This the title of Dr. Mohler’s post on the murder Sunday of George Tiller. Tiller was known as “Tiller the Killer” because of his well-known willingness to perform late-term abortions almost no other doctor in the nation would perform. Because of Dr. George Tiller, Wichita became the destination of choice for women seeking abortions in the late third trimester.
I wholly subscribe to Dr. Mohler’s post. All evangelical pro-life people I know will protest the murder of George Tiller. In so doing, evangelicals will not lose any vigor in opposing the murderous impulses that animate the abortion industry. It will take wisdom and nerve in the face of this killing to continue our protests against the legal taking of the life of the unborn. May God grant the blessings of love of all life to the citizens of this great land.
I know that many evangelical leaders will come out and say that we are a nation of laws and we must uphold them. Of course, all evangelical leaders know that there are limits to this argument. History presents us with all sorts of cases where the right thing for citizens to do was to uphold the moral law by physically opposing those who in the name of the law were actually transgressing it. I don’t remember the last time I read about the immorality of Bonhoeffer’s participation in the plot to kill Hitler. While evangelicals are queasy about it, they usually do not condemn Bonhoeffer’s actions.
Say tuned and watch for RC Sproul’s comments. The last time there was a shooting of an abortion provider Sproul was not as quick as some wanted him to be in condemning the act as immoral. It will be interesting to see what he does this time. He either will hedge his words a bit more carefully or come out with a more fully reasoned position that satisfies the evangelical conscience.
President Obama wants the discourse on abortion to be civil. All the while what is going on in the offices of abortionists is far from civil. There is no hiding from the reality that it is most difficult to be courteous and respectful when the death of innocents is the cost. There is an equivalency here of killing and until those in political leadership are willing to admit such, calm, deliberate and slow political discourse will always be a fragile peace. Even as we mourn the taking of innocent life in the murder of Mr. Tiller, we will be skeptical of those who do not so mourn the 1.5 million babies whose lives were taken by choice. The church, animated by Christ and confident in the voice of conscience, will not forsake its commitment to life.
There is already an attempt to lay this murder at the feet of Bill O’Reilly, who has consistently reported on Mr. Tiller, particularly with the nomination of Kansas Governor Sebelius to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. This will be a talking point. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
