by Chris Reeves
Synopsis: Beginning a new quarterly column, "What in the World?", Chris reviews and responds to recent news impacting the religious world.
This past February 26, delegates and members from all over the world belonging to the United Methodist Church (UMC) met in St. Louis to discuss, among other things, their stance on the inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community into their 12 million-member denomination. Members present at this General Conference opposed to the LGBTQ lifestyle presented the "Traditional Plan" which condemns LGBTQ lifestyles and forbids them from marriage and ordained clergy. Progressive members present in favor of LGBTQ lifestyles presented the "One Church Plan" of embracing inclusion. At the end of the day, the delegates voted, 438 to 384, to keep the "Traditional Plan" and reject the "One Church Plan." After a three-day conference of heated debate costing $3.7 million, the UMC is not united. They are divided.
Unfortunately, in all this lively discussion, the clarity of God's word on this matter is ignored. The Bible is clear, for example, on the matter of homosexuality. Leviticus 20:13 says that a man is not to have sexual relations with a man as he does with a woman, and Romans 1:26-27 says that homosexuality is a vile passion, against nature, and unseemly. It's that simple. People can be united upon the word of God, but they can never be united when their desires and opinions are allowed to trump (veto) the word of God and cast it aside. There is no need to be voting on matters that have already been settled by God.
Earlier this year in the State of Virginia, HB 2491 (called "The Repeal Act") was introduced by House Delegate Kelly Tran. Ms. Tran wanted to introduce a bill that would allow a baby to be aborted right up to the time that the baby is coming out of the mother's womb. Yes, you read that right, all 40 weeks of pregnancy and right up to the time that the baby is passing down through the mother's birth canal. Does that make you uneasy? It should. It made Delegate Tran uneasy as well. When she was pressed about the matter from House Major Leader Todd Gilbert, you can see Tran wince on the video. Gilbert asked Tran if her bill would allow a woman to have an abortion when she was dilating. You can see Tran wince and then later say, "My bill would allow that, yes." For a brief moment, Tran was truly human. She knew full well the ramifications of her bill and was even bothered by it. Yet, the matter gets worse. A few days later, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, himself a pediatric neurologist by profession, said that "legislators, who are mostly men, shouldn't be telling a woman what she should or shouldn't be doing with her body." When asked, on his now-infamous radio interview, what would happen if a baby was born alive after a failed late-term abortion, Northam responded, "The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother." Of course, by "discussion," he meant a discussion of whether or not to kill the baby. Later, a House subcommittee tabled HB 2491 and referred it to the Committee for Courts of Justice.
What we are witnessing here in our nation is the ungodly and incremental pro-choice slippery slope of advocating first-term abortions (at the beginning of the debate), to second-term abortions (years ago), to third-term abortions (more recently), and now to straight-up infanticide! This is horrific and inhumane. These children are being born to die. We are witnessing more and more lawmakers in this nation who do not have God in their lives. Remember: God hates "hands that shed innocent blood" (Prov. 6:17) and to be so calloused and "without natural affection" toward the unborn is a sin (Rom. 1:31; 2 Tim. 3:3). As for HB 2491, Lord willing, it will never see the light of day again.
Miller, Emily McFarlan. "'In This to the End': LGBT United Methodists Express Hurt, Hope after Vote." Religion News Service. https://religionnews.com/2019/02/28/in-this-to-the-end-lgbt-united-methodists-express-hurt-hope-after-vote/.
Foust, Michael. "Democrat Admits: Her Bill 'Would Allow' Abortion during Labor." Christian Headlines: Salem Web Network. https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/democrat-admits-her-bill-would-allow-abortion-during-labor.html. Photo source: 64494-new-born-julie-johnson-692218-unsplash.1200w.tn.jpg
Slayton, Scott. "ACLJ Investigating Virginia's Extreme Abortion Law." Christian Headlines: Salem Web Network. https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/scott-slayton/aclj-investigating-virginia-s-extreme-abortion-law.html.
Author Bio: Chris preaches for the Warfield Blvd Church of Christ in Clarksville, TN. His website is thegoodteacher.com. He can be reached at chrisreevesmail@gmail.com.
