We’re finding out that many “conservative” Christians never really believed that abortion is murder — which would explain why they have been so incompetent in ending it.

Abortion has come to the forefront of the news recently. In that storm of headlines, there is another controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention over what our goals in the abortion debate should be.

We’re finding out that many of the people who call themselves “pro-life” actually disagree with us about a key aspect of the idea that abortion is murder: namely, the idea that women who procure abortions should be criminalized by the legal code.

The ERLC opposed a bill criminalizing the seeking of an abortion. That is atrocious. And that has lead to the current controversy we want to explore.

UPDATE:

We published this episode on May 21, 2022. On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. On June 29th, RNS reported that Albert Mohler had changed his view.

Here is the relevant quote:

In a recent email, Mohler said that while he agrees with the “long-term pro-life strategy,” he no longer sees women as victims of abortion. Many women, he said, “claim that they are indeed directly exercising their own moral agency.”

“But if you ask me if my mind has changed, I will say that I have come increasingly to the realization that the presentation of women seeking abortion as universally to be treated as victims flies in the face of what many of those women are telling us as they defend abortion, demand abortion, repeatedly seek the same abortion services, and defy a pro-life position with very clear statements of their own intentionality,” he said.

Apparently, Albert Mohler had never before bothered to listen to what the abortion-committing women themselves have to say about the issue, and, apparently, what they say about their own motives is the difference that makes the difference to him as he consider what should be considered a crime.

While we can be glad that Albert Mohler is now less wrong than he was before, we have major doubts about his methods for determining truth.

Also, he will need to update Denny Burk.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Capstone Report: Southern Baptists angry as ERLC opposed Pro-Life Bill

Baptist Standard: Ascol and ERLC leader at odds over anti-abortion advocacy

Denny Burk: Why Pro-Lifers Support Laws to Punish Abortionists but Not Mothers

Denny Burk: Eyes Wide Open about Abolitionism

Albert Mohler in Kentuck Today: Abortion back in national headlines

FTNCI 026: The SIN of Voting Democrat

FTNCI 027: Is Moral Relativism Controlling Your Church?

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