AMAZING GROWTH--"PRO-LIFE EVANGELICALS FOR BIDEN"
In just one day, yesterday (October 10), about 1100 new people added their signatures to the new declaration, “Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden.” That brings the total number of signatures to over 5000 in just a little more than a week!
Judging simply from the response to my blogs, it is clear that abortion is one of the key issues in 2020 for many people. The comments on my blog on this topic (“Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden”),Oct 2; “Does Abortion Trump Everything Else?”,Aug 17; and “Why I Will Vote for Joe Biden”,Aug 28) have invoked a huge number of comments. Many are negative ( often harsh and very nasty); many are supportive.
Here is what is really important. There are still many deeply committed Christians who think that perhaps they must vote for Donald Trump simply because of the issue of abortion. But many of these people are not sure! They need to hear what the pro-life evangelical leaders say in our statement, “Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden.”
THAT DOCUMENT CAN CONVINCE CHRISTIANS ON THE FENCE!
So please, share our statement (I attached it below so you can copy and paste it) with all your family, email list, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Do an oped or write a letter to your local paper. Always include the website: www.prolifeevangelicalsforbiden.com in all that you do.
This may be the most effective (at least one of the most effective) things you can do to shape the outcome on November 3. And, of course, be sure to vote.
And you can still get a copy of the book I edited to share with a friend or relative on the fence: THE SPIRITUAL DANGER OF DONALD TRUMP: 30 EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS ON JUSTICE, TRUTH AND MORAL INTEGRITY—at Amazon or the publisher at www.wipfandstock.com.
In a few days, I’ll announce new webinars on the pastor’s dilemma in an election year and how to talk to family and friends who hate your politics.
Above all, pray! I pray that all God’s people beg God to show them how to vote this year. And I pray that the outcome is shalom, well-being, for all God’s children and the earth.
And as usual invite your friends to join my free blog;ronsiderblog.substack.com.
Here is the document to share:
“AS PRO-LIFE EVANGELICALS, WE DISAGREE WITH VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM ON THE ISSUE OF ABORTION. BUT WE BELIEVE A BIBLICALLY SHAPED COMMITMENT TO THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE COMPELS US TO A CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE THAT AFFIRMS THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE FROM BEGINNING TO END.
Many things that good political decisions could change destroy persons created in the image of God and violate the sanctity of human life. Poverty kills millions every year. So does lack of healthcare and smoking. Racism kills. Unless we quickly make major changes, devastating climate change will kill tens of millions. Poverty, lack of accessible health care services, smoking, racism and climate change are all pro-life issues. As the National Association of Evangelicals’ official public policy document (FOR THE HEALTH OF THE NATION) insists, “Faithful evangelical civic engagement and witness must champion a biblically balanced agenda.“ Therefore we oppose “one issue” political thinking because it lacks biblical balance.
Knowing that the most common reason women give for abortion is the financial difficulty of another child, we appreciate a number of Democratic proposals that would significantly alleviate that financial burden: accessible health services for all citizens, affordable childcare, a minimum wage that lifts workers out of poverty.
For these reasons, we believe that on balance, Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump. Therefore, even as we continue to urge different policies on abortion, we urge evangelicals to elect Joe Biden as president."
SIGNERS
DENNIS P HOLLINGER
President emeritus
Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary
ROBERT A FRYLING
Former Publisher
InterVarsity Press
BRYANT L MYERS
Professor, Fuller Seminary
MANFRED BRAUCH
President emeritus
Palmer Theological Seminary
JOHN M PERKINS
Founder & Pres Emeritus,
The John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation
Founder, Christian Community Development Association
SAMUEL T LOGAN
President emeritus
Westminster Theological Seminary
RICHARD MOUW
President emeritus
Fuller Seminary
RONALD J SIDER
President emeritus
Evangelicals for Social Action
BRENDA SALTER MCNEIL
Reconciler, Professor, Pastor
JERUSHAH DUFORD
Speaker, author
Billy Graham's granddaughter
JOHN HUFFMAN
Board Chair emeritus
Christianity Today
RICHARD J FOSTER
Author, Celebration of Discipline
Founder, Renovare
ROBERTA HESTENES
Former President
Eastern University
CLAUDE ALEXANDER
Bishop
JOEL C HUNTER
Faith community Organizer
MYRON S
AUGSBURGER
President emeritus
Eastern Mennonite University
RAY BAKKE
Professor of Global Urban Mission
DAVID BLACK
President emeritus
Eastern University
Sign at: www.prolifeevangelicalsforbiden.com
Rod Holmes1 min
To all those who are calling this heresy because you can't vote for Biden and be a true Christian, this election isn't about policy. Biden has stated he will only be a one-term president. He isn't interested in trying to change policy. With a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, he won't be pushing a pro-choice agenda. He just wants to restore dignity to the office of the Presidency and stop the sociopath we have as a president from doing further damage to the integrity of our country. Should he win, in four years Kamala Harris will run for president and her agenda will be a radical, godless one that should be opposed by all Christians. But that is 4 years from now. Let take the Trump blinders off and vote the man out of office because he is a godless, soulless man who is only interested in promoting himself, and he's done it by catering to the religious right, pretending to be one of them. Nothing could be further from the truth and you all swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Signed, and Evangelical pastor.
Dear Brother in Christ,
5,000 signatures = more lambs led astray and “little ones” caused to stumble (see Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42-47). With your current stance upon this political issue, You ar, among many things not yet to be addressed and delineated here, are stamping upon the righteous and brave legacy, for example, of Diietrich Bonhoeffer and other of the pastors of the Confessing Church who knew well the danger of the position taken by the Lutheran ( State) Church seeking for what you et al call “biblical balance” as they sought so fervently, desperately yet so erringly and dangerously to appease Hitler and the Brown Shirts, then logically forward the Nazis.
Brothers, please, I plead with you: reconsider your thinking, more so your dangerous and wrong-headed preaching and coercive tactics: to cause to stumble is no small matter! Your pronouncement of and illogical (unethical) stance for “biblical balance” has no basis in God’s Word; rather, it is seminary’s version of what originates constantly from the “ivory towers” of sectarian IHEs—theory!
In truth, dear brothers in Christ, your current machinations ( theological or theoretical???) aimed at manipulating, thus controlling the minds and actions of fellow Believers in Jesus Christ as God Almighty and only Savior of humanity, votes in an unbiblical and ghastly, yea wicked direction (eg. close your eyes to mass murder of historical numbers in order to get government-controlled social programs) derive from your animus toward one man: Donald J. Trump, then candidate, now duly elected President because of some of his behaviors. How small-minded, yea childish; more to the point in regards to your current coercive calculations: dangerous, eternally so!!
Please, brother, re-think your erroneous, ruinous (eg “little ones”) position.
I am well aware of my failures in my journey of faith these 50+ years; well aware the damage caused by sin and rebellion and lackluster/slovenly attitude over the years. As Believers, we are/I am guilty of failing/forgetting my Savior, Who gave His All for me; but as with Peter, and multitudinous millions after know the powerful and sweet love of forgiveness! This issue brings afresh to my mind my failings—“my sins are ever before me” (ex.).
Again, dear brother, stop and consider what it is exactly that you and your fellow evangelical leaders for Biden/Harris are doing to Believers individually and, more importantly, the cause of Christ generally.
Yours faithfully on Christ,
Dr. Ronny Welborn, EdD, pHCLE