Yes, I'm serious about this question, as Scott Roeder has just been sentenced for life in prison for murdering the late-term abortionist, George Tiller, of Wichita, last year.

Now, jut so you'll know, my answer is NO, never.

But, consider . . .
- The great Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, thought it was morally acceptable to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and tried to do so.
- Scott Roeder believed that what Tiller was doing was evil, even though legally permitted, and sought to save the lives of those unborn who would be aborted by Tiller (the jury didn't buy it).

Do you see a difference in these two scenarios?

Question:
Is it morally acceptable to kill abortion providers?

Choices:
Yes, in some cases.
No, never.
Not sure.

 

It reminds me of the "just war" question. Is war ever just? I wasn't around at the start of World War Two, so I don't know what the mood was in Europe at that time. Certainly what abortionists are up to is horrific, but I think it's morally dubious to say this justifies killing them.

I voted no because I couldn't do it myself, so I didn't feel good about saying that it might be OK in some cases for somebody else to do it. However, I do see the parallel you draw above, Phil, with assassinating Hitler. There's a mix of reactions I have to the Tiller murder. It's very sad and unfortunate to think about the family members and by-standers who witnessed the murder. The PTSD from such a thing must be horrible--especially if he had family around. We, especially Christian's, ought not fight evil with evil, but there is such a thing as a "just war" too as Derek points out.

At the same time, I do detect a sense of relief that there is one less abortionist out there. Still the multitude of other abortionists and the over-all acceptance in our culture on killing the unborn seem like insurmountable obstacles to justice.

I even wonder if the rampant, wanton abortion practice isn't, in part, a kind of anti-Christ spirit as predicted in Revelation--as in the scripture on "lawlessness" run wild.

Comparing just war thinking with those who hold killing abortionists is wrong headed. Just War came out of the middle ages and was suppose to be used to justify self defense though admittedly some have missed used it. First I am a mainline Christian like many of my evangelical friends I do accept abortion in the cases of rape or incest but would encourage adoption but never as a means of birth control. I cannot judge someone who believes in the pro death position (abortion as birth control or euthanasia and other anti life topics). We can only attempt to communicate Christ's love to these people and offer them better choices. Killing the providers only means we are doing a bad job offering alternatives and there is only one other choice because of our laziness kill the source.
It is interesting in the early days of the pro life movement a split happened those who believed that politics and providing choices to these individuals to those who took a more radical stance such as operation rescue chaining to the doors of clinics etc. I believe the most effective is loving the women and individuals caught up in these choices and give them better choices. Murder to me is an admittance of failure.

quote:

Originally posted by Jaan:

I believe the most effective is loving the women and individuals caught up in these choices and give them better choices.

Good points, Jaan.

I just returned a movie called "Bella" to a public library. Interestingly, it won a number of "People's Choice" type awards, one being at the Toronto Film Festival for 2007, I think, and some Yahoo award, though it's a pro-life story set in NYC's Latino culture. It was a good movie--not great, but still very worth watching. I'll try to find a review link.

Yes, good post, Jaan, and good to hear (on another thread) that things are going well for you these days.

Ariel, I thought "Bella" was very well done, and a great message as well.

Phil--

Yes, I get more out of "Bella" as I let the story sink in a few days after watching it, though I thought it was good on the spot. To me, it was a reminder to give God "elbow room" to work something beautiful from our all-too-human mistakes. Perhaps in determining to take control of a new life by having an abortion when a woman can't see any good coming from her situation, she may be saying she knows her circumstances better than God does.

Trusting Providence is at times quite a challenge for me, so I don't mean to condemn anyone who has had an abortion. As Jaan said, loving the women is crucial. "Bella" was about that, I thought. A woman who has her own issues with feeling abandoned ( as Nina felt towards her mother) understandably might question the kind of life a child would be given. While a woman experiencing somone coming alongside her to be there, as Jose was for Nina, could more easily believe God might be at work.

Getting back to the original post--I voted "No, never". But Bonhoeffer said something like "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves", if I remember correctly, and I can see how viewing this as a Just War situation isn't completely unfathomable.