Don’t Show Me My Sin

Once when I approached a church leader about the lack of attention on the topic of abortion at the church, he informed me why the status quo was not going to be changed. But his reasoning left me cold and exasperated and wondering what God would think of this PC attitude.

This leader explained to me that we didn’t want to be looked at as an anti-abortion church. Stop Here! If I recall, do not kill is one of the Top Ten things that God asks us to do as His followers. Would a Christ follower, a God worshiper, not believe that the Creator of life would value human life? God condemned the baby sacrifices of the Molech worshippers; wouldn’t He also consider abortion to be evil?  Who are these people who come to church? Do they come to hear the same things that the world teaches, or do they come to hear the Truth, the Word, and the Wisdom of God on how we are to live and honor and obey Him?

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself…   Isaiah 44:24

 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”    John 8:31-32

The next problem with mentioning abortion in church: we don’t want to offend people. Of course we wouldn’t want to do that. But once again, let’s think a minute. How does one come to the knowledge of their sin if their conscience isn’t pricked or prodded? Does God want us to sit in our sin and not confess and repent? Why would we be afraid to call sin, sin when it would lead to healed hearts and relationships?  How can we let women and men deal with their guilt alone, apart from the church, with only the world to support them?

…I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:8b–10.

 And the third reason—Publicity, or rather, bad publicity. We’d have all the news stations camped out in front of the church, blaring their wrath and condemnation on the church who dares to say abortion is wrong, hurtful and heartless.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven , for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

There are loving and non-condemning ways to mention abortion as an evil that will harm women and families. It isn’t the women who are evil, it is the one who speaks lies, the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy that is to be condemned. The one in three women sitting in the pews, need to hear that they have a church, a safe place, to bring their pain. And the pastor who neglects to offer that safe place is hindering their healing and their hope of being forgiven.