Fear of a scarlet letter of social shaming isn’t sufficient reason to murder a baby.
We have a lot of shame in our communities for people who fornicate. And we should. It’s wrong, and will send you to hell. The world’s way is to either cover up sin, or else to pretend it is not sin, and expect there to be no shame.
Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
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Josh
Re: Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
Chris said,
“Way easier for them 10 years later in a sobbing fest if it gets revealed to say "I had an abortion 10 years ago", than having a 10 year old out of wedlock. That child will constantly be called "out of wedlock" by the church. You know it, and I know it.”
Any Amish or Mennonite woman who wants to give up her child for adoption will find many eager takers. (If you can’t find any, contact me. I know an number of married people who would like to be adoptive parents.)
A single mother with a 10 year old out of wedlock is someone who made multiple poor decisions, and then imposes a significant cost on others for her bad decisions. Of course there will be shame attached; a child whose father abandons him is deeply shameful, and a woman who sleeps with a man, gets pregnant, and doesn’t have the good sense to get married to the dad is also deeply shameful.
In the Old Testament, they would be either forced to be married or else would be stoned to death. A little embarrassment at the church potluck seems like a lenient sentence to me.
“Way easier for them 10 years later in a sobbing fest if it gets revealed to say "I had an abortion 10 years ago", than having a 10 year old out of wedlock. That child will constantly be called "out of wedlock" by the church. You know it, and I know it.”
Any Amish or Mennonite woman who wants to give up her child for adoption will find many eager takers. (If you can’t find any, contact me. I know an number of married people who would like to be adoptive parents.)
A single mother with a 10 year old out of wedlock is someone who made multiple poor decisions, and then imposes a significant cost on others for her bad decisions. Of course there will be shame attached; a child whose father abandons him is deeply shameful, and a woman who sleeps with a man, gets pregnant, and doesn’t have the good sense to get married to the dad is also deeply shameful.
In the Old Testament, they would be either forced to be married or else would be stoned to death. A little embarrassment at the church potluck seems like a lenient sentence to me.
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ragpicker
Re: Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
Can anyone find any statistics as to the motivations for having abortions?
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ragpicker
Re: Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
The issue of a scarlet letter doesn't seem to be near the top of, or even on, many lists of reasons, in several the the studies I skimmed. Perhaps someone can dig in more than I did. I understand the emotion and passion is high, but does the data support the ideas being promulgated?
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Re: Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
Josh wrote:Chris said,
“Way easier for them 10 years later in a sobbing fest if it gets revealed to say "I had an abortion 10 years ago", than having a 10 year old out of wedlock. That child will constantly be called "out of wedlock" by the church. You know it, and I know it.”
Any Amish or Mennonite woman who wants to give up her child for adoption will find many eager takers. (If you can’t find any, contact me. I know an number of married people who would like to be adoptive parents.)
A single mother with a 10 year old out of wedlock is someone who made multiple poor decisions, and then imposes a significant cost on others for her bad decisions. Of course there will be shame attached; a child whose father abandons him is deeply shameful, and a woman who sleeps with a man, gets pregnant, and doesn’t have the good sense to get married to the dad is also deeply shameful.
In the Old Testament, they would be either forced to be married or else would be stoned to death. A little embarrassment at the church potluck seems like a lenient sentence to me.
My thoughts are that at least in evangelical circles, there seems to more shame with fornication then there is with abortion. The attitude is that those who get abortions are somehow victims. Maybe the problem isn't the lack of shame for fornication but the lack of shame for abortion. I would certainly say, there is no bbn place for putting shame on someone who was born out of wedlock. I would also say, that more emphasis should be placed on the Biblical approach which is marriage to the dad of the baby. When there is no shame, people do it all the time. One thing I very much appreciate about anabaptist is that there is a shame surrounding divorce. So it doesn't happen much. In evangelical circles there is no shame with divorce. To give you a sad example, we were a part of a IFCA church where the pastor's son decided to divorce his wife and abandon his kids. The son went off with a younger women and got remarried. His parents would always brag that it was ok because his son didn't have sex with the new wife till the wedding so it was ok that the son abandoned his wife and kids. There were elderly couples in the church that were on their 5th or 6th marriage each and would brag about how it's time to go out looking for a new spouse every 5 yrs or so. There was no shame to divorce and remarriage.
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ABC 123
Re: Have Christians unintentionally caused abortions?
I think single moms tend to find acceptance in less conservative churches for a reason.
I see no reason to inflict more damage on a person who is already in over their head with a pregnancy/birth of a child born of an illegitimate relationship.
I know people tend to judge, but I think we are called not to. Sure, point out the sin if that seems expedient at the time, but I would rather pour my efforts into making a positive impact on the situation.
I technically should not be here if everyone on my tree behaved themselves. I am surrounded by people who similarly are products of bad choices and bad timing.
Besides, how many people fornicate without producing a baby? Plenty. We really have no way of knowing who to judge in that regard.
Do I think people should fornicate? No. It is sin. Does it happen? Yes. So does stealing, murder, lying, envy, and the like. God is merciful and just and forgives all who call upon his name.
I see no reason to inflict more damage on a person who is already in over their head with a pregnancy/birth of a child born of an illegitimate relationship.
I know people tend to judge, but I think we are called not to. Sure, point out the sin if that seems expedient at the time, but I would rather pour my efforts into making a positive impact on the situation.
I technically should not be here if everyone on my tree behaved themselves. I am surrounded by people who similarly are products of bad choices and bad timing.
Besides, how many people fornicate without producing a baby? Plenty. We really have no way of knowing who to judge in that regard.
Do I think people should fornicate? No. It is sin. Does it happen? Yes. So does stealing, murder, lying, envy, and the like. God is merciful and just and forgives all who call upon his name.
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