*Edited - content added.
(The title of this post refers to an old Amy Grant song, actually written by 60s folk singer, Janis Ian, which I've included at the bottom of this post with lyrics.)
So another fertility clinic has stopped doing IVF treatments after the Alabama SC ruling.
Apparently, the basis for this ruling is preventing embryos from being destroyed, even though they're only destroyed if there is a problem with the fertilization and the embryo is not viable anyway; otherwise, all are inserted in hopes of even one attaching to the uterus instead of being sloughed out.
I read in the NYT today, that even most anti-abortion, Christian Republicans find this ruling strange, as well as government overreach.
You know, not everybody is a Christian - and preventing couples from having children because the woman has had trouble getting pregnant and/or miscarrying is NOT the way to draw more people to Christ!
In fact, it's a sure-fire way to "shut the door of kingdom of heaven in people's faces," as Christ warned the Pharisees about.
Also, you're enforcing just your interpretations of the bible onto everyone - which is what many of our ancestors came to America to escape from!
So also in that NYT article, I'm reading the asinine things that a few if my overly-literal fellow Christians are saying, and so I'm really questioning their ability to understand the bible, and why they continually fail to negate the entire NT and Christ's own words in favor of the OT.
But then again, even Paul had trouble with that, after Christ. He kept waffling between OT law and Christ, often choosing OT law to please the Pharisees, to keep himself alive longer (which is something Christ would never do.)
But they're saying things like quoting Proverbs 31-8: “Speak up for those who have no voice.”
Erm - do you think Solomon meant only those who are mute or unborn children?
Pretty sure he did NOT mean just people literally without a physical voice, but also poor, oppressed, vulnerable people without representation or power, and Christ, our actual Messiah, said the same, by the way.And particularly in this case, what about speaking up for WOMEN, of both political parties, who had no voice in this?!?
But instead, you vilify and scapegoat these groups without power or money for all societal problems, now even making up stories to make it appear that they do have power and rule the world, trying to justify your racism, classism, and bigotry?!?Why do y'all continually quote the OT and negate Christ, when you do merciless stuff like this, misapplying/failing to apply these verses equally and fairly?
Then I read Chief Justice Parker's own words, on some backwoods Tennessee preacher's broadcast say: “Life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.”
Of course quoting the OT and Genesis that life was created in God's image, but then added his own stuff, like"Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”
Really?
Where is that in the bible, exactly?
Yes, we were made in God's image, but that doesn't make US holy; otherwise, why would there be a choice to to choose God and Christ or not?Do you mean the lives of people of color, too?
Jews and Muslims, too?
Do you mean killing by taking part in wars that we have no business being in and dirty actions we've taken like killing even innocent citizens trying to win these wars?
Do you mean the death penalty?
Because I don't think you do, based on how you vote.
Where IS God's wrath for destroying life, because I haven't seen it?
In fact, no one has seen God's wrath since the Old Testament, and there may be a NT scriptural reason for that (see verse below).
Also, he doesn't seem to actually intervene with justice, and Christ never promised he would - just that we should seek it.
But since y'all are such fans of the OT and Paul re-adhering to it, here is one possible reason why nobody has seen God's fire-and-brimstone wrath since the Old Testament:
"Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Believe me, I would looovvve to see God's wrath myself, on some people - particularly people that act as if they are speaking for God , twist scripture for their own selfish purposes, and do horrible things in Christ's name - but that ain't gonna happen, because God, in his infinite mercy and grace, gave us Christ to pay the price, and thus we have a choice, right up until the very end.
So even IF these couples are sinning with IVF - which no one has proven to us they are, that's not supported anywhere in scripture without twisting it - then all we need to do is ask forgiveness.
There is no imminent societal danger at large, here, there are no victims, so no need for state or federal law - these people are just seeking assistance at starting a family, a "sin" born out of love, if you will, and it is God who determines the consequence for such sins, not us - no need for a law.
Also, don't forget that though Jesus paid the price of redemption from God's wrath, there is no scriptural passage in the bible that God has claimed his dominion over the earth just yet; in fact, quite the opposite, according to numerous scriptures, and further explained in Revelations.
In fact, Revelations itself is entirely a metaphoric vision. So the infamous "mark of the beast" of "666" isn't literally accepting a mark of 666, it's a human choice to follow fake ideology.
Think of the Nazi regime in more modern times as being an example of the concept of "Babylon."
*Aside - Revelations says "Babylon" will be represented by three entities or spirits, like an unholy trinity - and John does NOT explicitly say whether or not they will have a physical form, but that they are spirits - the Antichrist, the Whore of Babylon, and the Beast - but they are all part of the same spirit, just like the Holy Trinity.
Because basically, at the time, Babylonians did not believe in an afterlife and thus all punishment for "sin" was swift and merciless, whereas Christ said that all law "should hang on love" and promised an afterlife.
"Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
Who can say, but regardless, it is God who determines what is light and dark, what is sin, and what the consequences should be - especially with "sins" that are born out of love, since Christ commanded that all law should hang on love.
Which brings us back to my point - how arrogant are YOU, Alabama SC, vainly imagining that you have the authority to speak for God, twisting OT scripture to your own strange personal interpretation of scripture into state law?
Your job is to render justice - NOT "provide God's wrath," based on your personal interpretation of scripture.
Christ said that all of the law and the prophets should hang on love - and he specifically defied or repudiated OT scripture that did not.
If you're such a believer in basing all current government laws on the bible, where is Christ's call for love in this ruling?
Also, if you're not viewing the bible as an evolutionary piece of work from OT to NT - separating out our Messiah Christ's words from all other humans - then you'll stay perpetually confused when reading it.
The bible evolved along with humans, Ladies and Gentlemen, and in my opinion, we shouldn't stagnate and stay in either testament, but continue in Christ's ideology of all the law should be based on love.
In writing this, I am reminded of an old Amy Grant song, actually written by 60s folk musician, Janis Ian, called "What About the Love?"
The song is encouraging us to speak up for the powerless, but to be careful in rendering judgement without love and mercy, because all of us are only saved by grace.
LYRICS
I went to see my sister
She was staying with a friend
Who had turned into a preacher
To save the world from sin
He said, "First deny your body
And then learn to submit
Pray to be made worthy
And tithe your ten percent"
I said, "Is this all there is
Just the letter of the law?
Something's wrong" ...
I went to see my brother
On the 32nd floor
Of a building down on Wall Street
You could hear the futures roar
He said, "Here we make decisions
And we trade commodities
If you tell me where there's famine
I can make you guarantees"
I said, "Is this all there is
Power to the strong?
Something's wrong" ...
Something's wrong in heaven tonight
You can almost hear them cry
Angels to the left and the right
Saying, "What about the love?
What about the love?
What about the love?"
I went to see my neighbor
He'd been taken to a home
For the weak and the discarded
Who have no place to go
He said, "Here I lack for nothing
I am fed and I am clothed
But at times I miss the freedom
I used to know"
I said, "Is this all there is
When your usefulness is gone?
Something's wrong" ...
Something's wrong in heaven tonight (Something's wrong)
You can almost hear them cry (Cry)
Angels to the left and the right
Saying, "What about the love?
What about the love?
What about the love?"
I looked into the mirror, (Yeah)
Proud as I could be, (Yeah)
And I saw my pointing finger (Yeah)
Pointing back at me,
Saying, "Who named you accuser? (Yeah)
Who gave you the scales?" (Yeah)
I hung my head in sorrow; (Yeah)
I could almost feel the nails
I said, "This is how it is
To be crucified and judged
Without love"
Something's wrong in heaven tonight. (Something's wrong)
You can almost hear them cry (Cry)
Angels to the left and the right,
Saying, "What about the love?"
What about the love?
What about the love of God?"
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