by R.C. Sproul, Jr.
It is my habit to challenge my brothers and sisters who spend time and energy denouncing this form of abortion, that reason for abortion, or the other context for abortion. The problem with late term or partial birth abortions isn’t late term or partial birth, but abortions. The problem with sex selection, multiple reduction or Down Syndrome abortions isn’t sex selection, multiples or Down Syndrome, but abortions. The problem with unsafe, unsanitary abortions in run down, unregulated buildings is not unsafe, unsanitary, run down or unregulated. The problem is abortions. The problem isn’t when, why, or how, they are murdering babies. The problem is they are murdering babies.
That said, I fear one reason we refuse to come to grips with the horror of abortion is because of its horror. That is, if we live in a country that every five years kills more babies than the Nazis killed Jews, well, we live in a country worse than Nazi Germany. That would mean shame. That would mean darkness. That would mean revulsion. That would mean we have to do something.
That would mean having to completely restructure our meta-narrative. That is, we would have to recognize that our simple view of the world, where Nazi Germany, North Korea, Communist Russia are on one side, while the white hats are places like Canada, Australia and these United States is not only self-serving, but wrong. Given the scope and power of sin in general we ought to be suspicious of putting white hats on just about any institution, especially our own institutions. Given the desperate wickedness and deception in our own hearts, however, we tend to do so.
Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Iraq all have far greater restrictions on abortion than most western countries. There are, of course, all manner of great evils in those countries. But abortion mills on every other corner is not among those evils. When it comes to the murder of the unborn, however, there is an axis of evil. Four nations stand apart from the rest of the world. Four nations, not Muslim, not isolated, not under-educated, four nations alone freely protect the “rights” of moms even beyond twenty weeks pregnant to murder their babies. The four most radically pro-abortion nations on the entire planet are China, North Korea, Canada and these United States. That is our axis of evil.
I know it is a painful truth. I do not delight to speak it. We are not merely off track, losing ground, beginning to stray. I know it sticks in the craw, that it is hard to swallow. But the truth is we are an evil nation. We are a nation that since 1973 has elected five presidents who promised at least to protect the legal “right” of some moms to murder some babies. We are a nation where tens of millions of moms have murdered their own children, with the help of tens of millions of fathers, boyfriends, husbands. We are a nation where Christians, real Christians just like me, spend more time and energy worrying about our favorite sports team than murdered babies.
When we find blood on our hands we are fools to close our eyes. Instead we must wash them in the blood from His hands. We must repent, confess ourselves to be guilty before God. Guilty of idolatry in loving this evil nation. Guilty of blasphemy in thinking we are God’s favored ones. Guilty of taking His name in vain by vainly asking that He would bless this nation. Guilty of resting in our own wisdom, rather than His abundant provision. Guilty of rebellion against the wisdom of our fathers, guilty of adultery in chasing after our nation more than our Husband. We are guilty of stealing the future of God’s children, guilty of lying to ourselves. We are guilty of coveting a reputation we haven’t earned. We are guilty of being the axis of evil because we are guilty of murder. Lord grant us the wisdom to see us for what we are, and the faith to see what You are making of us.
(This article is reprinted with permission from RCSproulJr.com.).
