OPINION:
As the weeping and gnashing of teeth continue among abortion proponents who, by all accounts, remain in a perpetual state of indignation since the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is embarking on a bizarre act of political theater.
The progressive governor, who has what some might call an insatiable lust for advocating the availability and promotion of pregnancy termination, is placing billboards in conservative states where abortion has been restricted.
Mr. Newsom recently unveiled his billboard designs on social media, with the placards imploring women in those states to go to a California-run website to learn how to access abortion in the Golden State.
“Need an abortion?” billboards in Mississippi and Oklahoma ask. “California is ready to help.” California officials, seemingly at the behest of Mr. Newsom, also apparently wanted to serve up an unhealthy dose of confusion about biblical truth.
In fact, Mr. Newsom, who clearly sees the willful ending of unborn human heartbeats as sacrosanct, turned to the Bible for inspiration in spreading his hapless message.
The billboards contain a verse from Mark 12:31 that reads, “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.” The implication, of course, is that abortion is somehow an act of love – or, at the least, California sees itself as compassionately offering a “service” to non-resident women.
Regardless of the motivation, it’s impossible not to contort one’s face into noisy and hard to control fits of confusion when considering how many of these same abortion proponents generally self-implode over any semblance of a potential intermingling of church and state.
But a Bible verse to support abortion? It apparently receives some sort of nonsensical exemption from the typical outrage pervading the abortion discussion.
Just consider how many pro-choice activists have lamented an apparently over-Christianized Supreme Court, claiming the justices unfairly exploited their personal religious convictions to “take away a right.” Here, though, a Bible verse is used to promote the very taking of lives, and, because they agree with the cause, the crickets are deafening.
The other painful irony here is the scripture Mr. Newsom chose to include. The verse comes from Jesus himself, with the Christian savior responding to a teacher of the law who emerged to ask Christ which commandments are most important.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Newsom chose to ignore the command Jesus cited as most essential: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This verse, found in Mark 12:30 (NIV), is the pinnacle — the very core – of the Christian message.
Jesus affirms here the requirement for believers to die to self and live for the Lord. It’s a countercultural message in a world dominated by the tumorous spread of the ever-toxic “god of the self.” Abortion at every level — for the mother and the child — violates Christ’s calling.
But a culture obsessed with the needs, wants and whims of the self is incapable of comprehending that reality, unwilling to see that man’s ways aren’t always the right methods.
Using the Bible to bolster abortion and diminish the value the Lord places on every life reaches a newfound level of immorality. Relegating his creation to “clumps of cells” and other inhuman alternatives is a devilish lie that violates Christ’s first command, while imploding his second call for individuals to “love others.” Unfettered abortion isn’t only unloving for the child, but it is also a diabolical infliction upon the heart and mind of the woman and man involved.
But buckle up, because the post-truth era’s intensification means such moves to incorporate Scripture into the unthinkable and use biblical messages to prop up evil are certain to ramp up as confusion abounds and truth becomes a casualty to individual whimsies.
• Billy Hallowell is a journalist, commentator and digital TV host who has covered thousands of faith and culture stories. He is the director of content and communications at Pure Flix, and previously served as the senior editor at Faithwire and the former faith and culture editor at TheBlaze.
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