I was going to write a piece on the continuing evil of abortion in the United States and across the world. However, the debate generated by the Episcopal Church’s now outright support and financing of abortion and the commentary thereon does a better job than I could.

I previously highlighted the Pontificator’s stance on the issue.

Now, Gawain de Leeuw has replied to Al Kimel (the Pontificator) on the issue. Mr. Kimel has responded in kind and most excellently.

One general comment about Mr. de Leeuw’s posts —“ notice he calls the ECUSA the EcUSA, i.e., a church —“ small ‘c’. That, is a very powerful statement.

Mr. de Leeuw begins:

Al Kimel writes: “A Christian community that supports the unconditional legal right to abortion has ceased to be Christian; it has ceased to be Church. A Church that is not willing to stand against the evil of abortion cannot be the Church that Jesus Christ founded. The lampstand has been taken away.”

This author agrees as previously noted. Mr. de Leeuw goes on:

It’s pretty powerful rhetoric, and reveals the monolithic, totalitarian impulse within Roman Catholicism. It first removes legitimacy from its opponents. It renders the opposing church “evil” which permits the obvious: death.

In one sentence he does the same thing he claims Mr. Kimel does. He does so by resorting to threadbare reformation rhetoric about the Roman Church. How unfortunate for him. He is not marching with Luther, Calvin, or Henry VIII, for if he were he would be condemned just as heartily. To wit:

John Calvin (1509-64). “The fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being and it is a most monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light” (Commentarius in Exodum, 21,22)

Martin Luther (1483-1546). “Even if all the world were to combine forces, they could not bring about the conception of a single child in any woman’s womb nor cause it to be born; that is wholly the work of God.” (Luther’s Works, VII, 21)

He goes on:

In the end, Al wants ECUSA destroyed – what else can one do with such evil homophilic babykillers like ourselves?

While I cannot imply Mr. Kimel’s motives or goals, I can acknowledge my feelings on the idea and they come from this Sunday’s Gospel:

—This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.—

Mr. de Leeuw says:

And of course, this is part of Roman history. And it is justified, because we kill fetuses upon the altar of religious pluralism. Such extremism makes me quite glad that I am in the liberal, reformed end of the church. I do not need to worry about his damning me. I sleep well at night.

He starts again with rhetoric. Mr. Kimel has touched a nerve. I do not think Mr. Kimel personally damned him. However, the failure to worry over the fate of one’s everlasting soul is simply a failure to have any fear of God.

Mr. de Leeuw continues:

Although it seems that the issue is about babies, it is more properly about the church’s relationship to the state; and secondly about the church’s relationship to its own body.

Yes, it is about babies. Because you agree with the government’s sin you believe that no one has a right to stand against it? Abortion is wrong, evil, sinful, and murder —“ this is fact. Is the Church’s stand dependant on the state? Is a relationship required?

The choice to sin is the choice for evil over God. We can take a historical tour of governments that have actively promoted evil, but I’ll save everyone the time and energy right now.

And, sure, you can stand and work for the government. You can believe in the infallibility of the government and you can support it whole heartedly. Just call yourself a secular humanist, not a Christian.

Can Christians accept a government that permits people, of different religions, to have abortions? Or shall it provide a law that says, for example, Christians cannot have abortions, but atheists can – kind of like a Christian Sharia?

I say no on both accounts. Christians cannot accept such a law nor may they uphold it. Now notice, he says ‘government’. He would like to imply that real Christians are damning the United States. He fails to remember that any human power is from God and that right is right by God’s law.

As Christians we cannot permit evil and must stand against it. We must stand against evil on behalf of Christians and non Christians alike. Mr. de Leeuw, did Jesus Christ redeem the world? Is Jesus Christ God? Is Jesus Christ our arbiter and judge? Does this apply to all of mankind, regardless of what people think?

It may be that in the choice between a woman’s life and a child’s life, the Episcopal Church has decided to admit the law of the land – the choice that most of its baptized members agree. His claim, however, is that ECUSA is not a Christian church. Well that’s his opinion, and not Gods, but by the nature of their acts, it would not be the view of most Catholics, who would agree with most of the teaching of Episcopal churches.

Why do our parents tell us those funny little sayings that turn out true? It appears that Mr. de Leeuw never heard the one about everyone jumping off a bridge/cliff/building.

Also, please spare us the rhetoric about the ‘teaching of the Episcopal churches.’ What teaching? Where is it standardized? I can go from church to church, state to state, country to country and get a different message every time, right down to core beliefs about baptism (non-use of the Trinitarian formula). Basically Episcopal teachings are made up by whomever is there at the moment, high church, low church, and apparently, no Church.

Also, most Catholics of any persuasion would balk if they understood the phony priesthood and the rest of the phony sacraments of the Episcopal church. If you explained your views on the sacraments honestly you would have to tell them – no it is not the ‘Body of Christ’ —“ its just bread in the Episcopal Church. It is only a symbol, not reality – which again says a lot.

As the title of my post implies, powerful rhetoric is needed. Proclamation is needed. Make straight the way of the Lord, that is, the Lord’s way.

“They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. … You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Let’s pray that as Christians we can stand together and bear witness in the face of all evil.