Feb 16 2011

“Prosperity Gospel” for Christian institutions? Part 4

Category: Uncategorizedharmonicminer @ 9:11 am

The previous posts in this series are here, here, and here, and are essential background for understanding what follows.

The first three posts in this series were to set the table, so to speak, for the videos posted over the last few days from the Manhattan Declaration website and the Planned Parenthood videos, showing Planned Parenthood employees essentially enabling human trafficking, sex crimes, and underage prostitution.  If you missed them, they immediately precede this post, or you can click the links above.

It seems that human trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation, has eclipsed abortion as a major concern of some Christian non-profits and churches, especially some Christian colleges and universities, and some churches that are busy moving or staying left, whether they are “emerging” or were simply left/liberal to start with.

As demonstrated by the videos referenced above, there is considerable irony in this, since the easy availability of abortion is one of the enabling factors for human-trafficking pimps.

Should your Christian organization that is justifiably concerned about human trafficking also be just as concerned and visible in its opposition to legal abortion-on-demand?  But you see, there’s a small problem with this.  In the modern media and academic environment, it’s not popular to take a strong stand about legal abortion-on-demand, because it is very clear that one political party is essentially for it, while the other is essentially against it.  That is simply an uncomfortable fact, an “inconvenient truth,” if you will.  Uncomfortable, that is, for those who want to court the left, for those who want to say that while they are “pro-life”, abortion-on-demand is really a political issue, and not an appropriate focus for Christian non-profits with other fish to fry.

Does your church or para-church organization pride itself on its commitment to “justice,” or even “social justice,” with annual workshops, conferences, presentations, etc., which focus on human trafficking?  Does your organization expend as much effort on reducing abortion, by educating people about its realities, by providing support for women in “crisis” pregnancy (and after birth of a child), and also working to change the laws that allow abortion for essentially any reason at any time in the pregnancy?

Have the leaders of your organization signed the Manhattan Declaration, surely one of the most ecumenical of documents? If not, why not?  Ask yourself, with what public policy initiatives does your organization ally itself?  What is different about those public policy aims and the aims of the Manhattan Declaration?

If, upon closer examination, you notice that those aims seem to be identifiable with the left, you have your answer.

Which leads to even bigger questions, doesn’t it?

5 Responses to ““Prosperity Gospel” for Christian institutions? Part 4”

  1. innermore says:

    I certainly agree, throw’em all in jail; especially the nurse. But legal abortion as an enabling factor for pimps? A very very minor factor at most. Look at the abortion laws of some of the largest sex-trafficking Meccas on earth. Thailand, Brazil, Israel, Western Europe. The laws vary widely, for and against. Obviously a sex-slavemaster doesn’t much care how legally or humanely the marketability of the “merchandise” is maintained.

  2. harmonicminer says:

    Talking about the USA. And pimps DO care if their victims get pregnant, and/or stay pregnant, everywhere/when. So easy abortion access is an enabling factor. Didn’t claim anything else, certainly not that making abortion illegal would stop human trafficking.

    Bigger point: Christian institutions that focus on human trafficking and ignore abortion are selling a half-truth at best, and it’s usually because they are not willing to be associated with the political right, which is against BOTH human trafficking and abortion.

    You can tell a lot about people, and organizations, by what they don’t talk about.

  3. kdippre says:

    I’m very curious now. What is APU’s official position on abortion? Is there one at all?

  4. harmonicminer says:

    Generally when I want to know how a church or para-church institution really feels/thinks on an issue, I just search their website.

    For abortion, search for:

    abortion
    prolife
    pro-life
    “sanctity of life”
    “right to life”
    prochoice
    pro-choice
    fetus
    baby
    “fetal development”

    It doesn’t take long, and is very instructive. The reason for searching several ways is to pick up phrases that might be on the topic.

    Then search for “creation care”, “global warming”, “medical care” and “human trafficking” along with maybe something like “immigrant rights”.

    You’ll get a flavor of the institution’s dialog, what they talk about clearly, what they sort of slide around, what they just don’t talk about much, what they are “moderate” about, and so on.

  5. innermore says:

    Why, after generations of Herculean attempts, has no satisfactory solution been found for the dillemic tragedy of abortion? Justifiably exasperated, many attempters seem content to just lay in their foxholes and snipe at each other these days. I think (and the spirited rebuke I will surely receive from you in saying this will to confirm) that all passion on this overly super-chargeable topic, by definition, can never cease. Therefore both “sides” can never “win”, never compromise, and never resolve. I know: never say never. But if hard-headed stalemate seems the case here, then maybe some are thinking it’s time to step away from it for awhile. Let some fresh minds get a crack at it.

    I know this line of thinking isn’t workable, because I agree it isn’t healthy (or popular) for Christian organizations to be perceived by their peers as settling for less controversial morality issues for the sake of secular popularity. But could you at least consider that some of these otherwise vigorous activists might be turning away from this issue at this point because of exhaustion, too?

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