Our recent vacation found Polly and me in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. We were amazed (and disheartened) by how many downtown churches there were — mainly Baptist — and the seemingly ubiquitous homeless and panhandlers. I told Polly, “look at all these big, fancy, rich churches, yet hungry, out-of-work, homeless people abound. So much for taking care of and ministering to the least of these.”
While poking around — one of our favorite pastimes — we came upon a rolling advertisement for the anti-abortion gospel. I say anti-abortion and not pro-life because most Evangelical “pro-lifers” are not actually pro-life. These zealots are pro-unborn, but once babies are out of the womb, these preachers of the anti-abortion gospel are quite callous and indifferent to virtually everything that materially affects the babies – and indeed, the lives of their fellow humans. A perfect example of this is the recent Congressional battle over healthcare. The “pro-life,” God’s Only Party Republicans have made it clear that the only lives that matter are theirs and those of the unborn. Until Republicans start truly caring about we who have successfully exited our mother’s wombs, they are not really “pro-life.” As long as Republicans want to take away our healthcare, cut food stamps and other poverty reducing programs, do away with Social Security, do away with the minimum wage, increase Defense spending, and support the never-ending war against terrorism, they most certainly are NOT pro-life.
Check out the Defy Tyrants website. The site is operated by Matt Trewhella, pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trewhella, father of eleven children, calls himself a missionary to the pre-born. Trewhella’s church bio page states:
Pastor Trewhella has been a passionate leader and laborer within the body of Christ since his conversion at age 17 in the inner city of Detroit. His integrity and innovative leadership within the pro-life movement [and now within the abolitionist movement] have inspired a generation to “love their neighbor as themselves”.
Though much maligned in the liberal media for his effective pro-life work, Pastor Trewhella’s reputation as a man of principle and great courage shine brightly to a generation so desperately in need of godly leadership. He and his wife Clara live in the Milwaukee, WI area. They have eleven children.
The driver of the rolling anti-abortion advertisement is also a missionary to the pre-born.
Overdosing on pious-neglect and downright-crazy is what has to be expected in the home state of Mitch McConnell and Albert Mohler.
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I’m always suspicious of people who say they’ve been maligned by the ‘liberal’ press. It usually means they’ve been legitimately exposed as hypocritical, or fraudulent, or any number of things that aren’t good.
It amazes me that people can’t see the irony in pretending to be pro life as regards abortion, but touting the right to own guns at the same time. Uncontrolled gun ownership has no place in a civilised country.
1st, hypocrisy, fraud and things that aren’t good is an interesting turn of phrase. Help me understand where you derive good from or where you derive bad/evil from. What is the standard? On what authority is the standard based?
2nd, Pro-life people seem to advocate for the ability of innocent people to continue to live (be it a birth from the womb or surviving a physical attack). This seems to be consistent. Yet you see an inconsistency / hypocrisy, which you previously declare to be not good. How does defensive gun use contradict being pro-innocent life? Are guns only used/useful for unlawful or uncivilized acts?
Many children suffer accidental injury and or fatalities from vehicle and water-related activities each year, and in greater number than accidental firearm injuries. Where is the public outrage and desire to outlaw such threats?
“Help me understand where you derive good from or where you derive bad/evil from. What is the standard? On what authority is the standard based?”
Pat, you’ve got to be kidding. My authority comes from accepted societal norms, the basis on which we derive all of our morality. From where do you derive yours? I guarantee that if you invoke a Christian God, or bible, you’ll be ripped apart.
And really! You can’t see the irony between promotion of perhaps the most lethal killing machine ever invented (I don’t give a toss that guns might occasionally be discharged without disastrous consequences) and the promotion of something colloquially referred to as ‘pro life’, though the reality is it’s the complete opposite.
I miss the irony of being “pro-life” and promoting readiness to defend innocent lives with firearms.
I disagree with the vehicle’s attempt to be the loudest person in the room (a tactic that is rarely effective on a long term basis). I just miss the hypocrisy of it.
I should fear being “ripped apart” by intellectuals who hold the following:
A) Hypocrisy is “not good”.
B) The authority for morality comes from “accepted societal norms”.
C) Although Keeping and Bearing Arms “shall not be infringed” and firearm ownership is part of the accepted societal norms in some nations, it’s “not good”.
“I miss the irony of being “pro-life” and promoting readiness to defend innocent lives with firearms.”
I think you mean defending the readiness of Police Officers sitting quietly in their cars to shoot unarmed visitors from abroad dressed in pyjamas.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/07/18/we-are-utterly-devastated-family-demands-answers-after-minneapolis-police-shoot-and-kill-woman-who-called-911/?utm_term=.7c667a8012dc
America will never be great again (actually it never was!) until it works out how to achieve some level of gun control.
Pat: Plato made mincemeat of the claim that morals come from On High more than 2400-years ago, with the dialog Euthyphro (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1642). For a thoughtful discussion of where morals do come from, I’d suggest The Ethical Project, by Philip Kitcher (https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&an=kitcher&tn=the+ethical+project&kn=&isbn=) or The Genealogy of Morals, by Friedrich Nietzsche (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52319).
If you’re actually interested, I mean.
I’m troubled (and somewhat saddened) by your assumption that morals must be derived from some authority. That’s not morality; that’s merely obedience, which is not the same thing at all.
When I see displays like the one on this evangelical vehicle, it immediately strikes me of the ranting hobby of a crazy person.
I have friends who have been escorts for women at clinics that do abortions. The “pro-lifers” are horrible. They call the women baby murderers and other vile things. They will break the law and push women and the escorts. Oh, and women “pro-lifers” also make use of the clinic when one of theirs needs an abortion. Of course, when such a woman is done she will be back outside the next day. (Sad to say, the “pro-life” woman will have a secret abortion, but is perfectly willing to deny the same right to others.)
As far as I can tell, it is about shaming women and treating them as badly as possible. When I’ve come across some of these “heroes” online, a little prodding will finally get them to admit that YES, women should just stop having sex. It really is ultimately about punishing women.
Morons like this are everywhere here; really gets quite disheartening & discouraging at times.
But, I shouldn’t let it get to me; after all, God & President Trump are still on the throne
Well, now, Mister Demented Hellfire-Truck just scares me. I suppose this woo-hammer has children to destroy with his billboard hatred. When I was a child, similar imagery was used to teach me ‘the truth’, the ‘way to go’ to be right with gawd. Seeing this bullshit-monger truck brings back fearful times.
Christianity is designed to harm self and others. Occasionally, individual bipeds put on a cloak of religious faith and seem to appear helpful with themselves and others but the vast majority need anti-virals. Still good people can survive religion.
How long must we hate women and children, must we demean ourselves before the stained-glass woo is seen-through, recognized for what is really is.
God gave his son because God was a prick who did not know human love… God is the large lack, the nightmare. So too, is his angelic twin, the devil.
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