The wrongness of taking human life
You cannot teach the inviolability of every life by violating it in some cases. Some seriously disordered person did violate the sanctity of life in the murder of abortionist George Tiller. If this dreadful crime teaches us anything, let it be that.
Robert George called it “a gravely wicked thing”. And it is.
The evil of this action is in no way diminished by the blood George Tiller had on his own hands. No private individual had the right to execute judgment against him. We are a nation of laws. Lawless violence breeds only more lawless violence. Rightly or wrongly, George Tilller was acquitted by a jury of his peers. “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.” For the sake of justice and right, the perpetrator of this evil deed must be prosecuted, convicted, and punished. By word and deed, let us teach that violence against abortionists is not the answer to the violence of abortion. Every human life is precious. George Tiller’s life was precious. We do not teach the wrongness of taking human life by wrongfully taking a human life. Let our “weapons” in the fight to defend the lives of abortion’s tiny victims, be chaste weapons of the spirit.
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Let me begin by saying that I would never dream of killing an abortion doctor. But, I don’t think the situation is so cut and dry. We had a family discussion about this last night around the dinner table. If a homicidal maniac is walking down the street killing everyone he sees, a police officer or a private citizen for that matter, is morally permitted (and I would think obligated) to use deadly force to stop that murderer from killing an innocent person. It is my understanding that the church even permits capital punishment in certain situations.
Now, if a person walks into an abortion clinic and kills an abortion doctor who is about to perform an abortion (commit murder upon an innocent life), tell me how morally the two situations are different. I realize that the law of the land recognizes that the doctor is performing a legal act, but I’m talking about moral law (natural law). Other posts quote the killing of the doctor as a cowardly act. Let’s think about that. The person basically risked life in prison or a possible death sentence in an attempt to protect unborn children. Doesn’t sound so cowardly to me. Sounds like that person made the ultimate sacrafice. Kind of reminds me of a different human rights quetion in our history. John Brown, hero or villian? One-hundred and fifty years later is there an easy answer. Some at that time and today thought he was a martyr. Thanks.
If you cry out “fire” in movie theater, don’t be shocked that people get trampled at the exits. Using inflammatory rhetoric causes some folks to get inflamed and out of control. When you choose to use unGodly means to acheive Godly ends, God cannot be pleased. Tiller was shot in church. How can that be an act of God? Even the Mafia shoots people after they come out of church, not in it. Even Kennedy waited for Diem to come out of daily Mass. While I believe the pro-life movement is part of God’s plan, care must be taken that the methods are Biblical and not Satanic. Don’t make friends with Satan to save the unborn.