Un-Sacred Spaces: Theology to Justify Abortion
By Pastor Jim Jenkins - Posted at Herescope:
Later, she said pro-lifers “tried to separate those of us working on or supporting the right of women to choose a from a sense of deep spirituality. So today is a shift in that narrative.”[1] [emphasis added]
The occasion for my controversial remarks to a group of pastors happened shortly after the grand opening of the new Planned Parenthood facility in Eugene, Oregon. The mayor (the former head of the local Planned Parenthood organization) had been effusive in her praise of the work of Planned Parenthood. The ceremony was replete with all the trappings one might expect at the opening of a hospital or new school.
So a few days later, when I was attending the monthly meeting of the district pastors in the denomination I served for over thirty years, I brought up the very troubling article that was featured in the Register Guard newspaper titled “Local Clergy Persons Christen New Planned Parenthood facility.”[3] There was a picture of joined hands obviously belonging to clergy bedecked in clerical robes and, yes, they did in fact have some form of liturgical rite to “bless the ground” of a building that would be used to facilitate termination of babies.
When I voiced my concern to my fellow pastors about “christening” an abortion facility, nearly every one of them began to squirm and divert their eyes from me. The message was clear. “Don’t go there… Let’s talk about something else.” I then described what actually takes place in late term abortions, and not a few of my colleagues gave a look that said, “It’s inappropriate and I am offended that you would bring this up.”
These events marked my first exposure to the newly developing narrative—a postmodern theology that abortion is a rite of sacred choice and the abortion chamber is a sacred space.
Years later, we as a nation would be repulsed by the news that Planned Parenthood executives were being courted by pharmaceutical companies to sell the ‘products’ of abortion.[5] This is a sanitized way to refer to severed body parts and carefully preserved tissue. How would these evangelical ministers respond to the terrible facts?
Continue reading here.
“In almost every message to our staff, I talk about our doing sacred work,” Dr. Laura Meyers, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, told the news outlet. “This confirms the sacredness of the work we do.”
Later, she said pro-lifers “tried to separate those of us working on or supporting the right of women to choose a from a sense of deep spirituality. So today is a shift in that narrative.”[1] [emphasis added]
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| Clergy blessing Planned Parenthood [2] |
“...the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
(1 John 5:19b)
The occasion for my controversial remarks to a group of pastors happened shortly after the grand opening of the new Planned Parenthood facility in Eugene, Oregon. The mayor (the former head of the local Planned Parenthood organization) had been effusive in her praise of the work of Planned Parenthood. The ceremony was replete with all the trappings one might expect at the opening of a hospital or new school.
So a few days later, when I was attending the monthly meeting of the district pastors in the denomination I served for over thirty years, I brought up the very troubling article that was featured in the Register Guard newspaper titled “Local Clergy Persons Christen New Planned Parenthood facility.”[3] There was a picture of joined hands obviously belonging to clergy bedecked in clerical robes and, yes, they did in fact have some form of liturgical rite to “bless the ground” of a building that would be used to facilitate termination of babies.
When I voiced my concern to my fellow pastors about “christening” an abortion facility, nearly every one of them began to squirm and divert their eyes from me. The message was clear. “Don’t go there… Let’s talk about something else.” I then described what actually takes place in late term abortions, and not a few of my colleagues gave a look that said, “It’s inappropriate and I am offended that you would bring this up.”
These events marked my first exposure to the newly developing narrative—a postmodern theology that abortion is a rite of sacred choice and the abortion chamber is a sacred space.
 |
| Clergy statement blessing Planned Parenthood [4] |
Years later, we as a nation would be repulsed by the news that Planned Parenthood executives were being courted by pharmaceutical companies to sell the ‘products’ of abortion.[5] This is a sanitized way to refer to severed body parts and carefully preserved tissue. How would these evangelical ministers respond to the terrible facts?
Continue reading here.
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