10/28/2012

   A bit of a fuss has erupted in the political arena because of a statement made by U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock. Mr. Mourdock has been thrust into the national spotlight because of his comment about rape and God’s Will. He said he opposed abortion in cases of rape and added that if a rape victim became pregnant as a result of the rape that this must be God’s will and therefore he could not advocate an abortion that would be counter to that which God willed. (not an exact quote, but this is my understanding of his position - kd)

   I too am opposed to abortion, but  Mr. Mourdock is mistaken about what is or is not willed by God. Rape is a horrible sin that the Law of Moses defined as a capital crime. Remember, too, that John points out that “… God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).  Therefore, everything that has to do with the will of God must be considered in the light of His nature which we know is the very antithesis of evil (Jas. 1:13) or darkness.

    People fail to recognize that many actions have potential consequences that are tied to the divinely fixed laws of biology,  like procreation. God is the architect of the procreative process. He not only instituted the law of procreation, but He also defined the conditions under which men and women can lawfully implement this law— i.e. within the confines of a lawful marriage (Genesis 2:24; 1:27-28).

    If men choose to disregard the restrictions of God’s  marriage law and engage in sinful actions that result in an unwanted pregnancy, that in no way proves that the pregnancy is also attributable to the will of God. It just means that the law of procreation is still operative; God does not turn that law off and on like a light switch. Procreation works the same for a married couple as it does when fornicators and rapists engage in copulation.

    Sinful actions (like rape) that result in unwanted babies do not give man the right to play God with human life. All of our actions, especially our response to sin and its resultant consequences, must be governed by God’s revealed will (the Bible).

    In the case of a rape / pregnancy, murdering an unborn baby is not an option. God’s will is clear—murder is wrong! Rom. 1:29. Abortion is just as wrong as rape. We should oppose abortion because it is murder, not because someone thinks that every intimate act that produces a baby is God’s will.  KD