Silence on Pro-Life Issues
Dear Sir,
What is blatantly obvious in twenty- first century worship is that most churches are silent on pro-life issues to the point it is a taboo subject for a variety of puerile excuses. Many Christians prefer to avoid the subject as a means of avoiding friction, preferring a quiet life, which the social gospel enables. The centrality of the doctrine of being made in the image of God when it comes to the unborn child is increasingly on the decline. There is however vociferous campaigning by Groups such as CARE, Christian Concern, Christian Institute and Abolish Abortion NI, to raise the public conscious, including Christians, where churches are failing.
The seeds of this form of murder were planted in 1967 through the Parliamentary Abortion Act legalising it. The Church of England debated it and produced a report entitled, Abortion – An Ethical Discussion’ which effectively endorsed it. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in 2019 supported the concept of ‘Buffer Zones’ to make prayer vigils outside abortion clinics illegal. When legislation to introduce abortion in Northern Ireland was debated in the House of Lords, only seven of the twenty-six Anglican Bishops voted against it. Only 37% of respondents in the Evangelical Alliance’s twenty-first century survey believed that abortion was unjustified. The statistics alone are testament to the demise of Biblical instruction on pre birth human slaughter in too many churches, “Thou shalt not kill”, Exodus 20 v 13.
There is a reluctance for Ministers to discuss abortion for fear of offending women and losing congregants with ensuing financial losses. Subjects such as Climate Change, Third World Poverty and Diversity are more likely to be expounded from the pulpits, as opposed to expository teachings. In PC Modern Britain it is easy for churches to preach about genocide, but controversial to condemn the multiple murders of unborn children with sin being an unpopular subject. What a slippery slope to go down with apostasy and comfort zones which avoid truthful sermons.
DAVID FLEMING
DOWNHAM MARKET
