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Abortion as a Form of Discrimination: Why It Ought to be Unthinkable

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This is a paper I wrote in seminary showing why abortion is wrong on the basis of reason, philosophy, science, the founding documents of our nation, and Scripture. I’ve been intending to post it for quite a while, along with most of my other papers, and with the Planned Parenthood revelations going on, right now seems as good a time as any to post this.

I. INTRODUCTION
II. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PERSONHOOD

A. The Dignity of Human Beings
B. Human, or a Human Person?
C. Personhood and the Constitution
D. Personhood and Arguments for Abortion Rights

1. The Right to Privacy
2. A Woman’s Right to Do What She Wants With Her Body
3. The Back Alley Argument
4. “If you don’t agree with it, just don’t do it”

III. THE UNBORN AS HUMAN PERSONS

A. The Unborn Are Living
B. The Unborn Are Living Humans
C. The Unborn Are Living Human Persons

1. Unique Individuality
2. Personhood is Ontological, not Functional
3. Gradualism Fails
4. Scriptural Testimony
5. The Existence of the Soul
6. The Inconsistency of Denying Personhood to the Unborn

 

The purpose of this paper is to argue that the unborn, from the moment of conception, have a right to life that is on the same level as infants, children, and adults. An induced abortion[1] at any stage, therefore, is a form of discrimination that ought to be just as unthinkable to our society as slavery and genocide. Indeed, our society’s permissiveness toward abortion is nothing short of hypocritical when placed next to its passion for political correctness. In a society where so many run eagerly to show sensitivity towards the “rights” of nearly every special interest group, no matter how extreme, it is unconscionable that the rights of the weakest and most defenseless among us are revoked in the name of “choice” more than one million times a year.[2]

The discrimination inherent in abortion may be termed natalism. As philosopher and ethicist Francis Beckwith explains, natalism is “the denial of the fundamental human right to life to a segment of human beings simply because they are not post-uterine.”[3] Natalism is a form of prejudice that is even worse than its counterparts of racism, ethnocentrism, and sexism because the end result is almost always the death of its victims:

Just as skin color (racism), ethnic origin (ethnocentrism), gender (sexism), national power (imperialism), and birth date (ageism) are irrelevant to one’s possession of fundamental human rights, so is one’s degree of development and location inside or outside the womb (natalism).  Unfortunately, this politically correct prejudice, manifested in the practice of abortion, nearly always results in the death of its victim.[4]

Our argument that natalism ought to be unthinkable in our society will proceed in two steps. First, we will argue that whether the unborn have a right to life on the same level with all who are post-uterine is completely settled on the basis of one question: Are the unborn human persons? Second, we will argue that, from the moment of conception, the unborn are indeed human persons—and therefore in possession of a right to life equal to that of all other people.

[Read more…]

Learning from the Heroes of the Faith — Especially Old Princeton

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This is an interview with Gary Steward, a good friend of mine going all the way back to seminary and author of the just released Princeton Seminary (1812 – 1929): Its Lives and Leaders. I highly commend his book for everyone!

How did you get interested in Old Princeton?
While I was a student at South Dakota State University, I came across a cassette tape of a lecture by Iain Murray, where he commended three particular books by the great Princeton theologians, saying: “if a young man gets hold of those books and they get hold of him, I believe that he’s got something, for life.”  To my knowledge, this was the first time I had heard of the Princeton theologians.

A few years later I discovered the wonderful two-volume set of books on Old Princeton by David Calhoun.  I found these books to be absolutely thrilling.  They opened my eyes to the wonderful world of the Princeton theologians and their rich theology and history.

Why is Old Princeton so important for us today?
The writings the Princeton theologians left us are a treasure trove of rich theology that the evangelical church desperately needs to rediscover today.  They are not only intellectually deep but are also clearly presented so that most will find books like A. A. Hodge’s Outlines of Theology to be very accessible.  In their theological writings, they provide responses to more liberal varieties of Christianity that are profoundly helpful and enduring for evangelicals today–thinking particularly of Hodge and Warfield’s Inspiration and Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism.  

The Princeton theologians also plumbed the depths of religious experience in their writings, seeking to distinguish between God’s common grace, his regenerating special grace, and the varieties of counterfeit grace which have merely emotional or sociological explanations.  Archibald Alexander’s Thoughts on Religious Experience is so helpful in this regard.

What made Princeton Seminary such a unique place from its beginning in 1812 to its reorganization in 1929?

The theologians of Old Princeton fused together the rich historical theology of the Reformed tradition together with the Great Awakening’s emphasis on conversion, piety, and religious experience.  The brought together what so many have wanted to separate.  Not only were they Bible scholars and theologians of the first order, they were also outstanding pastors and teachers as well.  In our day, seminaries and graduate schools have tended to value educators who are technical specialists in one isolated field only.  Old Princeton reminds us of the value of scholarship that integrates the disciplines, as well as the necessity of integrating of life, thought, and experience as well.

Why do “Christians need history, and Christians need heroes,” as you say in your video?

We live in an age that does not overly value the past.  Technology fascinates us, not history.  Christians, however, need a living appreciation of the past in order stay grounded and humbled.  Christianity is a faith rooted in history, and Christians are instructed in the Bible to: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7 ESV).  History gives us perspective, and it gives us hope for the future as well.  It keeps us from being taken captive by fads and can give us real wisdom for the living of our lives.

Christians need heroes well.  Heroes can encourage, strength, and inspire us.  They can helps us develop steadfastness, courage, and conviction.  Some historians are cynics and take a misplaced pleasure in pointing out the flaws of heroes and in tearing down the heroic.  I think we can admit that all of our heroes (apart from Christ) are severely flawed, but this does not keep us from the need we have of them.  We don’t want to worship our heroes, but we can and should be inspired by the truly heroic and courageous examples we find in others.  Look no further than the “Hall of Faith” heroes listed in Hebrews 11 for biblical warrant.

Which Princeton theologian is your favorite?
This is a hard choice.  Probably Charles Hodge, with J. W. Alexander being a close second, and Archibald Alexander a close third.  Warfield, Miller, and Machen are up there as well!

How did theological education under the Princeton theologians differ from theological education today?

Theological education at Old Princeton was a very personal matter.  After its first decade, the total number of Princeton seminary students was between one and two hundred.  The professors all lived within a short walk from the main seminary building and were very accessible to their students.  Often students would be in the homes of their professors.  They would eat together, pray together, worship together, and interact with each other in class.

The classroom experience was very interactive, with students often required to individually recite prepared answers on the theological material they were studying.  The classroom interaction and oral exams allowed the professors to adapt their presentation of material to fit each class’s particular needs.  A. A Hodge, in particular, seems to have viewed it as his responsibility not only to give theological lectures to his students but to Socratically engage his students and ensure their reception and embrace of orthodox truth.

The Two Jacks: Contrasting takes on CS Lewis and JFK's Public and Private Faiths

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An excellent article by Justin Taylor and Joe Rigney.

In my view, with this article Justin Taylor takes his place as one of the best young evangelical writers today, along with Matt Anderson (whom I previously mentioned in this regard). It is not only informative and helpful, but so well written.

This is characteristic of Justin’s writing, not just in his blog posts but in other articles and things he’s written that aren’t online as well.

(Hey Justin, get moving on writing some books!)

A Biblical Case for Limited Government

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JP Moreland has written a great article showing that the Scriptures affirm principles of limited government, not big government. Here’s the start:

A few years ago on ABC’s The View, Star Parker and Michael Moore had an instructive exchange. To justify state-regulated universal healthcare, Moore sought to marshal support from Jesus:  Jesus claimed that if you care for the poorest among us, you do this to him. According to Moore, this proves that Jesus would be for universal healthcare. Star Parker’s response was stunningly accurate: Jesus never intended such action to be forced on people by the state. Such acts were to be voluntary and from a freely given heart of compassion.

I subsequently published an opinion piece siding with Parker. I claimed that Jesus would not be for government mandated universal healthcare.  The piece went viral on the internet and most people weighed in against me, including most Christians. In my view, this reaction signaled the fact that there is a lot of confusion about the biblical view of the state and its role in society.

Five Reasons Christians Should Embrace Economic Freedom

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A very helpful article by Anne Bradley at The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics.

Here’s a great part, which shows the connection between our mandate as Christians to care for the poor and the importance of economic freedom as a means of enabling the poor to lift themselves from poverty:

Reason #2: We are Called to Serve the Poor

We are told in Scripture that the righteous care about justice for the poor.14 Christians believe that poverty is an affront to human dignity. Justice means enabling the poor to elevate their dignity by helping them escape the trappings of poverty. There is no other way of organizing society that has lifted more people out of poverty than global markets which are supported by economic freedom. According to a recent Brookings Report, nearly half a billion people escaped living at or below the poverty line between 2005 and 2010. Never before in history have so many found liberation from poverty in such a short time. The report goes on to say that the change is driven by the highest levels of sustained economic growth ever recorded in the developing world.15

The principles of economic freedom provide a blueprint for human flourishing. Markets consist not of a physical place, but of a mechanism of human coordination and cooperation. They bring unique individuals together to trade their time and talents in the service of others. For example, greater flourishing fostered by economic freedom ensures that poor women can open businesses without being overburdened by regulations and entry barriers that would keep them in poverty.

Why Prayer and Bible Study Are Not Enough

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That title sounds pretty bad on the face of it. So don’t hear me diminishing the importance and significance of prayer and Bible study in the slightest. In fact, I originally started one of the chapters in my book this way: “If you do nothing else, other than read your Bible in faith every day, pray, and do what it says, your life will change.”

(Unfortunately, I had to cut that out when I had to cut that chapter in half to save on paper costs. [Frustrating? Absolutely.])

So, prayer and Scripture and absolutely fundamental and critical to a life pleasing to the Lord. The issue is this: the Scriptures are clear that there are people who are very committed in the devotional component of life, and yet aren’t walking in a way that is fully pleasing to the Lord. So, what’s missing?

One obvious answer is: they aren’t doing what they are learning. That is certainly a key point.

But let me suggest something else, which is quite surprising: failure to understand and value secular thinking.

We see this, for example, in Philippians 4:4-9, which is itself one of the chief passages of Scripture that underscores the importance of prayer.

In this passage, Paul first of all exhorts us to be devoted to prayer: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God…” But notice that he doesn’t stop there. For example, even though after exhorting us to prayer he had promised that God’s peace would be with us (verse 7), in verse 9 he exhorts us to obey the Scriptures, and promises peace as a result of that as well: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” So, obedience to the Scriptures is just as essential to the Christian life as prayer and Scripture. Obviously. It would (should!) be hard for anyone who reads the Bible to miss that point (cf. James 1:22).

But notice something else Paul told us, sandwiched in between these two things: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (v. 9). This is a call to do more than read the Scriptures. It includes that, but is a call to understand, ponder, and learn about truth from all arenas, pertaining to all areas of life. For Paul is telling us here to think about whatever is true, honorable, and excellent. As Ligonier Ministries noted in a recent Tabletalk devotional:

The true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy things to which Paul refers in Philippians 4:8–9 are not only those things revealed in sacred Scripture.

… Instead, Paul is [also] telling Christians to think on the excellent things they find in the surrounding culture. We have an explicit teaching here that believers are free to enjoy the good things around us even if they do not come from an explicitly Christian source. We are to appreciate the truth and beauty we see even in the art, literature, science, politics, music, technology, and so forth produced by unbelievers. All human beings are made in the image of the true and beautiful God, and though this image was marred in the fall, it was not totally eradicated (Gen. 1:26– 27; 9:6).

In other words, God intends his people not only to be wise in the Scriptures, but also to be wise in the true and helpful things that are taught in the arena of secular thought.

This is not an optional extra. It is an essential component of the Christian life, for Paul commands it here.

Failure to pursue, learn from, and understand secular thinking can be a sign of an inward-focused Christianity that is more concerned about its own comfort and interests than the needs of the world. In fact, I would suggest that one of the reasons people outside the church sometimes feel like Christians “don’t get it” and are not exhibiting the love of Christ the way one would expect of a Christian is because there are some things the Lord expects us, even as Christians, to understand from secular thinking. If we haven’t learned those things, we are going to seem overly inward and out of touch, and more than that, we’re going to be just plain wrong in some of the things we believe. And how helpful is that?

Don’t fall into that trap. If we are going to truly live the lives that God calls us to, we must understand both the Scriptures and true, significant secular thinking.

 

Why Your Vote Matters So Immensely

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It’s because voting is an intrinsic good, not merely an instrumental good.

In other words, even independent of your vote’s affect on the outcome of the election, voting is a good thing that matters in itself. 

This is because when you vote, you are exercising your rights, and doing so for the good of the nation. Exercising your rights, when done for the good of others, is a reflection of the image of God and his plan for human government.

Therefore, voting is good in itself and there is much more going on here than simply determining the outcome of the election. In one sense, voting is an expression of what it means to be human — namely, the fact that we are all equal before God and the law and that God put us on earth not to be tyrannized over by government, but rather for government to be the servant of the people.

So, if you haven’t yet, go vote! And do so even if you think the outcome for your state is already set.

Does God Care if Tim Tebow Wins?

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My friend Owen Strachan has a great article in the Atlantic this week on whether God cares if Tim Tebow wins on Saturday.

The gist: This question is answered by the doctrine of providence. Yes, God does care. God cares about and governs everything, even the death of a sparrow.

But does this mean that God is always going to cause Tim Tebow to win? No. This life is about more than victories and successes, and football games are not the most important thing. God has promised that his children will also suffer — and the extent to which you suffer (or, just lose a football game; I know it’s a lot less significant than what we mean by suffering most of the time!) is no indication that God loves you less or is not for you. In fact, it is a mark of his love (Hebrews 12:3-11).

Thus, when there are Christians on both teams, we can fully and completely say that God is “for” all of them — he’s for them in the sense that he is fully devoted to their eternal good and will not withhold any good thing from them ultimately (Romans 8:32).

Who wins a football game is a secondary issue — though it is a lot of fun. And win or lose, God will work the game (yes, even something as not “life or death” as a football game) for the good of Tim Tebow, any other Christians on the Broncos, any Christians playing for the Patriots, and all Christians everywhere.

Not because football games in themselves are a big deal, but because Christ rules everything for the sake of the church (Ephesians 1:22) and God works all things — large and small, weighty or light, significant and insignificant — for the good of his people (Romans 8:28). Always.

(By the way: I love Tebow, but I’m a huge Patriots fan and want to see them win another Super Bowl — and then two more after that. So, I’ll be torn on Saturday.)

The Meaning of the Credit Downgrade

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From an article in the Wall Street Journal last week; the points are still relevant and helpful now that the downgrade has actually happened:

Even without a debt default, it looks increasingly possible that the world’s credit rating agencies will soon downgrade U.S. debt from the AAA standing it has enjoyed for decades.

A downgrade isn’t catastrophic because global financial markets decide the creditworthiness of U.S. securities, not Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. The good news is that investors still regard Treasury bonds, which carry the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, as a near zero-risk investment. But a downgrade will raise the cost of credit, especially for states and institutions whose debt is pegged to Treasurys. Above all a downgrade is a symbol of fiscal mismanagement and an omen of worse to come if we continue the same habits.

The rest of the article gives a good summary of how we got here, recounting the road all the way back to FDR. It’s worth a look.