“I think almost all the crimes which Christians have perpetrated against each other arise from this, that religion is confused with politics.” – C.S. Lewis
I am a conservative and a Republican, but if my approach distracts people from the fact that I am a Christian, my politics are a hindrance. That, in fact, is the risk of politics for all Christians. In America particularly, we have a very bilateral choice. A day may come when a third party or even a fourth or fifth is a viable option, but as Aragorn said when facing down the throngs of Mordor, “It is not this day!” As a result, we take the issues that are most important to us, and we choose the party that puts those issues at the forefront. We need to be careful that when we fight for those issues, we do not lose sight of the reason we are fighting.
Anyone who knows me or my politics knows that the pro-life issue is at the forefront of my political concerns. I have a strong conviction that we have lost the respect for human life that generations before us possessed. I have a guiding belief that our country has crossed the line from lifting the human rights violations that were too often perpetrated upon women in our society to now executing them upon the unborn in a misguided effort to right those wrongs. I do not believe the solution to one evil is visiting an evil upon another. As an aside, the leaders of the Suffragist Movement in the United States by and large agreed. A look at their quotes and writings shows that while they wanted their basic worth to be validated, they also respected the lives of the unborn and opposed abortion on demand. Joining them in this belief, I think it of the utmost importance that we as women, as Christians, and as decent human beings, recognize and honor the humanity of BOTH people involved in the equation- the unborn child and its mother. Unfortunately, after years of being actively involved in the pro-life movement, at times I have witnessed some pitfalls in people’s zeal to protect the unborn- blind spots that harm their cause, wound women deeply connected to the issue, and injure their witness as Christians.
One such example is painful for me to relate, but important to reflect upon. Each year in October, in cities around the nation, the Life Chain forms. This is a peaceful protest on a public road that is supposed to involve pre-approved signs encouraging women and men to choose life. No words are to be spoken, and participants are to pray quietly for their nation and their cause. I asked my church if I could dispense some of these signs free of charge in the courtyard, and I was told that I could do so, but only if the signs were positive in nature (i.e.- encouraging adoption, etc.). It was very important that I approach this endeavor in a respectful way, encouraging people to choose life, but in no way shaming or intimidating. The position of the church is that of the Bible- that all life is sacred. It supports the defending of the unborn, but it is not a political entity and as such is very thoughtful about the methods of doing so. Additionally, the church has a very important post-abortion ministry, and nothing I did should impact its effectiveness. Of course I appreciated and respected these guidelines, and I agreed. A woman from the church who felt passionately about the issue offered to assist me, so we set up our little booth. She also knew the church’s guidelines. I feel confident that she will not likely read this blog as I have not communicated with or seen her since that day, and I will leave her unnamed.
I have passed out signs for years in different locations and never had an issue, but this particular year was different. The woman who had offered to help me was passionate, but her tactics did not leave much room for anyone who disagreed with her. I had a hard and fast rule that I would allow people to come to me if they were interested. Instead, she aggressively called out to passersby. She repeatedly tried to hand a sign to a small child, disregarding his mother’s request that she not do so. Another woman came over thinking we were part of a different charitable event. When she saw our signs, she had an instant, negative reaction. I understand that these signs- even positive ones- are going to have an emotional effect on people who may have had an abortion, are considering one, or who have someone in their life who has had one. She said she was not interested in what we were handing out, and I thanked her and told her to have a good day. My “assistant” started arguing with her, asking her repeatedly as she tried to make an escape why she had a problem with saving lives, etc. At this point, I was horrified. I felt like this was harassment. I felt that the woman who was actively running away as she was assaulted with accusatory questions was the very woman we would have hoped to reach through love and understanding. I knew that was exactly what the church had NOT wanted to happen. On the opposite end of the spectrum, moments later, a pro-life congregant came over and engaged me in an argument, demanding to know why my signs did not express the true brutality of the issue. I explained our mission and expressed that he was welcome to find a sign more in line with his thinking, but that these were provided by me under the guidelines of the church, and for that reason they would be positive in nature.
At the end of the day, I was exhausted. My assistant tried to convince me to accompany her to protest at an abortion clinic the following day. As I am not personally comfortable with that approach, and as I could not think of a more inappropriate companion for that quest, I turned her down and explained my reasoning. At the end of it all, she had had enough of me, and I had had enough of dispensing signs with her. The entire experience did not make me rethink my pro-life position- as that is deeply rooted in a belief in the value of all life- but it certainly made me look introspectively at the methods that some of my compatriots are employing in a cause that requires both passion AND compassion.
On one level, I understand the desperation of my unnamed assistant. She believes that every day, lives are being taken- brutally in many cases- and that people are turning a blind eye to the atrocities. I believe that, too. The difference is that she seemed to see ONLY the lives being taken and not the lives that find themselves in an unspeakable situation. Additionally, the way in which she is trying to save those lives is very possibly harming her cause and alienating anyone who might possibly agree with her. It is very probably standing in the way of what should be her most important cause- sharing Christ’s message. If I did not know her, and I did not know Christ, after that interaction I would not want to know either.
I use this example because it is personal, but I encourage anyone reading this to think of examples on their side of the aisle. If you are a Christian- particularly one who is politically active- can your opponents tell that? Worse yet, do they think your negative behavior IS an example of Christianity? I do not relay this story to encourage people not to be politically active, and it is the last thing I intend to tell people to throw up their hands and ignore injustices because some people misrepresent their cause. What I do want to encourage is for each one of us who claims the name of Christian to keep fighting for things we believe to be injustices in our society, but to remember the people on the other side of them. Who can we win over if we hurt them, or shame them, or ridicule them? When we are trying to get our point across, are we using facts or accusations? Even if we are using facts, are we wielding them as weapons or sharing important information? Are we insulting and mocking the political leadership we disagree with instead of pointing out where we think it is flawed? Are we locking ourselves into our echo chambers as we pat ourselves on the back, looking down on those on the other side, and forgetting that we are all children of God?
We have all heard the hackneyed expression that with power comes responsibility, but it is true. In a free nation, we all have some degree of power. If we are going to try to use that power- the power to affect law- for good, then we need to make sure we are not doing bad in the process. It is quieter, and slower, and less flashy to appeal to reason over emotion and to be respectful instead of confrontational, but it is more likely to win us converts to our cause. More importantly, it is less likely to lose us converts to God’s cause.
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Jackie Chea is a blogger from San Antonio, Texas who holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Community Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She writes on political and cultural issues from a conservative, religious standpoint. She lives in the Lone Star State with her husband Nick, her 5-year-old son Lincoln, and her rescue dogs. |
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