| From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase |
Editor's Note: The 80th Annual Convention of the American Council of Christian Churches met in Monroville, New Jersey from October 19-21, 2021. The convention approved several resolutions on critical issues confronting Christians and the church in our time, including the one below. We present it for the edification and encouragement of God's people. - Dr. Paul Elliott [12]
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American Council of Christian Churches
80th Anniversary Convention, October 19-21, 2021
Hardingville Bible Church, Monroeville, New Jersey
Resolution on the Importance of Voting for Pro-Life Candidates
Late in the evening on September 1, 2021, the [United States] Supreme Court voted five to four to leave in place a Texas law which bans most abortions at six weeks of pregnancy.[1] This is a major accomplishment for those who oppose abortion, because the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade explicitly prohibits states from passing laws which outlaw any abortions during the first trimester (first 14 weeks) of pregnancy.[2]
The Associated Press explains how this Supreme Court decision came about: "The vote in the case underscores the impact of the death of the liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last year and then-president Donald Trump's replacement of her with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Had Ginsburg remained on the court there would have been five votes to halt the Texas law."[3] A headline from Newsweek magazine bluntly proclaims: "Trump Justices Cast Crucial Votes on Texas Ban Undermining Roe v. Wade."[4]
Had Hillary Clinton been elected President in 2016 instead of Donald Trump, Texas's law certainly would have been ruled unconstitutional by her Supreme Court appointees. Over 55,000 abortions were performed in Texas in 2017,[5] and it is estimated that 85 to 90 percent of them are now illegal under Texas's new law.[6] If this law is allowed ultimately to stand, God will have used Trump and his voters to protect tens of thousands of preborn lives every year in Texas.
In spite of this hopeful news, during both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, certain faith leaders questioned whether a Christian could, with good conscience, vote for a morally-flawed candidate - even though such a candidate was an outspoken critic of abortion while his opponents were strong supporters of abortion.[7] This led to discussions about whether Christians should be "single-issue voters" who primarily take into consideration a candidate's position on abortion when deciding whom to vote for.
In contrast to those Christians who demand perfect candidates, the Bible teaches that God sometimes chooses wicked people to carry out His righteous aims. For example, God sent one of His prophets to anoint Jehu king over Israel. God then used Jehu to execute wicked King Ahab's family and the false prophets of Baal. Sadly, "Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart" (2 Kings 10:31).
At the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (January 22, 2021), it was estimated that over 62 million abortions had occurred in the United States of America.[8] It is no wonder that Christians label legalized abortion as "America's Holocaust." Abortion is the murder of children, and as such, it is clearly condemned in the Bible under the Sixth Commandment.[9]
The Texas law is not the only piece of anti-abortion legislation being put forward by the states. According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, in the first six months "more abortion restrictions - 90 - have already been enacted in 2021 than in any year since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973." In the same report, the Guttmacher Institute notes that "efforts to ban abortion at the local level are also concerning."[10] As an example of how even localities can get involved in the fight against abortion, a growing number of cities within the United States of America are outlawing abortions within their jurisdictions by declaring themselves "sanctuary cities for the unborn."[11]
Considering the abject evil of abortion in the United States of America, the American Council of Christian Churches at its 80th Anniversary, October 19-21, 2021, at Hardingville Bible Church, Monroeville, New Jersey, exhorts Christians to continue supporting pro-life candidates since their support for them is having a real impact in the struggle to end America's Holocaust. We denounce anyone who seeks to deemphasize this issue. We thank God for how He uses imperfect people to accomplish His righteous ends on this and other matters while recognizing that supporting the cause of life never excuses anyone for errant doctrine or sinning against God in their personal lives.
References:
1. https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321 .
2. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/roe_v_wade_(1973) .
3. https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321/a> .
44. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-justices-cast-crucial-votes-texas-abortion-ban-undermining-roe-v-wade-1625266 .
5. https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-texas .
6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/01/texas-abortion-law-faq/ .
7. https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54003808; https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-presidential-debates/abortion-trump-clinton-let-it-all-hang-out-n669586.
8. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/abortions-since-roe-v-wade .
9. Exodus 20:13; 21:22-23; Deuteronomy 12:31; Jeremiah 32:35.
11. www.sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.com.
12. Dr. Elliott is a member of the Executive Committee of the ACCC.
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