“The apathy, indifference, and comfort of the church is costing our world today.” – Rev. Patrick Mahoney
As the Republican Party continues to age, many young and middle-aged would-be leaders in the party, seeking to grow our Republican ranks, believe that to build the GOP of the future that we must abandon our commitment to fight for the rights of the unborn. They argue that in order to get “the women vote” that we must be silent on the death of tens of thousands of baby girls murdered in their mothers’ wombs. I say that if this is the only way to grow the Republican Party, that it would be better to let the Republican Party die.
The Republican Party’s fight for a pro-life agenda is one of its most virtuous missions, just as its decades long battle for civil rights for African Americans was its great virtue during and after reconstruction.
Last Sunday, Reverend Patrick Mahoney came to speak to my church, Awakening Community Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His message was simple. There are giant evils and injustices in this world and we are called to run toward and confront those evils, to battle those evils, to grapple with those evils, and not remain silent. Reverend Mahoney spoke about the two great failures of the modern Christian Church. The first was our failure to quickly respond to the racism and tyranny of Adolf Hitler and the German NAZI Party. The second was our failure and our silence in the face of slavery and of the slave trade in the New World.
“Adolf Hitler knew that he could not rise to power without the support of the German church. He knew he could not physically defeat the church, at first, so he went out to seduce the church. As early as 1928, this is what he said about Christianity, and I quote, ‘We tolerate no one in our ranks who attacks the ideas of Christianity. Our movement is a Christian movement'” – Rev. Patrick Mahoney at Awakening Community Church July, 24th 2016.
Patrick Mahoney is the pastor of Church on the Hill, in Washington D.C. and Director of The Christian Defense Coalition. While Rev. Mahoney spoke of the Church’s silence in Nazi Germany and it’s silence during slavery after the birth of our nation, I was reminded of a growing silence within the church, which has become increasingly tolerant of on-demand abortion in America. It occurred to me that if our churches could remain silent in the face of millions of dead human children, then it will be that much harder for the Republican Party to stand up with tremendous principle against a growing tolerance and acceptance of what truly is the great evil of our age.
I cannot speak for “the church” in America, but as a member of the Republican Party in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I say that those who are willing to tolerate a little evil to grow this Republican Party threaten to undermine the very virtue and principles the Republican Party was founded upon. The Republican Party was born from the abolitionist movement in America. We are the anti-slavery, pro-civil rights, pro-liberty for everybody, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or religion, political party in America.
The Republican Party, to this day, of the two relevant political party’s in America, is the only one which respects and represents the smallest minority of all – the individual and the individuals right to live and to live free! This is true of individuals born and unborn.
If we are to retain a moral justification for our existence as a political party in the United States of America, we cannot abandon our commitment to life, justice, and equality for all Americans, born or unborn. To abandon our fight to overturn the Supreme Courts ruling in Roe vs. Wade would be to make hypocrites of us all. As Thomas Jefferson struggled with his belief that all men were created equal and were deserved of liberty in the face of his own ownership of his fellow human beings on his plantation in Monticello, so too would we, as Republicans, face a similar hypocrisy were we to abandon our protection of the lives and liberties of our unborn children.
True leaders do not seek out groups of followers and adopt their ways that they might lead them. This is what we see amongst many of our more desperate “leaders” in the Republican Party today. They see that Millennials agree with Republicans on a great many issues including political and economic liberty, but do not support Republicans on what we refer to as “social issues”. Instead of demonstrating real leadership to this rising generation, our idea of leadership, apparently, is to follow those we seek to lead and to pander to their present prejudices.
This is why we now hear so many Republicans voicing their belief in “global warming” and making proclamations about abandoning our “ridiculous” opposition to abortion on demand. “Get with the times”, they tell us. “If you want to grow the Republican Party, you can’t be pro-life”.
Wrong.
This is simply flat out wrong. To grow the Republican Party we must have the courage (and I’ll never understand why we’re so afraid of speaking truth to our children and grandchildren) to go before Millennials and argue for our values and principles as a party. We need to explain that abortion on demand is no better than slavery, no better than what the NAZI’s did in Germany, and that abortion is not consistent with liberty and basic human rights.
I foresee a day in America when we have a constitutional amendment protecting the lives of the unborn. I foresee an America where we mourn, as a nation, the decades and generations of acceptance of the barbaric practice of abortion. I foresee an America that despises the age of abortion with the same bitter sorrow as it laments our history with slavery after the birth of our nation.
It is my great hope that as Republicans, you too will envision a similar future and that you would have the courage to fight for such a future.
The Republican Party is a Pro-Life Party and it must remain so.
43 comments
While I agree that abortion should be illegal, and I believe of the two major Parties, the Republicans lean more pro-life, but I’m curious to know if there was any progress in this fight for life when the Republican sat in the White House and the Republicans had the majority in Congress? When the Republicans are in the majority, do we see advances in issues that are important to us? It seems as if these issues are important to grassroots but that when “we” rise to power, those who hold the power find something more important to them. (Not trying to feed the trolls, but this logic is why I remain on the outskirts of this political game. I’m actually curious what others “in” the game think.)
This is why Trump is now the nominee. It seems that Republican politicians are given power and then morph into do nothings. They, of course, complain that they can’t do anything because they need more power – but who is to say that more power will actually lead to anything at all.
Lee Atwater was a big tent thinker. The current crop wants an ever smaller tent having thrown away the Tea Party, the libertarians, and God knows who and what else.
I’ve never quite understood this perspective with regard to Trump and I am genuinely curious – Do you believe that Donald Trump will fulfill his campaign promises with or without asking for more power? Do you believe that Donald Trump intends to tackle some majority of the conservative agenda, such that conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians would be encouraged that we are finally moving in the right direction? And if so, what set of facts and indicators lead you to believe this is the case?
I look at track records and project trends. Electing all talk and no do big government Republicans will lead to more talk and no do. Electing anti-American socialists is even worse.
I doubt that Trump can do half of what he promised but blunting the socialist tsunami of the Democrats is worth a try
Trump is a man of action and has been a success in the private sector – maybe some of this will rub off on the bureaucracy via political appointments. Specifically, the corruption in the FBI/Justice Department and IRS scares the hell out of me. The decline of the military is evident and needs fixing because we are in the middle of an intractable war. More taxes, more regulations and more cultural damage are the fondest hope of Democrat socialists who desire the misery and enslavement of American citizens to achieve their utopian globalist world order.
So while Trump was not my first choice, he is the only choice.
You mention his economic practices as being beneficial, do you think his leadership style will be a good fit in America? He is indeed a bully which may make for a good businessman, but how will that translate to his leading our nation? That’s where he loses me.
We have had many styles of presidents. Teddy Roosevelt was considered a bully boy. Nixon was attacked as a crook. Woodrow Wilson hated blacks. Grant was a drunkard. Jackson hated Indians. Obama is a radical socialist with globalist desires. The only question is how a president performs in office and we don’t know that answer ahead of time.
Will Trump be a good president. I don’t know. I hope he will be. About the only certainty is that Hillary has said she will be a third term of Obama. So, I take her at her word. If you want more Obama she will give it to you.
HRC means more gays, blacks, and muslims stealing our country
Reelection is always more important to them – rationalized, of course, by the reasoning that they cannot do any good unless they are in office and they cannot remain in office if they try to tackle abortion. Sadly, there is some truth to this – however, were the American people behind them…….. different story.
I personally see no real issues being tackled. Ever. We vote in politicians believing they’ll make a change, and they get sucked in to the loop of do-nothing. If they wanted to defund Planned Parenthood, this would’ve been a good year to get it done. But when the votes came before them, they showed their true colors. If we wanted some focus on undoing Roe v. Wade, we would’ve seen that happen when Republicans were in the majority if indeed Republicans are the prolife Party. I think we kid ourselves that either Party will ever get anything done. Especially on issues like abortion. Seriously, if the Planned Parenthood videos didn’t persuade them to do something, what will? I’m not suggesting we all despair and lose hope or become as cynical as I am, but I was curious if anyone saw something getting done that I had overlooked. I guess my issue is with people saying the “Party” is the answer. The Convention of States seems to hold some hope of change.
Steven, you also continue to avoid taking on the establishment. When are you going to tell people about the price tag in jobs, of having an $800,000,000,000 per year trade deficit? When you going to tell people that NAFTA needs to go? TPP is a joke, written by Wall St..How the Republican Party supports continuing to ignore our our immigration laws.
What are you afraid of Steven?
You correctly say (in the comments) that a “majority of voters” do “not appear to be an ally of the Pro-Life movement in America”. That majority will continue to grow, especially when they see a Republican platform that doesn’t have any exceptions to it.
Resorting to a strategy of subverting a majority of the voters and packing courts to seal your subversions is morally wrong too, Brodie. If you ever succeeded in doing that (and you never will), you should be highly ashamed of those tactics.
We stood up for slavery before it was popular to do so. We stood up for civil rights before it was popular to do so. We stood up for the middle class and a free economy when the entire country still believed in high taxes, price controls, and regulations. That is the history of the Republican Party Bruce. We stand up for what is right, we fight for it, and we make this country a better place.
Each individual has their own personal choice of if to do good, or if to do evil. This is a God given choice. No man, nor the Republican Party has the right to take away what God has given us.
Churches should concern themselves with preaching the Word of God and things Spiritual. Churches should stay as far away from politics as possible. Politics do not belong in the pulpit.
If you or the Republican Party were as concerned about people dying (life) because they do not have affordable health care, or the total lives lost due to the destabilization of the entire middle-east by the Bush 43′ administration, the world would be a much better place.
As long as the establishment owns the Republican Party, they are doomed to failure. Just when do you plan on writing an article about the love of money, and what the Bible says about the rich man entering Heaven?
Who owns the Republican Party? It sure as hell ain’t the poor or middle-class.
I think you would be surprised – however I do not accept the Marxist solution of robbing one half of the population to give free stuff to the other half. That said, I completely opposed the Democrat Party’s obedient service to the millionaire and billionaire class in this country. They tax the middle class to give subsidies to energy and agricultural industries. They tax the middle class to give tax breaks to GE. The let the most powerful special interests and industries write regulations designed to crush their smaller, more independent competitors, forcing them to sell, and creating a corporatist aristocracy. Under President Obama, the top 1% have never fared better and the stock market has never been higher. We need to rally together to stop the progressive push to crush the middle clas in America.
History teaches us that there is only one way to break the stranglehold of the establishment on the rest of society.
And it ain’t pretty.
There are 2 ways. The other is to become the establishment. But, that’s nearly impossible.
Socialized healthcare ultimately deprives the most needy. The studies I have seen show that seriously ill people, those most in need of extensive medical care, get short shrift under socialized medicine.
It makes no sense to wait six months for breast cancer treatment as by that time you are probably terminal thanks to cell growth and metastatic spread. Same with heart disease and diabetes.
You comment is complete and utter BS. Who do you think writes your “studies”?
There is a story in the Guardian extolling the virtues of the U.K. National Health Service. The NHS is magnificent except for one thing – keeping seriously ill people alive.
I suggest you look it up.
Why on earth would I want to read some establishment article?
My knowledge of the U.K. and Canadian healthcare systems comes directly from the people who live in those countries and use their system. Middle-class, blue collar workers, who have nothing to gain by lying to me.
I have never had a citizen of either the UK or Canada say one thing, not one, critical of their healthcare systems when I personally questioned them.
The most common response I received? It’s ok.
Turn of the establishment BS Warmac. You continue to believe that our political system, both parties, are not totally and hopelessly corrupt.
It’s all about the cabbage.
The guardian is a left of center British newspaper. My point, from the beginning, was that nationalized healthcare was fine until you became seriously ill. The guardian story completely supports both your and my point.
If you get the flu, the NHS is wonderful. If you get colon cancer that has spread, take a tranquilizer because they won’t spend the money on you to lengthen your life.
I don’t know how old you are and that makes a big difference here. I have a couple of friends who have prostate cancer that has spread. There is no cure, but the length and quality of their lives is absolutely dependent on quick and readily available access to care.
I am old enough that a couple months ago, a very sorry assed, high deductible, high max out of pocket, NON-Obama care policy would cost me $870 per month. No known major health problems, yet.
If your friends have such good health insurance in the USA, why were they not getting annual check ups to catch prostrate cancer early before it had spread, and the other things we get as we age?
You are not going to change your mind about anything. Satan, and the establishment have you right were they want you. Believing lies.
Hopefully, you are getting your PSA checked regularly. Prostate cancer is often subject to watchful waiting and, therefore, it is not treated. The PSA test is not a very good indicator, same with the finger wave. Needle biopsy may miss very small tumors. Treatments are often very nasty – incontinence and sexual dysfunction. (Some doctors don’t even think you need a prostate examine if you are older that 70 (bad). One of my friends was told that. Then the PSA was at 50. Too late.)
Insurance cost have skyrocketed recently. There is a connection between obamacare and these costs regardless of whether you admit it. Insurance companies have to earn a profit and when they are subjected to having to provide coverage for people who should not be covered because of risk – well, guess what, the costs just go up and they will go up even further before the November election.
And, I’ll tell you something else Warmac. I will take the UK healthcare system, pay the VAT tax too, long before I will even consider your “Wall St. establishment healthcare system”.
Dems say similar things about the GOP: beholding to the rich, has a spoiled billionaire as its candidate, moves money from the middle to the upper levels and out to crush the middle. Run by special interest groups.
How about that
That’s fair enough, I imagine it’s true of both parties.
The very workforce we import is less than the workforce we aborted.
Yes. All or nothing. Unless a candidate supports each and every acceptable plank, they are not acceptable. Abortion-never. Immigration-never. Gay marriage-never. Prayer in school -a must. Tagging Muslims terrorists – of course. No compromise. No tetreat. All or nothing.
When it comes to killing people, people tend to be less tractable. This isn’t tax increases or marriage law or the federal debt. These are human lives.
Ask the politicians about the platform — specifically!
No need to ask anyone. FOX and friends tell me all I need to know. Plus Trump will take back our country from the Dark side
Rolling back the tsunami of socialism will tale decades. Hopefully, we get a start with Trump.
You are talking about socialism, aka, the modern Democrat Party and, unfortunately, too many Republicans. The politicians should be making laws and enforcing things that protect the citizenry. They should not be making laws to control cultural evolution.
OK, have fun with that.
Agreed. How do we square that with the GOP candidate’s statement of February 26: “As far as Planned Parenthood is concerned, I’m pro-life.”?
Donald Trump does not appear to be an ally of the Pro-Life movement in America. However, neither are a majority of voters. The way this has to work, is from the bottom up. Working our way through State Laws and then to Congress. Then we can worry about how our Presidents feel. We should, however, pressure any Republican President to nominate pro-life jurists to the Supreme Court.
Concur with the local-first direction. What I was really getting at was Trump’s muddled support for Planned Parenthood Except for abortions. That’s as close to a position as he gets — a Feb 26 debate soundbite. For a guy who never fails to be in-your-face declarative, he is positively silent on this issue.
I think Trump is our nominee. Which candidate do you actually think Planned Parenthood is currently supporting?
Like most slimy donors, they undoubtedly court both candidates
Wrong! PP has been in Hillary’s pocket for years. While Trump was speaking to the Faith and Freedom Coalition Hillary was up the road pandering to PP.
Confirmation of Hillary’s relationship with PP doesn’t prove the absence of a relationship between Trump and PP.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-donations
Well stated!!
See Connie, there are some things you and I will always agree on. 🙂