Thursday, 21 August 2008
-
Abrasive Ministry Style- Does it Work or Does it Scare?
by revelifecrew
We receive quite a few messages from people asking for help with certain issues, and oftentimes, we're not sure how to relate or answer the person's question - which is where you guys come in! Every Thursday, we feature a reader's problem/question and leave it open for you guys to offer your two cents. Please feel free to message us here for advice! It can be about anything from parents, to keeping up with devotionals, to unwanted suitors, to difficulty praying without falling asleep. Don't worry, we'll keep you anonymous.Today's post is about a sensitive topic. Please be respectful of each other's differences and be civil when expressing your opinion.
The Woodward Dream Cruise just rolled through Metro-Detroit this past Saturday, and an estimated 40,000 classic cars converged onto a 16-mile stretch of Woodward. With all the horrible things happening in our city this summer, the Dream Cruise is one of our few remaining bright-spots.Unfortunately, a small group of pro-life Evangelists has been viewed locally as casting a shadow on the sunny-day, and even brought their own "special" vehicle: a van covered in color-photographs of aborted babies. They also carry picket-signs with similar gruesome pictures. In 2006, a group of them were arrested for picketing at the Super Bowl our city hosted.
They are highly controversial in Metro-Detroit, especially among the Christian community. I had happened to catch one of the activists on a Christian-radio broadcast last Thursday (August 14), and as I listened to the callers, I noticed they all had the same opinion: this is a good message, but it was the wrong way and the wrong place to get it out.
The pro-life group argues that the Cruise is the perfect forum for getting their message out; they say abortion is too much "swept under the rug." Okay, but at such a high-profile event...and in such a grotesque, vivid way? Does this even work? Michael Mattia, who heads up this small group, doesn't know. He says there isn't a way to measure their activities.
Beyond the perceived blight, however, it's an embarrassment. Even Believers are saying that this group is "a bunch of fanatical Christians who reflect poorly on the entire faith." Their actions seem too abrasive for a group of people who are supposed to be loving. Additionally, for all the Christian criticism of their actions, I have to wonder why this group isn't heeding the advice of their Church family.
All I can imagine is a woman who had an abortion 20 years ago, who has felt the guilt and shame of the act, has come to Jesus and repented. Now put her on Woodward in front of one of those images. How could she not immediately think of her child? Yes, God has forgiven her, but she still carries with her the knowledge of her actions.
I was talking to someone in Birmingham today about this, and she told me the van is parked beside the road near an abortion clinic (I believe) which she passes every day on her way into work. She told me she's even seen people on their knees, facing the building, praying. At first, she said she was horribly offended and angered; now, she merely views them with disgust.
I personally feel this is a counter-productive method of ministry. I feel it's too abrasive, and surely there must be a better way of getting this important message out. One caller to the radio program told how she chose adoption over abortion, and would the group please try having women holding up large pictures of their young children with their adopted-families. Why not have child holding a sign that says, "I was adopted, not aborted." I think this might be just as impactful, and certainly less crazy-Evangelical-fanatic.How do you, a group of Christians and non-Christians alike, feel about this style of ministry? What other ways could this group go about getting their message across?
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (72)
Though there may be a time and place to show pictures of aborted babies, I'm not sure that placing those pictures on a van is the right way or the right timing. I'm sure that it does get a lot of attention.
I am against doing all of these demonstrations, though. The Bible says they (the world) will know we are Christians by our love. How many of those people love the women who are going to have those babies (who may choose to abort them?) Sure, the pro-lifers say that they are speaking up for the unborn and they must protect their rights, have they forgotten that they must reach the mother first and graphic images are probably not going to work? (Don't get me wrong...we should protect the rights of the unborn.) These women, sometimes young girls are scared and unsure what to do. Or maybe they see the baby as an inconvenience. Whatever their reasoning you must reach their heart, take an active interest in their life, help them with placing their child up for adoption if that is what they choose. But most importantly, pray for the salvation of these women, because without the Spirit of God working in their hearts and without obedience to God if they are saved, they won't necessarily make the right decision.
As for solutions to get the message across...get involved in your community. Teach everyone, children especially about God, His love, and the love that He gives His children that is meant to be given to others. We should teach the value of every life and give help to those who find themselves in the middle of an unwanted pregnancy.
I support these types of ministries.
They are no different than how people preached the gospel in Scripture.
Why should today be any different?
The Messiah wasn't exactly welcomed with opened arms either, you know. He offended people. Tremendously.
@captain_jaq@xanga - I
am a Christian and I have the exact same concerns you have when you
suggest scenarios. that is why I've struggled for such a long time with
the "you're Christian you have to be pro-life you have to be
republican, outlaw abortion!"
on the one hand, I believe that
life ... God-breathed, soul-filled life ... begins at conception.
so I struggle with the idea that if God allowed the conception to take
place, then He intends a purpose for this child - even if that purpose
is mental retardation, disability, whatever. the very human part of me
says "how unfair for such a disease to be part of that person's life
forever!" I'm like the people in John 9 who wanted to know who was
being punished, the blind man or his parents. and Jesus says "Neither,
but that God may be glorified." and I think, what kind of glorification
could come from that?!? I don't know. something. because I believe He
is all good and all Love.
on the other hand, when it comes to the
legislative end of it, who am I to say what decision every other woman
in any potential situation should choose? should I be able to say that
she shouldn't have a choice?
the conclusion I have come to is
that I shall let the process decide. I have (maybe too much) faith in
the American system of government that I get to vote my morals, and
anyone else who votes gets to vote their morals, and the decision will
be made as it will be made, and I will be content with that.
• • •
...
dealing with individuals is a whole different topic, and to follow
what's been said above... it's about love, forgiveness and healing for
those who've already chosen abortion, not condemnation. that's not our
jobs. and for those who haven't, let's bond together to present
alternatives, to offer support, to offer love.
To me it's very inappropriate and isn't loving at all. I am pro-life and Christian, but if one is wanting to persuade someone to changing their views, then in your face scare tactics like this are the WRONG way of doing it. Yes abortion is violent and horrific...but it doesn't need to be displayed in such a manner to get that point across.
Back when the baby was thought to be a blob of tissue or a glob of cells that looked just like a chicken embryo, even at 3 months, I was all about getting pictures out to inform the public of what was really happening. I was also young and a bit overenthusiastic about it at the time.
But now that the developmental phases of children en vitro are readily available to all, there seems to be little reason to put the gore out there, especially since it does more harm than good, more violence than healing or informing.
At one point in my pro-life activism (I was young at the time) it dawned on me that I had no business telling a woman that she shouldn't abort her baby unless I was willing to help her deal with the pregnancy, birth and care of the baby. So my focus turned to supporting pregnancy centers and the like where it remains today. I do occasionally discuss the logic, or lack thereof, behind determining when a life has value, but I don't get heated like I used to. Heat has never convinced anyone of any truth.
It reminds me of the Mojo Nixon/Jello Biafra song "Will the Fetus Be Aborted"
Kathy had two
Kids already
And an abortion
Is what she chose
Christian showed her
A bloody fetus
She said "That's fine
I'll have one of those."
Oh will the fetus
Be aborted
By and by Lord
By and by
There's a better
Home awaiting
In the sky Lord
In the sky...
I don't mind seeing these kinds of pictures being shown,but to do it in places where there are little children is just wrong. I believe abortion is an act of human selfishness and an escape of responsibilities. If people don't want children then they should not do things that will lead up to that point. I am not talking about situations where the woman is raped or her life is in danger, I can't justify those situations in either way since I haven't gone through it or have it happen to someone I know of and I don't want it to ever. Abortion is just a convenience way for people to keep continuing the life they want without responsibilities as a parent. At least that is what I think.
it's absolutely disgusting. the way you deliver a message is just as important as the messenger itself.
@xapatotheworld - It all sounded pretty reasonable up until the 'their morality is just a mediocre copy of true morality' part.
@edire@xanga - Fundamentalism is a blight on the world, but you don't see me walking around outside churches carrying huge photos of televangelists.
To be honest, I think I'd feel dirty even coming close to such a photo.
When I was young, my uncle was a heavy smoker. Every day I saw him, I told him he had to stop smoking, it was bad for him and it would kill him. Until I was older, I didn't realize how much this hurt his feelings and wore on him. Now as an adult, I keep my opinions to myself. It's not like people who smoke DON'T KNOW that it's bad for them.
Just like people who have abortions KNOW that the baby is not going to live. They KNOW. They get that it's not going to be pretty, that it might affect them morally, emotionally, physically. THEY GET IT ALREADY. But you don't have to shove hurtful pictures in their faces and tell them that they are going to hell. It's most likely they've gone through enough making the decision.
Furthermore, people should keep their opinions of abortion to themselves. In the end we have the choice of what we do with our body, to argue against that argues against a great many laws and many morals. Think about it.
Groups like this are part of the reason I can't find my place in Christianity.
I have two points for each extreme. First, for the crazy fundamentalists:
1. I hate the image this gives non-Christians of the rest of us Christians, and I hate the image this gives "pro-choice" people of us non-violent pro-life people. Christians are supposed to love. EVERYONE. It's a difficult concept to grasp, I know, but this is the way it's supposed to be. Attacking people over their sins is not the right way. In God's eyes, sin is sin. Period. There is no degree of sin. Everyone sins, and just because you're a Christian and have taken the advantage of Jesus's gift for us all, doesn't make you better than anyone else. You must remember that you do not deserve salvation, it's a gift, from God, because He loves you. It's your choice to accept that gift, but you are not by any means earning it. "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. " Ephesians 2:8-9
2. I would be devastated and revolted to see these things. It's not only women who've had abortions who would be upset by this. What about women who are or have been pregnant? What about women with their own babies? What about--and this is the kicker for me--women who've lost babies? Who've had miscarriages? What about them? What about the horror and misery these images would bring back for them? Women who were happily expecting a child only to have lost it for unknown NATURAL reasons? Or from abuse. It's a feeling that never totally goes away, and things like this would bring that back to the surface, and these women aren't even the targets for such a "ministry." It doesn't take much to bring it to my mind, though I now have a living child to love and adore.
Second, for the pro-abortionists:
3. When it's often so difficult for women who want children to get pregnant and stay that way, who are you, blessed with a child, to throw that away? Why not pass your blessing on to someone who can't have their own child? Even a child of rape is still an innocent baby, it isn't the baby's fault you were in the wrong place at the wrong time when someone decided they wanted to do something terrible to you. I can understand not wanting to see the face of an attacker in your child every day, but you could still give the baby a loving home with someone who doesn't have that association with him/her. The baby is just as much a victim as you are and doesn't deserve to be punished for it. There are many people out there who would gladly adopt such a child. There is no such thing as an unwanted child. There is always someone willing to love them. And "pro-choice?" I think this term only applies to those who were raped. The rest of you made your choice when you decided to have unsafe sex if you didn't want a baby. I think the proper term should be "pro-abortion." You want the choice of what to do with your body, and you have that right; you've made that choice already, but you have no right over the body of the child inside you. That body belongs to that child, who should be allowed to make his/her own choices when the time comes. But so many never get the chance.
4. Every time a woman chooses to have an abortion, the world loses a child who could've been someone great. What if we've lost the mind who was destined to find the cure for cancer? What if Mary had had an abortion? Where would the world be then? Think of all the potential that's being killed off! What if there was only one chance for that cure for cancer to be found, but the one person who would've been in the right place at the right time to take advantage of that chance had been killed in the womb? Just a little food for thought.
Ok, I think that's it. I'm done. <(^_^)^
It ruins their reputation and the reputations of those who have faith. As a result it just distorts and warps their cause.
They shouldn't have been so gruesome, and they shouldn't have been so rude to ruin a good day for people. If they want to get across their message, they need to stop the gruesome elitist bullshit and act like they really care about the cause instead of caring whether or not they get publicity.
@walkintotheseaaa@xanga - well, then don't look for a place in Christianity. Look for your place in Jesus...everything else wll fall into place.
Since this is about the delivery of a message and not the message itself, I will not go into the topic of abortion.
The aborted baby photos tend to have no positive effects. In general, people are either disgusted and thus driven further from your cause, or desensitized by the display, thus it loses it's emotional impact. The only ones that even approach the demonstrators are those who have become desensitized to the imagery and are more likely to talk about the imagery rather than the topic at hand.
That's gross.
@xapatotheworld - One of the most intelligent things I've heard lately.
@PING_DA_ROBOT_GIRL@xanga - I do agree with you, pretty much completely. In fact, I agree with your views on every situation/idea you wrote about. But what about women who are told that they could die or be permantently greatly disabled during their pregnancy? Or that their babies will be stillborn? Or that they are for sure going to die immediately after birth due to a defect they can already spot? Should the woman be forced to carry that child to term, putting unbearable emotional and possibly physical stress on her? In these situations, I feel that abortion should at least be kept as an option. Maybe you feel that way, but you left that out. I just felt compelled to ask.
I also worry that more coat hanger abortions and self-induced miscarriages will occur if abortion is outlawed, but that's another issue.
My problem with the graphic display of "evangelism" is the simple fact that I have a child. About two years ago I passed a van with such painting and thank God I was still carrying my child. It would terrorize him to have seen that. Maybe adults can handle it, but children can't. I think that there needs to be information available (The Silent Scream video, for example, I've heard is quite moving), but parking such a van in a public place, much less at a family event, that's a bit much.
And I'd like to say for the record that I am ADAMANTLY pro-life. But we don't need to go around giving little kids nightmares.
@sheepthatsblack@xanga - I think the only way we can help is through loving relationships with them, helping them see that the message is being lost in the medium. Abortion is serious. But this is not a loving way to change it. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.
I really think the impression this leaves is legalistic - "don't be a sinner or you'll go to hell." Where is God's grace in this activity?
@PrincessOfSeptember@xanga - Very good point. Children do not need to have their innocence stolen by such images. I just realized we have a book at home with such pictures, I had better hide it before one of the kids finds it...
In fact, we had our 9 year old going to participate in Teen Pact, we were reading the book together when the topic of abortion was right there in the book, so I told him about it in an age appropriate manner. We decided not to continue in the book. I wasn't sure what it would spring on us next. Maybe when he's a teenager, which is really the target age for that program anyway, I'll reconsider. Maybe not though - if the content is overly "Neo-Con".
@walkintotheseaaa@xanga - I would be happy with overturning Roe v. Wade, to stop abortion at will. If there is danger to the mother this needs to be an option. I'm definitely pro-life and definitely would only approve in situations where the mother's health was in danger.
It probably seems like I'm totally spamming this post, but, here goes
I think this type of "evangelism" is pure manipulation. Nobody wants to be manipulated. And certainly no one comes to Christ by being "guilted" into it, that's God's work, not ours - He convicts of sin and offers the relief, we only testify to the truth. We don't go looking for specs in peoples eyes. That doesn't mean we don't stand for our beliefs, but we must speak the truth in love.
@forgottenrevelations@xanga - wouldst thou elaborate for me? :) I stand by all that I said, but I want to know why you can't take that part of it but all the rest is ok.
@walkintotheseaaa@xanga - Those sorts of things don't happen as much anymore. In fact it's very rare for a woman to die in childbirth in a developed country these days. Though there's definitely a chance of complications during abortion, like a perforated uterus or infections, sterility, all kinds of complications during later pregnancies, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, which can be fatal. There's also almost always damage to the cervix, which can cause a condition called incompetent cervix meaning it can't bear the weight of a child to full term, causing miscarriage or premature birth. And that's not even half of it. I wonder about all these complications and the fact that they can affect you the rest of your life, making it hard to have children once you want them, and just don't understand how someone could risk all of that, rather than let nature take its course. So it's not only affecting the child you're getting rid of, but yourself and any future children you may have. I still think it's wrong to kill a child, however I guess that's something you have to decide for yourself on an individual basis. If you have faith then I think you should take faith that what happens happens for a reason and just because the doctors say you'll die, doesn't mean you will. If you don't, well, then I don't know. I don't claim to have all the answers. I personally have never met a woman who had an abortion that didn't regret it, I do know that. I'm wondering if that feeling is worse than miscarriage since it was something you chose, when miscarriage is usually something you had no control over? I guess I'll never know.
As for stillbirth, that's completely different. That's not even really a part of the issue. The child is already dead, it's only safer for the mother if they remove it. And in the case of defects, I say the same as I did with danger to the mother, doctors have no way of knowing for sure. They're never a hundred percent positive. My brother was born at 26 and a half weeks. No baby had ever survived earlier than 26 weeks at the time he was born. They told my parents not to get attached, he would probably die, and if he lived he would be mentally retarded. He's fourteen now, and as indestructible as any teenage boy, and more intelligent than most of them. So I don't hold much stock in doctors' foretellings of doom. Once again it's a matter of faith or not. My aunt, when she was pregnant with one of her two youngest, was told that since she was as old as she was that she ought to have a test to see if he would have down syndrome. She refused, because the test could cause miscarriage, and she said they'd keep him and raise him as he needed even if he did have down syndrome so what was the point? And so she had him, and he's just as healthy and normal as all the rest of her five kids. I believe if there's even a chance at life (the child isn't already dead) then that chance should not be taken away.
Coat hanger abortions and self induced miscarriages, well if a woman is stupid enough to do something like that to herself then she deserves whatever consequences come of it. Period.