Person 1: We have to outlaw _________, because too many people are getting killed.
Person 2: If we outlaw that, then people will just get it through other means that won’t be as safe and controlled.
Person 1: That doesn’t matter. We have to do it anyway.
If you put “guns” in the blank, you probably tend towards the liberal end of the political spectrum in the USA.
If you put “abortion” in the blank, you probably tend towards the conservative end of the political spectrum in the USA.
Both sides tend to support the things they like and oppose (at least in voice) the things they dislike.
I am reminded of this recently when I see that some in our Congress have introduced a bill to override the recent decision of SCOTUS in the Hobby Lobby case. Word is that the GOP has rejected it.
Can you imagine the outrage if someone had introduced a bill to overturn SCOTUS in the ACA/Obamacare case?
Turns out you don’t have to imagine it. We have seen the outrage of people on the left when the GOP (rightly or wrongly) introduced bill after bill to overturn Obamacare. After the SCOTUS decision, they proudly declared that it was settled; Obamacare was the law of the land.
So why doesn’t that apply in this case?
Because some want to play politics with religious freedom.
Here’s an article that argues that, in the HL decision by SCOTUS, “The Supreme Court’s five conservatives have delivered a profoundly liberal opinion.” You can read it over there. Or I can give you synopsis which centers on two points: HL demonstrated that corporate profits are not ultimate (something which is a liberal view), and this case appeals to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act which waspassed unanimously by the House, 97-3 by the Senate, and singed by Bill Clinton, which surely reflects the will of the American people, and “reflects the core liberal values of toleration and respect for diverse viewpoints.”
In other words, this case honored the core liberal values of corporate responsibility and toleration.
And the liberal decry it.
“Why?” you ask.
Because in the end, being liberal is not about being liberal. It is first and foremost about abortion. And anything that is even remotely connected to abortion, however tenuous and absurd that connection might be, is instinctively politicized.
Back to the comparison. Is there a biblical view on abortion? Most assuredly, and the fact that people might turn to back alley abortions does not in anyway justify the continued legalization of the most defenseless among us.
Is there a biblical view on gun control? Not that I can tell. Christians can certainly differ on gun control while remaining equally committed to the gospel and Christian living. They can even be members of the same church and take communion together.
It seems that Christians in the US have unfortunately confused being Christian with certain political positions, and that is most unfortunate.
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