Monday, June 01, 2009

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou shalt not kill.
(Deu 5:17)


Last night after family worship I looked at my email on my Blackberry and learned some shocking news. Late term abortionist George Tiller had been shot and killed yesterday during his church service.

We don't have a TV, and we didn't listen to the radio at all yesterday, so it's likely that you heard about this sooner than I did.

For those unfamiliar with the abortion debate you may be unfamiliar with George Tiller. He was, by far, the most ruthless, blood thirsty, and money hungry abortionist I had ever read or heard about. He performed gruesome "partial-birth" abortions. Indeed, he was one of a very few in the country willing to kill children in this manner.

Yet, in all of this, I must decry his killing. It is not given unto man, as individuals, to carry out justice. As sinful as he was, George Tiller was made in the image of God. Our responsibility was to pray for his soul. I am convinced that he is burning in hell right now, and that saddens me greatly. The torments of hell are too much to wish upon even our greatest enemy. How much better would it have been for George Tiller to have joined the ranks of other abortion "turncoats" like Dr. Benard Nathanson, Carol Everett, and Norma McCorvey?

Pray for the Tiller family. Pray for our country. Pray that the liberals will not be allowed to use the actions of a crazed mad man to paint pro-lifers as "violent." The man who shot Tiller was not "pro-life" at all. I join with my brothers and sisters fighting this great abortion holocaust in declaring that:

...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(Eph 6:12)


God help us.

4 comments:

Robby said...

Scripture is plain: Thou shalt not kill. Nevertheless, Scripture is also plain in that you reap what you sow. And again, if you live by the sword . . . The whole event is just a tragedy, but to me what is more tragic is his church. What kind of church allows such individuals to be members in good standing. This man should have been excommunicated long ago. Alas, that would require a church with a backbone and a church that truly represented Christ and the teachings of the Apostles.

Mike Southerland said...

Absolutely. I told my wife the same thing.

Philip Smith said...

That is why Christians need to never take life of any kind. Even our enemies. Jesus clearly states for us to Love our enemies. This is exactly why the early Christians would not participate in Military service. They could not take Christ's words seriously and kill their enemies.

Matthew 5:44-45
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mike Southerland said...

Philip,
Thank you for your comment. However, I must disagree with your premise. It was wrong for someone to take justice in their own hands and kill Tiller. However, God has ordained governments to take human life through war or through justice. God has also made provision for individuals to take human life for the purposes of protecting themselves or their loved ones. When I have the time, I plan to offer a review of Vision Forum’s Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy message on “You May Not Take Our Guns.” This is a presentation by Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America. He points out an oft overlooked passage in Luke 22.

Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luke 22:36)

Obviously the Lord did not intend for his disciples to use the sword to cut down weeds and brush. This was the defense weapon of the day.
So, thank you for reading the blog, but you and I will have to disagree on this one.
Mike