Having a Christian worldview necessarily entails being pro-life. After all, Jesus came that we have life—and that we might have it abundantly. We preach a message of eternal life, and we are taught the value of human life in the Scriptures.
But in America, we tend to pigeon hole the conversation of being pro-life into merely being anti-abortion. So this week on the podcast, we seek to expand the conversation to explore what a more holistic approach to being pro-life might look like.
The particular way we go about that is by exploring a number of other key issues that involve literal and immediate life-and-death concerns. These are topics that Americans are often divided on, as well as those within the Church.
- Abortion
- Physician Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
- War
- Capital Punishment
You might not land where we do on these issues, but we hope that our conversation spurs on your own contemplation as you seek to be pro-life in every aspect of life, from womb to tomb.
REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
LISTEN: Choosing Life
READ: How To Approach The Abortion Conversation
What About Abortion? Should this one issue determine how Christians vote? (YouTube video by the Holy Post)
War: Four Christian Views edited by Robert G. Clouse
Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics by Scott Rae
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
Being pro-life means being anti-abortion. But there are so many other issues that can be folded into it. Share on X
While we hold to a pretty stern view of abortion, we also want to give voice and have compassion on the trauma the leads up to and results from an abortion. Share on X
If our goal is to get the abortion rate as low as humanly possible, the question is what is the best way to make that happen? It goes beyond simply voting Republican. Share on X
It's concerning when Christians rally around being anti-abortion only within the political arena, rather than seeking to care for those who are sitting face-to-face with this decision. Share on X
Rather than berating someone for voting for Hilary or Biden, a much more pro-life thing to do would be to find the crisis pregnancy center in your neighborhood and find out how you can support them. Share on X
It's easier to make a judgment call about physician assisted suicide when you don't know anybody who's enduring suffering and facing that question. Share on X
No one wants to see someone else suffering, but when we are making the decision as to the moment a life is going to end, I think we're getting into territory that we were never meant to be in. Share on X
If we have a really biblically grounded theology of suffering, then physician assisted suicide become a tougher thing to embrace. Share on X
Even if suffering seems needless, it's not meaningless. Share on X
Doctor's don't know exactly when you're going to die. Maybe you had longer than you thought. Share on X
The question is 'How do we preserve the most amount of life in any given situation?' And when it comes to war, that question is really difficult to answer. Share on X
Jesus was completely non-violent during his earthly ministry. But when he comes back, he won't come as a pacifist. Share on X
Caesar doesn't bear the sword in vain. And it's good that he has it, because there are evildoers who need to be put down. Share on X
At the end of the day, there's no humane way to kill somebody. Share on X
If we see justice as reformative rather than retributive, capital punishment doesn't help you accomplish that. Share on XWhen we say that we're pro-life, we have to ask ourselves: pro whose life? Share on X
