As I was sitting in one of my classes one morning, I overheard a conversation between my instructor and a fellow classmate having to do with abortion. A comment was made that both surprised and nauseated me:
"I don't believe in abortion, but I'm not going to tell other people how they should live their lives...I mean, I'm a Christian...I think that if you're [the government] not going to take care of the children, that you should just shut up!"
There were so many things about the statement that bugged me that I jotted it down in my notes to study later. Many inconsistencies and misunderstandings of the world are directly related to a depreciation for both the truth and the godhead. Think about what was said...
As I think about the statement, I can't help but notice many things that seem both contradictory and out-right false. First of all, the reason this person doesn't approve of abortion is because of social and/or personal reasons. This indicates a different standard in mind - the individual. If you don't have a biblically-backed opinion regarding biblically-addressable issues, that opinion will be wrong or in vain (Jn. 17:17). Opposing gambling, drinking, and premarital sex is pointless until you realize that those things are wrong because God says they are. Therefore, take care to know exactly what makes things wrong, and don't pretend as if the social, personal, or political reasons somehow override the ones God gave us already. If you do, where have you placed you standard?
Additionally, I see a significant amount of shame in teaching the truth, marked by a fear of confrontation (Rom. 1:16-17). As a "Christian," this person should realize the importance of spreading the truth, but the conversation indicated both a misunderstanding of Christianity itself and of the purpose of a Christian's faith. "The Great Commission" (Matt. 28:18-20) alone gives us the generic authority to teach others the truth, as a direct result of Christ's authority over the earth (v. 18). Never forget to tell what you know of the truth, no matter how a person may perceive you because of it (Gal. 4:16)
Most disturbing, though, was the complete avoidance of the real problems - unpreparedness and a disregard for the value of life. That is usually the reason for an abortion, right? Either a mother is simply not prepared for yet another child, a couple isn't ready for their first baby yet, or a couple of teenagers never prepared for the consequences of their sinful actions together. Why is it that when an issue like this arises, the last thing people consider as a solution is to curb the original problem? Is it the government's fault that thousands of teens have had premarital sex? NO. What ever happened to accepting the consequences of your actions (Gal. 6:4-5)?
Think over the ideas you propose before you throw them unsparingly over your teeth. In public, your speech can cause you to be very influential yet very vulnerable. The hardest part about Christianity is that a majority of people won't agree with what you say in most cases (I Cor. 1:18ff), but it doesn't mean that "Shut[ting] up" is the solution (Acts 5;29 & Prov. 28:1).
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