 at 8:03 PM:
There is a perception here on the other side of the Atlantic that the American church makes a lot of noise about morality, but is unable to face up to real-world examples of difficult situations. I hope that perception is generally wrong, but Becky's comment makes me sad that it is true in at least some cases. Can we really not learn from David that covering one sin with another to appear whiter-than-white will only ever lead us into bigger trouble?
Leah, your reply to Becky helps a little in tackling this, but I still don't understand the assumption that there are some sins that people cannot repent of and continue to be an active serving member of the church. In your example of the out-of-wedlock pregnancy, I am not convinced of the absolute expectation that the couple concerned would have to be removed (I assume you mean indefinitely) from youth ministry. Surely they would be able to present themselves as people who have openly repented of their sin and dealt correctly with the consequences rather than allowing it to spiral out of control and destroy lives. I would have thought that was the best example that any of us fallible people could pass on to the next generation.
54. Katie B had the following to say on Mar 10 at 10:28 AM:
"As the prophet Micah said, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" "
I love this passage James, thanks for bringing it up. unfourtunately that is the major source of my 'fatigue'. Abortion has become such a defining issue, but we dont follow through. God has told us not to murder, yes, but he has also made it abundantly clear that we have a great responsibility to widows and orphans. We are so caught up in being anti abortion that we overlook what the term 'pro life' actually implies. What are we doing to take care of the children already born? to make sure they have health care, and proper nutrition, and education, and decent housing and protection from abuse? how are we protecting the children, and everyone for that matter, in subsaharan africa? We are letting people die from cold on the city streets here in the US, and over using the death penalty and war. My fatigue comes from claiming pro life, but then we pick and choose what life we are talking about.
"Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me" We have far more responsibility beyond voting pro choice, we have responsibility to our brothers and sisters who are in need.
55. Noelle B. had the following to say on Mar 10 at 3:57 PM:
No, never. There is a video that has come out recently of a phone conversation between a 'donor' and a Planned Parenthood staffer. In this short clip, you can see where the abortion logic has, and continues to take us as a society. It is hideous, hateful, hitler-esque thought.
You can see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eygv8qEkiFE
May we never grow weary of defending the precious gift of life.
56. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) had the following to say on Mar 10 at 4:55 PM:
To quote Ben Franklin: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
I feel this here. It's another election year and once again the christian right is telling Christians that if they are pro-life, they must vote Republican. They've done it twice already, and abortion is still legal. R v W hasn't been overturned. For 6 years Republicans had the White House and Congress and Senate, and nothing changed.
Am I experiencing "fetus fatigue"? No. I'm experiencing "anti-abortion fatigue." Millions of dollars are spent on ads for "pro-life" issues and candidates, instead of giving this money to a pregnancy centre or other charity. FotF puts out newspaper ads, other Christian organizations send presentations to colleges, and nothing changes.
The approach, and I've said this before, needs to change. Abortion isn't going anywhere anytime soon. So maybe by sufficiently funding organizations who can help women with unplanned pregnancies, and maybe by introducing sex education that is more comprehensive than "Don't have sex 'til you're married. Ever. The end.", we'll get positive results.
Because, it's clear to me now, that regardless of who you vote for, abortion will still be legal in four years.
57. Al had the following to say on Mar 10 at 4:55 PM:
I used to be pretty fired up about the abortion issue. Some of the futility wore me down though, and I became opposed to it in principle, if not in passion. I guess recently I've actually been feeling a bit more vigor on the topic again.
I do think that the fact Evangelical Christianity is known primarily for its stances on abortion and gay-marriage is extremely troubling. It does say that we are not engaging, or at least effectively engaging the culture and other social ills-- that we don't appear to many to be loving those living and breathing in front of us as much as we love our ideals, the unseen and unborn.
I think it's a bit unhelpful for the article's author to view young evagelicals with the implied cynicism. And frankly I like Bono for actively doing what he does out of his faith. I mean, let's not be so quick to write all this off when the church is finally becoming vocal about an issue the rest of culture already has an ear to, and that she can agreeably engage our culture with.
58. Paul H had the following to say on Mar 10 at 9:18 PM:
A big part of the fatigue on the abortion issue among evangelicals is the utter failure of the strategy employed by the pro-life movement over the last 30-plus years. Here's what I mean (from the website of the newly-formed American Right to Life):
Failed Strategy: For a quarter century, National RTL and others have dictated a strategy of child-killing regulations (wait, consent, notify, PBA to the navel, "and then you can kill the baby"). As unintended consequences, NRTL's immoral strategy:
* Convinces would-be pro-life judges to reject the God-given right to life in the belief that they have the authority to regulate the killing of the innocent;
* Provides campaign cover for pro-abortion Republican and Democrat politicians who support the latest regulation;
* Prunes the abortion weed and strengthens its root by making it appear more humane;
* Denies inalienable rights from our Creator by promoting moral relativism and legal positivism;
* Will keep abortion legal after Roe v. Wade is overturned and (tragically but expectedly) simply returned to the states, when abortionists kill millions of children by the authority of our own "pro-life" laws, while pro-lifers work for years or even decades to overturn the misguided and immoral child-killing regulations that Jay Sekulow, AUL, and NRTL worked to put on the law books;
* May keep abortion legal for a century longer than would a principled fight over personhood;
* And worst of all, the NRTL strategy violates God's command Do not murder with laws ending, "and then you can kill the baby."
ARTL provides new leadership and a renewed vision, but with the same old principles of: honor God, and enforce His enduring command, Do not murder!
American Right To Life Three-fold Strategy
1. Criminalize: recriminalize the intentional killing of the unborn and other innocents through state and national personhood efforts.
2. Demoralize: create unbearable social tension to coerce the government to correct the injustice of shedding innocent blood.
3. Evangelize: persuade individuals by education and evangelism to honor the God-given right to life.
Tactics
1. Criminalize: lobby, campaign, run, litigate, spoil, legislate, but never in violation of God's enduring command, Do not murder, which means never supporting any law that ends with, "and then you can kill the baby," nor any leader or judge who would allow the intentional killing of a single innocent person.
2. Demoralize: social unrest and protest at abortion mills, at the homes and businesses of collaborators, at government facilities, etc.
3. Evangelize: perform sidewalk counseling, operate alternative pregnancy centers, homeschool, provide Christian education, teach Sunday school, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach the proper relationship between Church and State. On the latter, God has authorized Church and State differently; there is a separation of Church and State. The Church does not convict criminals, etc., and the ministry of the State does not confer salvation. But all governments at every level are obligated to honor God's enduring command, Do not murder, or else, often under the guise of "following the law," they have become lawless.
The personhood wing of the pro-life movement is on the advance, and the child-killing regulators are on the defensive. As we press that momentum, at the same time, we will be educating everyone, unbelievers, Christians, governing officials, and ministry leaders, about the primacy of the God-given right to life, and the inherent failure, egotism, and immorality of negotiating that right away for some supposed benefit.