The following is a version of a private message I sent to a Facebook friend. She and I have a lot in common, but I cannot say that we are particularly close friends, though I love her and her family. We do know each other in person and are not just friends on Facebook, though that is where we see each other most of the time. We live a far distance I will not use her real name here, but instead I will call her Kathie.
Kathie is a professing Christian. She goes to a a church in a midsized town that professes to be a Christian church.
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Public FB debates usually end as our discussion has. Each stands their own ground and there is no "winner." Oft times I think this is because it is very hard to admit that we might be wrong in the presence of others. I apologize for speaking out to you publicly. It was not the proper setting, though I was speaking out of love for you.
But let me stop here and declare, I do not think I am RIGHT and you are WRONG. In all such matters as concern sin and the commandments of God it is imperative that we turn to HIS word and follow HIS guidance. I know that you are a professing Christian and I know and understand how much love you have in you for all people. But when you ask me to not use scripture in our conversations, then we are reduced to fallible, human feelings that we say come from our heart. It is clear in the Word of God that what emanates from the human heart is wickedness and deceit. (Matthew 15:18,19; Mark 7:21) I cannot stand on my own feelings, Kathie. No one can deceive a person better than themselves. I MUST stand on God's Word in all such matters as pertain to life, death and the moral decisions I make. I wish I had known this over 30 years ago when I destroyed my own child. Praise Him that He gave me repentance and a heart of flesh instead of stone. I MUST now live for Him and the TRUTH of His Word.
That said, I was not viewing our conversation as a "debate", but as a discussion between friends with true concern for one another. For myself, I am concerned about a world where our children are offered as sacrifices for our own convenience, because we don't want the responsibility, the financial burden, the restrictions on our lifestyle (fornication), the embarrassment or shame. These are the reasons most abortions are done. A VERY low percentage are performed with the idea of saving a woman's life or health (I think the last figure I saw was around 2%). VERY few are done to rid the woman of a baby conceived in rape or incest (less than 1%).*
In the instance of saving a woman's life, it is well known that when a baby is removed from the mothers womb in these cases, all effort is made to save the life of the baby, also. This cannot be considered an "abortion," though many women who have been told that they may have a difficult pregnancy and that there may be danger to her or the child will opt to pay an abortionist rather than to trust in God and their doctors to help them through to the end of the pregnancy or at least as far as possible, in order to give the baby a chance to survive.
And in the case of rape or incest, I have never been able to understand the mindset that a baby must be the second victim of the rapist. There are too many wonderful stories of surviving children of rape that are leading beautiful, productive lives and speaking out for those babies conceived by this horrible, horrible crime. It is NOT the babies' crime and there is no reason to execute them. If a woman cannot fathom raising a child conceived in this way, then the child could be adopted.
It is a shameful fact that we kill approximately 3,500 babies a day here in the U.S. alone in the name of "choice." That's TWO BABIES PER MINUTE! …
I completely agree that a woman has a right to choose whatever sort of "healthcare" she wants for HER body, but you know as well as I that the baby that is killed in abortion is NOT a part of HER body. He or she is his or hers own entity, made in the image of God and knitted together in the womb by Him. (Psalm 139:13) Children are a gift from GOD! (Psalm 127:3) Think of the beautiful gift that your granddaughter is, Kathie. How would you feel if your daughter had "chosen" to destroy her before she was born?
Child sacrifice has been going on for thousands of years. Always the purpose of offering the babe to Molech or Baal was for the supposed "good" of the people: better crops, more rain, greater fertility, more wealth. Today we do not have altars as they did in ancient times; today our altars are hidden behind doors in buildings with signs that declare, "CARE. NO MATTER WHAT," or "hope" or "health centers" or "centers for health" or simply, "family planning." What a sham!
Today we pay an assassin to destroy our child while it is still in the womb — to rip it apart, to suck it out and wash it away or seal it in a box to send to the local incinerator. In Canada, a woman was recently acquitted for killing her newborn baby. In Canada (and other places in the world), post-delivery abortion is legal. A newborn can be killed, if it is determined that it would be a "burden" on the family, or if it is presumed that it would not have good "quality of life." This is also being considered to be legalized here in the United States, along with euthanizing our elderly. More death for our own convenience!
We are a selfish and sinful society where we worship the idol of "self" rather than obey God. We call it love of neighbor, but the babies that are destroyed are also our neighbors, our tiniest neighbors, and we are commanded by God to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. (Proverbs 31:8)
Kathie, every society in the past that has embraced child sacrifice has been destroyed. I think we can look at our own country and see the moral decay and societal decline that is evident. Unless we turn from our sinful ways — including declaring homosexuality as "good" (Isaiah 5:20) — our country as a free and successful nation, will go the same way: into destruction under the wrath of a just and HOLY God.
I wish I could go on, Kathie, for there is so much else I wish to say. I would love for you to understand where I was just a short few years ago. I would have been standing right beside you calling out for the "choice" of women, for the "rights" of gays, for "social justice" and "common good." I give thanks every day to my Creator, my Savior, my GOD, for knocking me down off my self-built pedestal and pulling me out of the mire of deception that most of the world, including most professing churches and their members, are sinking into. And they have not eyes to see, nor ears to hear. (Ezekiel 12:2; Romans 11:8) May God have mercy on them.
Remember, living for God and His Truth will not always bring accolades. For Jesus said that if He was hated and persecuted, so would His followers be. (John 15:20) This is evident in the horror of persecution that is going on in the world today and even expanding into our own country. Remember, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13)
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I wrote the above letter, Kathie, hoping that we could make some headway on understanding where each of us comes from. However, the more I read of your posts, the more I see how ingrained is the false doctrine that you have been following. You have said that your life verses are from Matthew 22:34-40 and 1 John 4:16. From what you have said, loving others is the most important thing, and it is; but you infer that we can ignore everything else that is said in the Bible, especially about those who commit sin by homosexuality and abortion. What about the command NOT to kill, that murder is a sin? What about what Matthew 5:17-19 tells us:
17"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; ..." These are JESUS' words, Kathie; not mine!
Again I say to you, when we deny the truth of God because we do not want to "offend" anyone, we are not showing LOVE to them. To let someone continue in sin without rebuke is to condemn them to hell.
I'm afraid for you, Kathie, and for those you influence, for you are not giving the WHOLE and TRUE Gospel of God, but you are choosing to tickle the ears of those who would deny the truth. I pray for you. Please consider what I say, for if I did not love and care for you and your family I would simply "unfriend" you, keep silent and let it be. I cannot.
I will not say more to you, Kathie. I pray that the Word of God speaks to your heart, breaks it for His truth and sets you free from the deception that surrounds us all.
Phyllis
Scripture cited:
Matthew 15
18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
Mark 7
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
Psalm 139
13For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 127
3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Proverbs 31
8Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9Open your mouth, judge righteously,
Isaiah 5
20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Ezekiel 12
2“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.
John 15
20"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;
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