Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What Kind of Church Accepts Dr. George Tiller?
The Kansas City Star ^ | June 7, 2009 - 11:29am. | By Barb Shelly

Posted on 06/07/2009 2:56:42 PM PDT by lewisglad

News of Dr. George Tiller's death was only hours old last week when bloggers began asking the question: What kind of church accepts a doctor who performs abortions into its membership?

"I wonder what kind, if any, preaching against sin this church did since Tiller felt welcomed there," opined Blue Collar Todd, who declares on his blog that "liberalism, or sometimes called progressivism, is a false religion that stands in total antithesis to biblical Christianity."

Todd has already made up his mind, and so have others who called or e-mailed me this week to criticize a column I wrote describing the desperate circumstances that brought people to Wichita to obtain late-term abortions.

But I'll take a swing at the pitch anyway.

What kind of church would embrace George Tiller? A church that believes the creator endowed human beings with both conscience and intelligence, to enable us to wrestle with the complicated questions. A church that recognizes that one's relationship with that creator can't be dictated by a central authority, or proscribed by a narrow list of rules.

Tiller's church, Reformation Lutheran in Wichita, Kan., is one that trusts its members with the freedom to decide on matters of conscience. It holds that a choice made for good reasons and in good faith does not separate a human being from God.

Some call this "relativism," and blame it for a decline in morals and corruption of society.

I call it freedom. And, as with the right of a woman to decide on what terms to bring a child into the world, we should be vigilant against anyone or anything that would take it away.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.kansascity.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortionist; barbshelly; churchofmolech; elca; fauxchristians; lutherans; moralrelativism; prolife; religiousleft; tiller
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 161-177 next last
To: Sherman Logan
It holds that a choice made for good reasons and in good faith does not separate a human being from God.

Sincerity does NOT trump all.

There's nowhere in the Bible that God says that as long as one is sincere, that's OK, it'll get you into heaven.

101 posted on 06/07/2009 5:57:27 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: trumandogz; BykrBayb; narses; wagglebee
Not worse, but illegal and for the time being abortion in legal in this country. And when abortion is made illegal abortionists and the women who seek abortions will be committing a crime.

While I'm not familiar with all the abortion laws in each state, I was under the impression that the late term abortions that Tiller was doing were illegal.

I pinged some others who might have an idea on that.

Murder is illegal and the doctors and women who participate in them are morally wrong, legal or not.

Abortion is the only kind of murder that is permitted in this country, so it's kind of a contradiction, declaring murder illegal and abortion legal

102 posted on 06/07/2009 6:09:47 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: metmom; trumandogz; BykrBayb; narses

Tiller and the other partial-birth abortionists get around the partial-birth abortion ban by getting another doctor to agree that the woman’s life is at risk.


103 posted on 06/07/2009 6:13:03 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 102 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad
A church that recognizes that one's relationship with that creator can't be dictated by a central authority, or proscribed by a narrow list of rules.

What? The Ten Commandments isn't good enough? Guess "Thou Shalt Not Shed Innocent Blood" is mighty inconvenient for the ECLA, huh Barb?

104 posted on 06/07/2009 6:22:03 PM PDT by pray4liberty (http://www.foundersvalues.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

For a nice little kickback, no doubt.


105 posted on 06/07/2009 6:26:11 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 103 | View Replies]

To: guitarplayer1953
A church full of greasy grace and no sanctification.

A Church more concerned with looking good rather than being good. Lukewarm.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16

106 posted on 06/07/2009 6:27:31 PM PDT by pray4liberty (http://www.foundersvalues.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: ResponseAbility
Do you affirm to them that you screwed up and that you do not endorse the sin? If so you are repentant and do not need to be shunned. Perhaps counseled and/or exhorted if you involved other congregants.

In my church, the sacrament of confession is a private thing. In fact, if the man hearing the confession dared breath a word of it in public, even to the person who confessed the sin, that man would be immediately removed from the clergy.

A public confession of sins is not a requirement in my church. Nor should it be.

107 posted on 06/07/2009 6:39:13 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: mrmeangenes

“More” does not imply “equivalence.” “More” does not mean “equal to.” “More” means “greater than.”

I never accused you of using the word “more” to mean “equally.” I think when you used the word “more” you meant “more.”

So now you’ve denied that you meant something that no one suggested you meant, with the possible exception of a kind freeper who offered you an alibi. But in the process, you have confirmed that you did indeed mean just what you said.

You are wrong. Dead wrong. Tiller was not greater than 60,000 babies.


108 posted on 06/07/2009 6:47:35 PM PDT by BykrBayb (Fight the bastards or perish! ~ Jim Robinson ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

I believe I belong to the same church........but then again so does Ted Kennedy.


109 posted on 06/07/2009 6:52:13 PM PDT by tioga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: tioga
.....but then again so does Ted Kennedy.

And we pray for his conversion before he succumbs to his cancer.

110 posted on 06/07/2009 7:06:25 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Amen.


111 posted on 06/07/2009 7:08:17 PM PDT by tioga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: metmom
Abortion is the only kind of murder that is permitted in this country...

If that were true, it would be horrific enough, but it's worse.

There were various elements to Terri Schiavo's murder which were unique and brought her story to the forefront, but there was nothing unique about the fact that she was starved and dehydrated to death for the "crime" of having a severe brain injury.

People with brain injuries are routinely starved and dehydrated to death, in every one of these United States. See my profile page for more details.

112 posted on 06/07/2009 7:16:17 PM PDT by BykrBayb (Fight the bastards or perish! ~ Jim Robinson ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 102 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Then how does the congregation know that you screwed up?


113 posted on 06/07/2009 7:48:27 PM PDT by ResponseAbility (Government tends to never fix the problems it creates in the first place)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: pray4liberty
I would venture to say it is a very cold and spiritually dead building body.
114 posted on 06/07/2009 7:49:24 PM PDT by guitarplayer1953 (Psalm 83:1-8 is on the horizon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Concerning this church’s acceptance of Tiller , two verses come to mind.
2 Thessalonians 3:6, Now we command your, brethren, int he name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

2 Thessalonians 3:14, And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.


115 posted on 06/07/2009 7:49:39 PM PDT by BeckB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mrmeangenes

Do you really talk like that?


116 posted on 06/07/2009 7:50:09 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's even tougher when you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: woofie
"Isnt there something in the bible that says sinners should not go to church?"

We are all sinners but not all of use have been redeemed.

117 posted on 06/07/2009 7:55:36 PM PDT by guitarplayer1953 (Psalm 83:1-8 is on the horizon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb

OK, at the moment, for all practical purposes. It does happen, but it hasn’t reached the legal *right* in all 50 states that abortion has.

I forgot about the euthanasia movement, which is gaining steam.


118 posted on 06/07/2009 8:05:32 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
No, there is no shunning. The church confronts the errant member. If he/she is unrepentant, or unreliably reformed after time, as demonstrated by evidence, it is the duty of the church to tell that person they gotta go...for the spiritual health of the rest, and the soundness of the church.

And there is much wisdom in this...similar to a man who is rotten to his wife for 28 years, fools around, says 'sorry' to the wife, and demands to come back home. It behooves the wife to let him be lonely for a long while: he'll either repent, strengthen through suffering, and learn the value of what is lost...or end up in the gutter where he was headed anyway. If she let's him come home without the 'cleansing' and new, real commitment, it is bad for both...and the kids, too. Change takes time and lonliness. Desperate loneliness. And an ability to part with selfishness, pride and impatience that gets a guy to that place to begin with; and a giving-up of the self-directed life....acknowledging that there is One who knows better. And breaking is the only way to start back to sanity in-earnest.

Like that. That's what to do. Tough love.

A church is an extended family, bound by spirit, not flesh. Like-dynamics apply to both, I reckon.

Not at all what you're trying to twist things into, by whatever motivates you.

119 posted on 06/07/2009 8:13:47 PM PDT by dasboot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: imahawk

I talk in all sorts of ways to all sorts of people.


120 posted on 06/07/2009 8:18:36 PM PDT by mrmeangenes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 116 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140 ... 161-177 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson