Right To Life - Punishable By Death

I receive breaking news alerts on my Blackberry, and when I got one on Sunday that a doctor was killed attending his church, I thought it was odd that somehow that classified as "breaking news." Then later I saw the first news coverage of the story and I understood. This was no ordinary doctor, this was Dr. George Tiller, Medical Director of an abortion clinic in Wichita, KS. But not just an abortion clinic. No this was an abortion clinic that performed "late term abortions".

What defines "late term" seems to vary from 16 weeks to 27 weeks, depending on the publication you read. There are no Federal restrictions on these abortions in the United States, but there is a provision that allows individual states to restrict the point at which an abortion is still allowed. As of 2007, 36 states had bans on late term abortions, and I'm sure their guidelines vary the same as the publications on when "late term" begins. 10 states require a second physician to deem a late term abortion "medically necessary", and 9 states require a second physician to be present for the procedure itself.

Regardless of the restrictions, definitions, or legality of this procedure, it is a lightning rod for "Pro Life" activists and extremists. It also has "Pro Choice" activists questioning it's place in many circles. This is why there are but a handful of doctors in the United States who are even willing to perform this procedure. In fact, the attacks on abortion clinics and care providers have dramatically reduced the number of available clinics or physicians who will maintain an abortion practice at all. It has become obvious that the approach by these extremists is simple, if we can't make it illegal, we'll make it dangerous and impractical until it is ultimately unavailable.

The cable networks on opposite ends of the spectrum took up the battle last night on the airwaves. More than one show host referred to it as "domestic terrorism". When I first heard this term, my immediate reaction was it was a term being used to over dramatize the actions of a lone lunatic, then I looked at the numbers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms records state that in the last 15 years there have been 167 logged attacks against abortion clinics in this country. In 1984 alone, 18 facilities were victims of bombing attacks. Yet another statistic shows that 1,700 act of violence were committed against abortion providers were committed between 1977 and 1994. The numbers in the last 15 years have dropped dramatically, partially due to the significantly reduced number of clinics and practitioners. If you took these numbers and attached them to attacks on any other institution, it would be classified as terrorism. But for many people, this is simply God's punishment of sinners. And this is where the subject starts to get touchy.

Most people who classify themselves as "Pro Life" also classify themselves as "religious", that is, they regularly attend religious services of their faith. If this is true, these people should understand the concept of sin equality. To God, as explained in the Bible, there are no varying degrees of sin. There is some debate about the "unforgivable sin" of blasphemy, but trying to get someone to pin down what specifically constitutes blasphemy, and how that prevents or removes salvation is a fascinating study, but I digress. So, in God's eyes, according to God's Word, gluttony or sloth are equal to murder. They are all sin, and sin cannot share the presence of God. It has been said that more wars have been fought, more lives been lost in the name of "God" than any other reason. Christians may argue that a muslim extremist Jihad has nothing to do with God, but whether they attribute their hostilities to their God or yours, it is hostility in the name of "God". I guess this is no different. I have looked at message boards and blogs that classify the killer in this case as "a hero", for his "heroic act against the work of the devil." Next stop, the Twilight Zone. This "hero" walked into a church, God's house, and murdered a man in cold blood, while terrifying an entire congregation. I say we name him an Apostle for this wonderful deed. Give me a break.

So, if we have determined that all sin is equal, and all life is sacred, how do we justify the murder of a man whose crime was doing his job, legally and lawfully? And, if you do justify this pathetic act, where does that leave your "Pro Life" stance? Perhaps we should change the name to "Pro Unborn Life"? That's what it really is, isn't it? And that doesn't even begin to cover the hypocrisy of that concept. Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973, and from that day to this one, and for the foreseeable future, it means that abortion is legal in this country. In fact, it is every bit as legal as your ability to practice your particular religion, regardless of how it may offend others. If the Atheists in this nation set out to make Christianity or Catholicism illegal, and, having failed to do so, decided to launch a campaign of terror to make it dangerous or difficult to attend your services, there would be a huge public outcry. But today, if you support a woman's right to choose, you are immediately labeled a baby killer, or a nazi. If you have been unfortunate enough to have been in a position to have had an abortion, you are sentenced to hell as a murderer.

I know this may be hard to believe, but I am Pro Choice AND against abortion. In my life, I have had opportunity to talk with people who were struggling with the choice and what to do. I was able to share my opinion and preference to other options instead of abortion. But I also shared the fact that their decision would not change my opinion of them as people. It is easy to say "I would NEVER have an abortion, regardless of the situation" when you don't live with an alcoholic parent who tends to be abusive if the rules aren't followed, and you are considering telling them you are pregnant. It's easy to say that if you've never been at a party, had one too many drinks, and found yourself facing the result of a horrible mistake that stands to jeopardize your future, and that of the future child as well. We preach abstinence, and live in denial of the fact that sometimes things happen. Teaching people about safe sex may be enabling more sex, but could it not also prevent more unwanted pregnancies, and thus reduce the number of abortions? What if your daughter or your sister, too ashamed to tell you of their problem because of your narrow minded views, were in one of these clinics when they were attacked or bombed? Do you classify them as justifiable casualties?

Bottom line is this; Dr. George Tiller was assassinated by an extremist who, by declaration or simply by action, represents a group of domestic terrorists who have chosen to carry out their own justice. They do so in the name of God, and in the name of Pro Life. What does it say that Dr. Tiller was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time he was assassinated, as he has every day for years? It says that these "Pro Life" extremists may want to redefine their identity.

Randall Terry, an anti-abortion rights activist, said: "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name; murder. Those men and women who slaughter the unborn are murderers according to the Law of God. We must continue to expose them in our communities and peacefully protest them at their offices and homes, and yes, even their churches."

Wiley Drake, vice-presidential candidate for the America's Independent Party ticket in 2008, said on his radio show that "Would you have rejoiced when Adolf Hitler died during the war? ... I would have said, 'Amen, praise the Lord, hallelujah, I'm glad he's dead.' This man, George Tiller, was far greater in his atrocities than Adolf Hitler. So I am happy. I am glad that he is dead." wikipedia

If either of these last 2 statements reflects how you feel your "God" stands on this issue, you can keep him.