This is part 2 of an article on abortion. Part 1 here.
Advent Health
Now, I know that Advent Health is separate from the church, but I’m not going to get into all the reasons (others have expounded on this quite well).
The fact is, If Adventist health institutions want to bear the name or have an affiliation with the SDA Church, then there needs to be a complete moratorium of abortions within those facilities. If we "lose" a few hospitals as a result, then so be it. Better to remain true to God. Others are much smarter on this issue, so I will leave it in their capable hands. It's no doubt going to take a lot of legal wrangling & fine print analyzing to get it done. Pray for solid solutions!
The value of a human soul is of infinite worth. There is no dollar amount you can put on a human life — especially not a "procedure" that ended that life. There will no doubt be countless little children in the resurrection that a hospital said was only worth $1,500 but Jesus will read their precious names engraved in His nail-pierced hands.
Resolving The Guilt Of Abortion
I understand that some of you may know people who have aborted a child. I do. The guilt is overwhelming. I have close personal friends that have seriously contemplated suicide because they aborted their child.
Maybe you have aborted a child in your past. If so, there is healing in Jesus. He can forgive you. There is nothing He cannot forgive — if you confess and repent (1 John 1:9). You cannot undo the past, but you can forever be forgiven of this sin. There is healing in Jesus.
As the Remnant of God, we are called to be the head & not the tail. Stem the tide! Stop the violence! Be the head! Be the head on everything! We have been earlier than most everyone else on so many key issues:
We were early on slavery
We were early on health principals
We were early on abortion
Street Cred
My wife and I are millennials (born between 1980—2000). You don’t hear from millennials on this issue very often and it’s time for that to change. Look folks, (listen up, Peeps) many, many other denominations are like totes "woke" on this issue and are far ahead of us! Just this year, the movie "Unplanned" was a major pro-life hit. We are not the head on abortion and it sickens me! Make no mistake, our weakness on abortion will one day be a massive public embarrassment (think pre-conversion Uncle Bob to the power of 10, or "PCUB^10").
One day we will have to answer to the Christian world and to God Himself as to why we didn't protect every single defenseless child within our gates. What will you say? Talk about humiliatingly awkward!
The sooner we reform our position to pure rightness, the sooner we can have a better story to tell about our denomination's reformation on this topic, and save the lives of innocents within our gates.
Calling All Men
So, where does the buck stop? Most of the leadership in this church is indeed male. It is time for the males to become men! Too many stallions among us have willfully let this politically-correct culture castrate them – so they can graze peacefully & quietly in a back corner of the pasture as docile geldings. No stinking longer. God is asking you to "Be strong, and show yourself a man (1 Kings 2:2)!"
As the natural defender (and the majority of leadership), God will require much of us men on That Day. Just as God asked Adam to answer for both his and his wife's sin, God will ask those in leadership roles to give an account. It is almost entirely men's fault that the official church is weak on abortion. If men of God stand up, the rest are sure to follow their lead. Weakness begets weakness, but courage begets courage!
Many use “lamesauce” arguments like "what if the mother's life is in danger, or what if the child is a deformed, or a result of incest or rape?" These arguments are lame because they are an attempt to sidestep the main issue at hand. Firstly, elective abortions in our institutions are the primary concern here. Stop them all. Boom.
Secondly, "abortion saves the life of the mother" is a ridiculous straw-man (oops, pronoun-slip) argument. Here's a guy with letters who said some stuff:
“There are no conceivable clinical situations today where abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. In fact, if her health is threatened and an abortion is performed, the abortion increases risks the mother will incur regarding her health.” — Dr. Bernard Nathanson, American Bioethics Advisory Commission
Thirdly, the deformed and mentally challenged among us deserve to live! Nazi Germany started "euthanizing" the sick, old and disabled first because "clearly they had no quality of life." You are not to be the judge among the helpless among us lives or dies. This is yet another lame-cake argument!
Fourthly, the awful sins of incest & rape in no way validate the sin of murdering the innocent product of those heinous crimes! Extreme Failmuffins! BTW, I have a friend who kept her daughter who is a result of a violent assault. She travels and speaks about the sanctity of life. Countless people have reconsidered their stance through her story!
So...
If/when the General Conference retrofits their stance on abortion, it must, in no uncertain terms, mandate a number of things:
1. A complete moratorium on all abortions (elective or otherwise) in Adventist-affiliated medical facilities.
2. A CRYSTAL CLEAR OFFICIAL STATEMENT AGAINST ALL ABORTION!
3. A clear process to deal with members who have abortions from then on. Membership should be revoked for a certain period with opportunity for full renewal of membership — if they so desire. I think we all agree that restoration ought to be the goal...
Final Thoughts
In closing, I am confident this Remnant Movement will continue until the very end. I am also confident that a shaking & refining process will render a very different-looking group on the other side of said shaking (Heb 12:27). Things are already shaking, and we can feel it. Better to face the fiery darts of the enemy unfettered by this grievous burden about our necks!
The blood of countless innocents cry out to God from the ground (Gen 4:10). May nary a drop of their precious blood ever fall the ground within our care!
If it does, I'll sic "Uncle Bob" on you…
Dylan Wagoner is married to his wonderful wife Amanda, and together they have two children. Dylan is vice-president of WRi Applications LLC, and the president of Inspire Ohio, a youth-led lay ministry in Ohio.