Churches that avoid abortion talk are holding men, women back from healing, expert warns
Churches need to take a more active role in the pro-life movement, especially in conveying the arguments against abortion, according to an activist and author.
Scott Klusendorf, president of The Life Training Institute and author of the book The Case For Life, spoke with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly in an interview posted to YouTube on Thursday.
Klusendorf said he believes "a lot of our churches think that if they're silent on abortion, they'll spare post-abortion men and women guilt."
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"In reality, they're sparing them healing because unconfessed sin has them out of full fellowship with Christ. So, we want to tell the truth about abortion, but then compassionately point them to the Savior who can heal it," he said.
Christian pro-lifers should aim to graciously and lovingly give the argument for why abortion is wrong because they shouldn't hope to win an argument but to change a person's heart, Klusendorf added.
“The sin of abortion is a preeminent moral crisis because it involves the shedding of innocent blood, and the Bible is very clear that the shedding of innocent blood is particularly egregious to God. … The shedding of innocent blood requires forgiveness … through our Savior Jesus, [and] we have to respond to the shedding of innocent blood,” Klusendorf said.
“I think this is important because a lot of Christian leaders think that if we talk truthfully about abortion, we're going to drive people away. Far from it. I think they're looking to our churches going, ‘Do you have something relevant to say on this preeminent moral crisis, or are you going to be silent like everybody else?’ And when we demonstrate that we have good arguments, we draw people and it does take courage.”
Klusendorf said he encourages parents to get their students pro-life apologetics training to help them share the pro-life stance with biblical proof of it as a moral truth.
“They need to get that training because here's what's going to happen. You take them to church week after week. And then they're going to turn 18, and they're going to be sent off to college. There's going to be people there for the next four years that are going to work overtime to talk them out of their faith,” Klusendorf said.
“If our kids aren't equipped to engage, they could be at risk. And so, we want to make sure they know the moral logic of the pro-life view,” he continued.
Daly asked Klusendorf how he deals with the argument of some lawmakers who say, “Personally, I oppose abortion, but who am I to legislate what a woman should do to regulate her reproductive choices?”
“When pro-lifers argue that abortion is wrong because it intentionally kills an innocent human being, we are making an objective truth claim. We are claiming it's wrong, objectively. We're not saying we dislike it. In fact, it's possible to like something and still say it's wrong,” Klusendorf said.
“Morality is about what's right or wrong regardless of our likes or dislikes. And when people say, ‘if you don't like abortion, don't have one,’ they've reduced our claim to a mere preference claim as if we're talking about ice cream flavors, not objective right and wrong. And we need to correct them on that.”
Klusendorf said he teaches youth at Summit Ministries about how to argue the pro-life case, telling Daly that "the most common thing I hear" from young people is "we've never heard any of these arguments for the pro-life view."
"They're coming from some of the best churches in the country, but they haven't heard the pro-life argument. We've got to train them,” Klusendorf said. “The basic pro-life argument is, namely, it's wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings. Abortion intentionally kills innocent human beings, therefore it's wrong."
"We need to teach them to defend that with science and philosophy. And once we do that, we've given them tools to not only maintain their faith, but to engage others and put those pebbles in the shoe where they need to be.”
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
