I had intended on recording the Saddleback Civil Forum last weekend, but somehow I missed it. Instead, I have been reading about it, and last night I watched the Larry King interview of Rick Warren. I felt Rick Warren did a great job bringing these two men together and even asking questions that gave us insights into who the candidates are.
All in all, John McCain seemed to have the best results at Saddleback, a church in a very conservative Orange County.
As someone who likes to advocate for those who do not get a chance to advocate for themselves, I am truly concerned with the rights of the unborn. I have to admit though, I have become disillusioned by what politicians are able to actually do to help. As McCain promised to be a pro-life president, I felt a bit discouraged. Even when there was a pro-life president (Bush) and Republican Congress and Senate, it didn’t seem that any progress was made. Even still, rumors are swirling that McCain is going to pick a pro-choice VP candidate.
In an interview with Time Magazine, even Rick Warren suggested this view when he said: “I have never been considered a part of the religious right, because I don’t believe politics is the most effective way to change the world.” “Although public service can be a noble profession, and I believe it is our responsibility to vote, I don’t have much faith in government solutions, given the track record. It’s why I am a pastor, not a politician.”
Abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies so we need to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by not only teaching abstinence but by educating those who are sexually active, providing better medical care for pregnant mothers, creating a better situation for newborns and their parents, providing better access to adoption agencies, and giving people hope that this child can have a better future than his or her parents. There are so many more effective ways to reduce the number of abortions other than through legislation.
In PFP I mentioned in the chapter called “Compassionate Conservatives and Loving Liberals: Reaching across the Ideological Aisle”:
Often, whether we realize it or not, we assume real issues can only be solved politically. As we study our history books we hear of the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War, and the 13th Amendment assuming Abraham Lincoln and other politicians ended slavery. Ironically, the goal of the Civil War remained bringing back secessionist states while allowing slavery to continue in these states. As the war took it’s staggering toll, public sentiment in the North and the border states shifted. Slavery’s end was no longer just a concern for abolitionists. The public accepted the idea before laws ever went into effect.
Lincoln understood and proclaimed, “With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed…Consequently, he who holds public sentiment goes deeper than he who erects statutes or pronounces decisions.” (Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin, p.206)
Overall, the abortion rate has dropped to the lowest rate in 30 years, but that still includes 1.2 million babies that were aborted. It appears that the political approach is not the solution.
For more on my thoughts on politics, check out Faith in Politics?, False Hope? and Changing Laws or Changing People?
Hey brother, it was a great forum and you really must see it. You can view it HERE at my blog if you still need to watch.
Hi Eric,
I think you are a great communicator and I appreciate your blog, artciles, etc……
Can you imagine if we said: slavery happens because people want to economically benefit at the expense of others, so we want to reduce the number of slaves, knowing that we will never be able to stop all slavery in the USA is something that we must come to accept and in time when others see things are way we may stop all slavery.
Please, tell me the difference between killing an innocent person in an abortion and owning a slave?
Can you imagine Martin Luther King accepting that only 50% of the people who were having their civil rights violated will be able to experience freedom from oppression, because society wasn’t ready for all of the blacks to be free from oppression. It would have incensed him more to have that proposed.
I am really saddened that people with your influence choose such a compromising position.
Whatever you say about Bush, he put two Pro Life judges on the court and stopped partial birth abortion.
Obama voted against a law medically helping children who survived abortion.
The Supreme Court is what makes the laws in this country, not the congress. I have never voted for a politician, always for the judges they will appoint
Tim
someday someone with an amazing gift to communicate and a clear understanding of the evil being done by abortion will step up and talk unabashedly, and they won’t care who they might offend but rather care more about offending God for not speaking up. we need to give the seekers a bit more credit…just make sure that if it ever happens at mosaic there’s plenty of staff to comfort those broken after the message, because the realization that you’ve killed your own child or encouraged someone else to is a devastating moment. oh but what a time to comfort and share!
Thanks for your input guys! I spent my vacation reading about MLK’s civil rights movement. Fascinating!
I guess what I am trying to say is that we need both a change in the hearts of people AND legislation. If we just have legislation and people’s hearts have not changed, then we won’t see the decreases in abortion we all long to see. My point in many ways was that with the recent leadership we have had, we haven’t seen enough changes yet! Hope that makes more sense.
At Mosaic we actually have a support group serving women who have chosen abortion and helping those choose otherwise. More needs to be done in every area!
I meant to include a great link from a wonderful family who chose life. Watch Kacie’s story here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjWNgsK8SjI