Reasons to Vote "No" on The Recreational Marijuana Amendment

In Florida and other states, citizens are being given the opportunity to exercise a more direct form of our authority by voting on constitutional amendments. Amendment 3, in Florida, is asking us to directly enshrine in our constitution the legalization of marijuana use for any purpose. 

Reasons to Vote "No" on Florida's Recreational Marijuana Amendment

Reason 1: Using recreational marijuana (RM) is a vice in that its purpose is to intoxicate and cause people to lack sober-mindedness.

1. Using RM makes a person high. The goal of a person smoking marijuana is to become intoxicated. What causes marijuana's "high" effect on the person is the psychoactive compound THC. This is notably different than alcohol, which can be enjoyed in moderation without becoming intoxicated. 

2. When a person is intoxicated, they are not able to think clearly or make thoughtful/reasonable decisions. Thus, Christians must avoid encouraging others to use RM (for we are commanded to be sober-minded).1 

3.  So, legalizing RM brings a vice (of not being clear-minded) into the category of "this is good or neutral." Thus, legalizing RM removes the stigma of using a drug that which will negatively affect those using RM and society at large.

Reason 2: It will lead to an increase in crimes and traffic accidents (which will affect not just those using RM but all our communities). 

1. We can see this in the data coming out of states that have legalized RM in the past. For example, see this fact sheet on how RM legalization affected Colorado. 

Reason 3: It will lead more young people to use marijuana, which is linked to higher rates of mental illness.2

1. The connection between marijuana use and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia in younger people (15-25 year olds) is becoming clear.4 

2. Legalizing RM leads to an increase in use among children (even if it is only "allowed" for adults).3 Colorado, which legalized RM several years ago has seen a large increase in the number of minors being hospitalized for marijuana related issues.5 

Reason 4: Amendment 3 was written by and is being funded by a large marijuana distributor to promote their own interests.6 

1. It was written by Trulieve, and they have funded the initiative to the tune of close to 100 million dollars. It is obvious they think they will gain a lot from this.

2. It is written in a way that shields them from ALL possible lawsuits. So, if someone dies from wrongly processed cannabis, no criminal or civil charges can be filed against the company. (see section a.5 in the amendment text).

4. It will not provide more money to our State because the State will have to spend more money dealing with the fallout of increased drug use and all the attending problems (crime, accidents, youth mental health, domestic violence, etc.).

Reason 5: The amendment wording makes it so that no law can be written to keep people from using RM where they want when they want. 

1. See the amendment wording section a.4. 

2. So, the next time we go to the beach, we might have some people set up next to our family smoking weed. 

Reason 6: This is not needed for people with medical needs.

1. The benefits that can be gained from THC (the active ingredient in maijuana) for people needing an increase in appetite or struggling with extreme nausea from chemotherapy are found in prescription medicines (in pill forms prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmicist).7 

2. There is no evidence that smoking or ingesting marijuana treats other medical ailments. In fact here is a list of medical associations that have written papers on why they do not support the use of medical marijuana: American Medical Association, The American Academy of Psychiatry, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.8 

Additional Resources on the Topic

A Short Book by Todd Miles called Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible Says about Marijuana.

A Talk by Governor Ron DeSantis on the impacts of Amendment 3:  https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1849457158590767451 (from about the 1:30 - 18:45 minute mark).

A Podcast Episode from America in View (with our very own Matt Doster as Co-host): https://americainview.com/episode-10-18-24.html

A website opposing Amendment 3: https://no-on3.com/

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Footnotes:

1. For a thoughtful and well-researched approach to how we should think about medical marijuana, see Todd Miles's book Cannabis and the Christian, chapters 6-7. 

2. Regarding increased use of marijuana among kids (and its dangers) in states with legal RM see this: https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Youth-Use-one-pager.pdf

3. Regarding dangers to children, see this story: https://www.wptv.com/news/state/marijuana/would-recreational-marijuana-in-florida-lead-to-increased-exposure-among-children

4. https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/cannabis-and-teens.html and https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html

5. To see some of the outcomes of Colorado's RM laws, see this: https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Colorado-One-Pager-39pdf.pdf

6. Listen to Governor Ron DeSantis explain this here: https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1849457158590767451  (from about the 1:30 - 18:45 minute mark).

7. Miles, Cannabis and the Christian, 120-21

8. See Miles, Cannabis and the Christian, pg. 120-25 for more discussion on why marijuana does not treat other medical ailments, as well as the list of medical associations that have produced papers outlining why they do not support the use of medical marijuana.

Reasons to Vote "No" on Pro-Abortion Amendments

In Florida and other states, citizens are being given the opportunity to exercise a more direct form of our authority by voting on constitutional amendments. Amendment 4, in Florida, is asking us to directly require that the murder of unborn children be considered a legal right. Thus, we, as Christians, must vote "no" and should try to persuade those in our circles to do the same. 

Three Reasons to Vote "No" on Pro-abortion Amendments

Reason 1: It grants a legal right to kill one's own child as long as it happens before he or she makes it out of the womb. 

1. From the moment of conception, there is a new human person, made in the image of God. The only difference between that person and you is that he or she is smaller and in the womb. The words "embryo" and "fetus" should not be used to dehumanize this small, vulnerable person. Those are simply levels of development. You are an adult; you were once a teenager, a child, a toddler, an infant, a fetus, and an embryo. 

2. We all know that the baby in the womb is a human person. That is why we celebrate when a friend tells us she is pregnant. It is unreasonable to believe that if she did not want to be pregnant that this same entity in the womb has now magically changed into something and is no longer someone. Such a change is not based on science or reason. It is double-speak aimed at redefining reality. 

3. Thus, abortion is the intentional taking of another person's life without justification (i.e., murder).

Reason 2: We are directly approving or disapproving of the murder of unborn children. God will hold us accountable.

1. If we approve such an amendment, we have set ourselves against God. 

Psalm 94:20-21 
Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame injustice by statute?
They band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.

2. We have an obligation to use our God-given position to protect those being oppressed by violence

Proverbs 24:10-12
 If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man according to his work?

Reason 3: Florida's Amendment 4 is intentionally ambiguous in order to not sound as radical as it is (this is likely true of proposed amendments in other states too).

1. See below from

2. This amendment will invalidate virtually all pro-life laws that we currently have and it will be impossible to have any restrictions on abortion. 

Reason 4: It is a lie to claim we need this amendment to keep women from dying from medical emergencies during pregnancy.

1. If a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, the baby will die no matter what. If untreated, she will die too. The procedure to save her life is not an abortion, and it is legal. An abortion is one in which the medical procedure is aimed at the destruction of the unborn person; it is considered a successful procedure when the baby is dead. In cases like an ectopic pregnancy, the surgery is successful and aimed at saving the life of the women. A sad outcome is that the baby will not survive. Surgeries for ectopic pregnancies are legal in every state in the US.

2. In the case of a miscarriage, the baby has already died. The procedure to remove his or her body from the womb is not an abortion, and it is legal in every state in the US.

3. To argue that many women will die from getting back-alley abortions is false and morally foolish. It is false because many will not resort to back-alley abortions. It is morally foolish because, as we have established, the baby is a human person. So, this argument is saying, "We must not outlaw murder lest someone trying to commit murder might die in the process of breaking our law against murder." 

A Thought Experiment

To close this out, let's do a thought experiment. Let's say you could travel back in time to when you were in your mother's womb. And let's say that she is in a difficult circumstance and is considering an abortion. Would you want her to have the right to dispose of you to ease her own burden? If not, then why would you want to pass an amendment requiring that there should be no restriction on abortions for others? 

Why My Default is to Vote "No" on Constitutional Amendments

My default position on any constitutional amendment is "no." I am not saying this is an issue of biblical faithfulness (so feel free to do otherwise). However, I think many of us don't give much thought to a philosophy of ministry in this area of our lives. So, below are my thoughts. Maybe they will help you as you consider how you will exercise your responsibilities as a citizen during an election cycle.

The main reason I default to "no" is that most issues should be able to be addressed by the legislature. These amendments generally stand no chance of getting through the normal legislative process because, upon scrutiny, they are not good for society. Thus, special interest groups use the amendment process to try to get voters, who will spend no time thinking about what the text of the law means or its implications, to vote based on how they feel about things in the moment. Thus, issues that are bad for our state get enshrined in our constitution. Or, issues that might be fine laws end up as silly parts of our constitution (eg, I think we have something about the treatment of baby pigs in our constitution).

Second, many amendments are written and promoted by special interest groups that stand to make A LOT of money from passing their amendments. For example, amendments 3 and 4, on recreational marijuana and on the right to abortion, are HEAVILY funded by industries that stand to make HUGE sums of money if they pass.

I would only vote yes on an amendment if: 

1. It is required to fix a constitutional issue (e.g., undo a previously approved and bad amendment or free the legislature to do its job). This seems to be the case with Amendment 6 on this year's ballot in Florida (to undo a campaign finance amendment that set up taxpayer-funded campaign money for candidates).  

2. My second reason for a yes vote is if it is a fundamental, bedrock issue that should be seen as basic to law-making itself. So, I would vote for an amendment that clarified the right to life for babies in the womb (even though I think that is already covered in our constitution and laws) because people seem to believe there is no God-given right to life for a baby. This willful misunderstanding is having a huge effect on our ability to apply laws related to murder to protect children or avoid evil laws that legalize abortion.

In my next post, I'll address reasons to vote no on Amendment 4 in Florida.  

A Letter to the Tallahassee City Commission Regarding Their Resolution Supporting Abortion

Below is a letter I am sending to the City Commission regarding their proposed resolution to support abortion (click here to read the resolution).  

You can send them an email too (it doesn't have to be a long email - just voice your opposition).  Here is the link to email them (and here are their email addresses: mayor@talgov.com; jack.porter@talgov.com; jeremy.matlow@talgov.com; curtis.richardson@talgov.com; dianne.williams-cox@talgov.com)  

The meeting is tomorrow (9/22/21) at 3pm. You can also sign up to speak "virtually" by clicking here, or you can show up at City Hall to speak (assuming there is space). 

Letter to the Tallahassee City Commission

Dear Commissioners,

This resolution claims to uphold fundamental human rights and dignity. I assert that it does the opposite for two reasons: 1. It ignores the dignity of the weakest members of society, and 2. It undermines the dignity of women.

Ignoring the Dignity of the Most Vulnerable

I am glad that you desire to affirm human dignity, especially of vulnerable ones. However, the resolution's central (yet unstated) premise is that the unborn human in the womb is of a different class of humanity and not worthy of protection when he or she is unwanted. 

We know that the person in the womb is a human (what else do human beings conceive?). We also know that from the moment of conception, this person is a boy or girl possessing his or her own unique DNA (it is not a part of the mother or simply a cell like a sperm or egg). So, why doesn’t this person have a right to life?

Here are some common reasons we think this person does not deserve the dignity of protection:

• Size – Yes, she is smaller than a toddler, but since when does size determine a person’s value?
• Level of Development – Yes, he is less developed than a newborn and a newborn than a toddler and toddler than a teenager. In none of these cases do we assume it is ok to end the person’s life. 
• Environment – Yes, she is in her mother’s womb, but since when does location determine a person’s right to life? She is exactly where she should be, much like an infant in the arms of her mother. 
• Degree of Dependency – We think that since he is dependent on his mother, she can choose to abandon him. But a newborn or toddler is dependent too (as is an adult under anesthesia or in a coma). We know it is wrong to abandon or kill people simply because they are dependent. 

So, while this resolution claims to promote the “fundamental right” of healthcare, we must consider the health of the woman AND the baby. Protection of life is not just a right for those who have power and a voice. We must open our mouths for those with no voice to defend themselves.

Undermining the Dignity of Women

This resolution undermines the dignity of women. Claiming that a right to end another person's life is necessary for a woman to possess dignity equal to a man is nonsense. In fact, it makes our whole society less loving. I have personally spoken with many women considering abortions who were coerced into it. Their partner, family, friends, and professors all essentially said, “Why are you making this so hard? Just get an abortion. And if you don’t, you should not count on our help because you chose not to have an abortion.” 

Reject Resolution No. 21-R-30 

I hope our national conscience awakens to the horrific injustice that abortion is – both against women and children. If we do, future generations will sit in judgment on resolutions like this. If you approve this resolution, your names, affixed to it, will stand as evidence that you actually encouraged oppression in the name of supporting the weak. 

Even if our country doesn't correct this grave injustice, there is a coming day of judgment. God, the creator of life, is the all-seeing judge. You might not like that, but your desire for human dignity shows that you live as if there is a God. Where else does the belief that all people have equal worth and dignity find its foundation? If it is just that you or I think it is right, what happens when someone or some nation thinks differently? The only unshifting foundation upon which human rights are built is the existence of a God who made us, from the moment of conception, in his image. 

I hope you will reject this resolution and resolve to help women and children maintain their dignity and rights.  

Respectfully,

Ben Khazraee 

Why Can't Christians Just "Get Over" the Abortion Issue?

Why is abortion such a big deal? Why can't Christians just move on and deal with other important issues related to justice? 

Here is the brief version:

• It is a serious injustice (killing an innocent person)
• It is happening on a massive scale (862,327 a year. Over 60 million since 1973 in the US)
• It is done legally and therefore with the permission of the government which is supposed to protect its citizens.

The points below elaborate on this:

1. Abortion is the intentional killing of a human life. (all 46 human chromosomes are combined at the moment of fertilization so it is human life. The intention of abortion is the destruction of this human life).

2. There is no philosophical reason for distinguishing between a toddler and an unborn person when it comes to his or her dignity and right to life as a human being (i.e. size, level of development, degree of dependency, or location do not change a person’s value or inherent right to life).

3. Based on points 1 and 2, there is no philosophical or scientific reason to treat the unborn differently than a toddler when it comes to the right to life.

4. Abortion is widespread. There were 862,327 abortions in 2017 (per planned parenthood’s research wing).

5. The unborn are the most vulnerable in society because they cannot speak in defense of themselves. In addition, they are the most innocent people on the planet.

6. These people are being killed legally. As Ramesh Ponnuru and Robert George wrote, “For government to permit abortion . . . is for government itself to commit an injustice against its victims — denying a disfavored class, the unborn, protection it affords to all others. To be responsible, or partially responsible, for the injustice of the law in exposing unborn children to legally authorized lethal violence is to be complicit in grave injustice” (https://www.nationalreview.com/.../10/19/voting-for-life/)"

7. As Christians, we believe all these children are made in God’s image and that is the fundamental basis for their dignity and right to life.

Therefore, we must not give up on fighting to end abortion. 

We find a good exhortation from William Wilberforce, who fought to end the slave trade in England. He wrote, 

“Never, never will we desist till we . . . [extinguish] every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times, will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonor to this country.”[1] 

Let us have the same resolve. 

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[1] William Wilberforce, speaking for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, on April 18, 1791, in the House of Parliament, The Parliamentary History of England from The Earliest Period to the Year 1803 (London: T.C. Hansard, 1817), 24:278.

A Helpful Article on the Choices of the 2020 Election by Dr. Mohler

 Albert Mohler wrote a long article on the issues at stake in the upcoming election ("Christians, Conscience, and the Looming 2020 Election"). In the article, Dr. Mohler explains how he went from opposing Donald Trump's 2016 bid to voting for President Trump this year. This is not because he is now "pro-Trump" or is ignoring the significant moral issues in President Trump's life.  The whole article is worth reading, but below are some excerpts: 

I agree that there are many other issues that press on the Christian conscience—questions of economic policy and foreign affairs and energy and the stewardship of the earth. The searing pain of racial injustice and the unraveling of our social fabric demand Christian response and urgency. Christians must be concerned about questions of immigration policy and refugees—and these issues defy the simplifications of the sound-bite and tweet culture.

But human dignity and the sanctity of human life are even more basic truths, and I believe there is no hope for defending human dignity for all if it is denied in the womb. To be intellectually responsible is to recognize the array of issues confronting us, but the same intellectual responsibility demands that we know which questions are prior to others and on which truths the entire superstructure of human dignity and human rights depend.

...

I cannot accept the argument that a calm man who affirms the dismembering of babies in the womb has a superior character to a man who rants like Genghis Khan but acts to preserve that life. In my ideal world, I would vote for a candidate in whom the personal, the principled, and the practical earn my admiration. I do not live in that world. I live in this world, and I must act accordingly.

...

In the protection of liberty, religious liberty is fundamental. President Trump has corrected many of the infringements on religious liberty caused by the policy mandates of previous administrations. He has made religious liberty an American priority at home and abroad.

...

On issues such as the transgender revolution, which will reshape the entire society, Biden went so far in a recent town hall appearance that he said he would support transgender demands all the way to supporting gender transition among 8 and 10 year old children. "There should be zero discrimination," Biden said. 

Dr. Mohler ends his article by acknowledging that some Christians will make different decisions as to what to do with their votes. Each of us is responsible to God for how we steward our vote. What is clear is that each of us must not compromise on the biblical teaching of the sanctity of life, the need to rescue those being led to slaughter, God's design for marriage, religious liberty, and the fact that humans cannot actually make themselves a different sex than they were created to be. We will not all be convinced that this means we should vote for President Trump, but let's not allow these issues which the Bible speaks clearly about to remain separate from our act of voting. 

Why You Shouldn't Vote for Biden

Ramesh Pannuru and Robert P. George published a helpful article at National Review explaining why the issue of abortion is enough to scuttle any desire to vote for Biden (see this video to hear Biden's whole-hearted commitment to abortion being the "law of the land."). 

Below are some quotes from Pannuru and George's piece, but the whole thing is really worth reading (or listening to). 

What the Church teaches is that every member of the human family — irrespective of race, sex, or creed, but also, and equally, irrespective of age, size, stage of development, location, or condition of dependence — is the bearer of inherent and equal dignity and, as such, is entitled to legal protection against violent assault.

For government to permit abortion, the Church teaches, is for government itself to commit an injustice against its victims—denying a disfavored class, the unborn, protection it affords to all others. To be responsible, or partially responsible, for the injustice of the law in exposing unborn children to legally authorized lethal violence is to be complicit in grave injustice.

though abortion and slavery differ in many respects, they are alike in not admitting of the option of the “personally opposed, but . . .” position. The reason to be against slavery — its radical denial of the equal dignity of the victim and thus its grave injustice — is the reason for prohibiting it. It is precisely the same with abortion.

while citizens have other responsibilities, too, the injustice of abortion has a gravity that means it must be weighed more heavily than ordinary political issues, even important ones

Biden has expressly pledged to deny appointment to the Court for anyone who does not support what amounts to an unlimited right to abortion.

If one acknowledges the gravity, scale, and scope of the injustice of abortion, and of a legal regime that denies to an entire class of human beings the most basic of human rights, thus exposing them to lethal violence, then it is hard to imagine what proportionate reasons there could be for joining one’s will to the desire of a supporter of it

They do not argue that a Christian (or person concerned with ethics) must vote for Trump. That is more of a prudential issue.  

You might also find this article from John Piper on why we are all "one issue" voters helpful (written 25 years ago).

What the Church Should Do Post-Election

Here are a few good quotes, about what we ought to do after the election, from Russell Moore's article "President Trump: Now What for the Church?"

1. "The first thing, of course, is to pray for our soon-to-be President Trump. The Bible commands us to pray for “all who are in high positions” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Moreover, the Scripture tells us to give “honor to whom honor is due” (Rom. 13:7). Many of us have deep differences with our new president, and would have no matter which candidate had been elected, but we must pray that he will succeed in leading our country with wisdom and justice." 
2. "maintain a prophetic clarity that is willing to call to repentance everything that is unjust and anti-Christ, whether that is the abortion culture, the divorce culture, or the racism/nativism culture. We can be the people who tell the truth, whether it helps or hurts our so-called “allies” or our so-called “enemies.”"
3. "Moreover, no matter what the racial and ethnic divisions in America, we can be churches that demonstrate and embody the reconciliation of the kingdom of God. After all, we are not just part of a coalition but part of a Body—a Body that is white and black and Latino and Asian, male and female, rich and poor. We are part of a Body joined to a Head who is an Aramaic-speaking Middle-easterner."
4. "The most important lesson we should learn is that the church must stand against the way politics has become a religion, and religion has become politics. We can hear this idolatrous pull even in the apocalyptic language used by many in this election—as we have seen in every election in recent years—that this election is our “last chance.”...Such talk is not worthy of a church that is already triumphant in heaven, and is marching on earth toward the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ."
5. "We should be ready to pray and preach, to promote the common good and to resist injustice. We will pledge allegiance to the flag, but we will pledge a higher allegiance to the cross." 

"Christian Unity and the 2016 Presidential Election"

This is certainly a tumultuous election cycle. I really appreciated this podcast from Heath Lambert (~13 minutes): "Christian Unity and the 2016 Presidential Election." I hope you can benefit from it as we take seriously Jesus' words "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

"Why It Is Imperative That Presidents Be Pro-life"

Joe Carter has a helpful article on this issue at the Gospel Coalition.

1. Preserving the Pro-Life Riders 
2. Filing of Amicus Briefs in Cases Before the Judiciary 
3. Defending Pro-Life Laws in Federal Courts 
4. Issuance of Executive Orders 
5. Selection of Political Appointments
6. Using the ‘Bully Pulpit'

In the article he elaborates on each of those points. 

He concludes with these words

If we choose to vote, we Christians have an obligation to the most vulnerable members of our society to elect politicians who have both a robust view of human dignity and the temerity to govern accordingly. We betray this duty when we downplay the role the executive branch in advancing the pro-life cause.

While on the subject of presidents, it is time to vote if you are in Florida. Take time to know where the candidates stand on the issue of the value of life and then look at their positions on other issues.

Are You a One Issue Voter?

I am a single issue voter. By that I do not mean that a single issue qualifies a person for a particular office. I don't mean that I do not care about a multitude of policies and positions. I care about government debt, about health care, and a host of other issues. What I mean is that there are positions that, if a candidate holds them, disqualifies him or her from office.  That might be a bit shocking, but it shouldn't be.

It shouldn't be shocking because you are a one-issue voter too. Everyone is. There are certain issues that would automatically disqualify someone from public office in your view too (assuming you are really a thinking person). If you don't think so, read how John Piper puts it in his 1995 article "One Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society" (I saw this on Denny Burk's blog).

No endorsement of any single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor, or president. But there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from public office. For example, any candidate who endorsed bribery as a form of government efficiency would be disqualified, no matter what his party or platform was. Or a person who endorsed corporate fraud (say under $50 million) would be disqualified no matter what else he endorsed. Or a person who said that no black people could hold office—on that single issue alone he would be unfit for office. Or a person who said that rape is only a misdemeanor—that single issue would end his political career. These examples could go on and on. Everybody knows a single issue that for them would disqualify a candidate for office. 

It’s the same with marriage. No one quality makes a good wife or husband, but some qualities would make a person unacceptable. For example, back when I was thinking about getting married, not liking cats would not have disqualified a woman as my wife, but not liking people would. Drinking coffee would not, but drinking whiskey would. Kissing dogs wouldn’t, but kissing the mailman would. And so on. Being a single-issue fiancé does not mean that only one issue matters. It means that some issues may matter enough to break off the relationship. 

So it is with politics. You have to decide what those issues are for you. What do you think disqualifies a person from holding public office? I believe that the endorsement of the right to kill unborn children disqualifies a person from any position of public office. It’s simply the same as saying that the endorsement of racism, fraud, or bribery would disqualify him—except that child-killing is more serious than those.

As a Christian voter, I realize that being pro-life does not qualify a person for office, but being pro-abortion automatically disqualifies a person. 

I don't claim that this points exactly to who we should vote for. There may be several options. There may be an election where every candidate is "disqualified." I would not say that means we don't vote. We do have to make tough choices, but we ought to give weight to the things God says are most important. Government sanctioned killing of unborn humans is too serious to overlook in a leader.

Ultimately we don't trust in politics. We trust in the Lord, but the Lord does require us to think as Christians in every act we undertake, even voting.

HT: Denny Burk for pointing to the Piper article.

Welcoming Refugees: Wisdom and Compassion is the Need of the Hour

Recently, the Governor of Florida has asked the federal government not to relocate Syrian refugees in Florida. He is not alone, as several states have done the same (article from USA Today). The reason is clear - the terror attacks in France show that it is possible, if not likely, that some terrorist might sneak in under the cover of being a refugee. 

I have seen posts from Christians varying from "shut the doors, don't let any refugees in," to "if you don't have an open door policy you are a hateful un-Christ-like person.  I don't think either of those are "the Christian" way to think on the issue. 

I don't claim to have the answers. All I want to point out is that as Christians we of all people should care about the oppressed and endangered people around us and around the world. So, we can't be like the angry "good-luck-with-your-problem" type of person. But neither do we have to affirm that a complete open door policy is biblical. It is not particularly Christian to invite Islamic extremists with plans of shooting our neighbors into our country. This is just as un-Christian as it is to leave women to be raped, men to be crucified, and children to be left as orphans in the desserts of Syria.

So, I don't have an answer, but I think we should not settle for overly simplistic sloganeering on an issue that is this complex and important. Human dignity matters because every person is made in the image of God. So racism, fear of those who are different, and selfishness will not due. Neither will failing to love our neighbors that might be truly endangered by poor policies. Ultimately, we need compassion for the hurting and wisdom as to how to truly help the hurting (ie. how to not unduly open the possibility for more people to be hurt). This is not an easy task, but it is a necessary one.

For more on this issue, I suggested reading Kevin DeYoung's helpful article, "Immigration Policy Must be Based on More than an Appeal to Compassion."

A few quotes from that to close:

I too am turned off by the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that sounds more like Pharaoh in Exodus 1 than the “love the sojourner” commands in Deuteronomy 10. It is a commendable response to see hurting people and think, “Let’s do all we can to help.” 

So how do we balance competing goods—the good of welcoming in suffering people and the good of keeping out those who want to inflict suffering on others? And how do we pursue these ends when it may be impossible to know if we are helping the right people? The answer is not as easy as fear versus compassion. Christian charity means loving the safety of the neighbor next door at least as much as loving the safe passage of the neighbor far away. 

What Will You Say to Your Grandkids? On Abortion and Protesting

This Saturday, August 22nd, there will be protests outside of Planned Parenthood facilities across the nation.  There is not one scheduled for Tallahassee (though we do have a planned parenthood "clinic" which does not currently provide actual abortions - they refer people). 

I read two compelling articles from pastors planning to join in the protests in their areas. John Piper has some good thoughts on the issues here. J.A. Medders has some here. Below is the section I wanted to highlight from Medders' piece. It communicates so clearly where we are in history and challenges us to stand for the oppressed with love and courage. 

I’m going to the protest because I can’t stop thinking about Christians, especially pastors, during the Civil Rights Movement who did nothing and lament it. I refuse to do nothing. I refuse to walk on the other side of the street (Luke 10:30–33). I so admire the men who walked across that bridge with Dr. King. I admire Bonhoeffer as he opposed Hitler. I admire William Wilberforce and his resolve to end the British slave trade. When my children, my grandchildren, and future generations of Christians at our church ask what I did for the unborn, I want to look them in the eyes and say I did all I could. “I protested, I prayed, I evangelized, I spoke with politicians, I voted, I served at the pregnancy center, I loved, etc.”

Perhaps you could protest (if not this week perhaps in the future). We may not all protest, but may we all do everything we can to love women in need and the babies in their wombs. 

HT: Tim Challies

Listen to Dr. Mohler on Abortion and Religious Liberty

I love Dr. Mohler's analysis of events from a Christian worldview on his podcast "The Briefing." I strongly encourage you to listen to Monday's episode (8/17/15). The issues swirling around the abortion debate require our attention and for us to think clearly, biblically, and consistently. Also, the issue of same-sex marriage and the loss of religious freedom requires us to think biblically. 

Here it is. Why not listen to it while you drive around town today?

5 Things We Must Do in The Fight for Life

"Never, never will we desist till we . . . extinguish every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times, will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonor to this country” (William Wilberforce).


This past Monday, the Senate Bill (S.1881) to defund the largest abortion provider in the US stalled. What does that mean for those who want to see the end of abortion? How should we think about these things? What should we do? I'll suggest five things.

1. Keep our focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We oppose abortion first and foremost because it is an attack on the gospel. Satan has been a murderer from the beginning, and the unjust termination of human life is a sign that the dominion of darkness still has sway. Satan has always been about murdering children since he knew that the Offspring of the the woman would one day crush his head (Gen. 3:15). This is why the kingdom of darkness has been characterized by child sacrifice (ex. sacrifices to Molech). This is why Herod had hundreds of baby boys killed in Bethlehem as he sought to kill the new born "King of the Jews." So, we focus on the only hope of salvation and of turning back Satan's attacks. The gospel pushes back the kingdom of darkness by transferring people into the kingdom of light.

The gospel has a word for those who have committed and participated in abortion. It says judgement is coming, but there is hope for any who will turn away form their sin and to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So, we show compassion and share the good news and declare that abortion is evil. We must also encourage men and women, who are in Christ, who have committed abortion to know that all their shame was taken by Jesus. He died to face the wrath of God and shame that their (and our) sin deserves.

2. Continue to pray and fast, pleading with God to end this evil in our land.

As Christians we know that trusting in horses and chariots (our arguments and political involvement) is not where our hope comes from. As Jesus said when talking to the disciples about why they could not cast out a particular demon, "this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting." That is to say, God has the firepower, so we call out to him in prayer as the infantry would call over the walkie talkie for air-support in the midst of conflict.

We do not have the power to overcome the murderous lies of Satan and the seduction of the world which has blinded people from seeing the glory of God and from seeing humanity as made in God's image (no matter how small). So, we diligently cry out to God, to the point where we are willing to forgo food to spend more time on the walkie talkie knowing that we need God's strength more than we need every meal.

3. Understand what is going on politically and be involved. 

While we do not put our hope in politics we are to be "as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves." We ought to know how to fight smart in order to protect the unborn. Joe Carter has a helpful article on what happened in last Monday's cloture vote and what things look like going forward.

One point he makes is that a government shut down might be looming, but that is probably not the best move for the pro-life cause. The reason is that elections are coming up soon and there are possibly four supreme court justice positions that will come open for the next president to appoint. Additionally, more pro-life senators and representatives would help future votes to topple wicked laws. A government shut down might put pro-life candidates on the defensive rather than allowing them to focus the nation's attention where it should be- on the horrors of abortion.

It is important to note what good the cloture vote did accomplish. The vote put every senator on record as to their position on what planned parenthood is doing.1  With elections coming up, we must be sober-minded enough to know that they will have consequences, and we must vote for pro-life candidates.

Some argue we ought not be a one issue voter, and in one sense I agree. I care about the budget, immigration, the environment, and education. I don't agree with ever pro-life candidate on these issues. However, I think we must realize that there are certain positions a political leader might hold which should, for us, immediately disqualify him or her. Abortion is one of those issues. Think about it.  If someone was running for office and said they believed we should go back to slavery, you would probably not vote for them even if every other view they had seemed better than their opponent. I would argue that killing innocent human beings is one such barbaric view that must disqualify someone in our eyes.

4. Know and make the pro-life argument to friends and family members.

The unborn are human beings unable to defend themselves. Just like courts appoint a guardian ad litem to speak for a small child and to argue for his or her best interests in cases of abuse, we ought to see ourselves as speaking for these children. We also ought to see ourselves as speaking against the oppression of women by predatory men and organizations like planned parenthood. We ought to argue for women's health care (which means we will also be for unborn women's health).  Let's bring these issues up to others, even those we know who are pro-life so that we might strengthen each other.

To make the case for the unborn, just remember, if you can prove that this is a human being, every other argument ultimately falls to the wayside. To help you make this case, I suggest watching this short video by Scott Klusendorf or reading this article by Kevin DeYoung.

Also, watch and encourage others to watch the videos being put out by the Center for Medical Progress revealing what is happening inside Planned Parenthood. The main reason is not to see that what they are doing is illegal (though congress has a responsibility to investigate this). Instead, it is to show people what abortion is. The legality issue isn't the main issue because the laws have always lined up with the strong as they oppress the weak (ex. slavery was legal).

The last few videos get graphic, but they prove that these are human beings. There are arms. hands, fingers, legs, eyeballs, spinal cords, and even the ability to tell if it is a boy. One of the most horrific images, in my mind, is seeing a tiny dismembered hand and arm being lifted up out of a petri dish by cold tweezers. It is a hand that has never known a human touch and which will never hold his mother's hand. A hand which only knows cold forceps which ripped it from the warm, safe womb and then cold tweezers which plucked it from a petri dish where it sat slated for sale. It makes me sick, mad, and sad at the same time. This is not, as some pro-abortion folks argue, an emotion of disgust like one might have watching a "messy and gross" surgery like heart surgery or an amputation. This is disgust because I know, we all know, that this is a dismembered human being and that has a moral weight to it. The "my body, my choice" argument does not work very well when we are talking about someone else's body and organs.

The reason you should watch and encourage others to watch these videos is that they prove that these are human beings and abortion is horrifyingly evil. General Eisenhower made Germans who lived near concentration camps walk through the killing camps to see the horrors of what had been happening in their backyards. They needed to know the moral gravity of what occurred. Help your friends see, as William Wilberforce said, that "You may choose to look away, but you can never say again that you didn't know." Abortion is horrifying and the bloody traffic must be stopped.

5. Do Not Grow Weary in the Fight

This is not a fight for better education or better foreign policy (as important as those are). This is a fight for the lives of millions of unborn human beings. Planned Parenthood killed over 327,000 babies in 2014. Over 50 million have been killed since Roe v. Wade (that is the Holocaust x 10). So, we must not grow weary in the battle. We must be willing to spend our money, counsel others, and have uncomfortable discussions for the long haul.

Again we find a good example in William Wilberforce, who fought the slave trade in England. He fought for over 42 years before he finally was able to see the evil outlawed. Along the way, he fought and won small battles, passing small pieces of legislation, while calling for the full end of slavery. As Nicole Russell wrote at The Federalist, "Pro-lifers are today's abolitionists." We have some big shoes to fill. By God's grace we can.

"Never, never will we desist till we . . . extinguish every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times, will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonor to this country” (William Wilberforce).

----------------
1. Every senator is on record with the exception of Lindsey Graham who did not show up but says he is for defunding PP. Also it should be noted Senate Majority Leader McConnell voted "no" even though he is for the bill. This was for a good, strategic reason (read Carter's article for more details).

Contact Your Senators Today and Ask Them to Defund Planned Parenthood

If you have not watched the videos which clearly expose the horrors of abortion, you might be avoiding your civic duty. What's more important, is that we advocate for the weakest among us who have no opportunity to defend themselves. The Senate has a vote scheduled for Monday on Bill S.1881 to defund Planned Parenthood and reallocate the half a billion dollars to local health care facilities for women that do not provide abortions. 

I encourage you to read the bill and then email Senator Bill Nelson to vote yes (assuming you live in Florida). You can also email Senator Marco Rubio (though I think he will be voting yes).

Here is a sample email from Denny Burk

I am appalled at the recent revelations of barbarism taking place at Planned Parenthood every day. As a nation, we are better than this. This daily destruction of human life should not even be legal, much less subsidized by the federal government.

So I am asking you to do everything within your power to defund Planned Parenthood. I’m also asking you to support any legislation that would protect human life at its earliest stages.

Thank you for receiving this letter and for serving Kentucky.

Sincerely,
Denny Burk

Here is my email (a little longer so it runs the risk of not getting read though...you might keep yours short).

Dear Senator, 

William Wilberforce stood on the floor of British Parliament during the height of the slave trade and recounted horror stories of human beings being brutalized simply because they were useful to the financial gain of others and because they had no legal rights. Wilberforce concluded by calling for the courage to end slavery saying: “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.”

By now, you may have watched the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress exposing Planned Parenthood’s profiting off of the sale of aborted fetal tissue. The content of the videos is disturbing and highlights the destructive nature of the abortion industry. I would urge you to please support S.1881: Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood.

In fact, I would urge you to do what you can to end abortion in this land. I will briefly give my logical appeal to end abortion.

1. 1  We know that these are human beings.

a.       This is a medically proven fact (debated during Roe v. Wade, but proven now). The fetus has its own (human) DNA from the moment of conception. It is just a human at a different developmental stage.

b.      38 states have fetal homicide laws on the books.

c.       The images of a Planned Parenthood doctor saying “It’s a boy” while looking into a petri dish with the baby’s dismembered parts on display.

d.      The fact that “fetal parts” are even valuable to researchers as “livers, legs, brains, and hearts” show that they are human beings (they have human organs).

e.        Even pro-choice individuals have acknowledged this reality. In an article entitled, “So What if Abortion Ends Life?” Mary Elizabeth Williams writes:

I have friends who have referred to their abortions in terms of “scraping out a bunch of cells” and then a few years later were exultant over the pregnancies that they unhesitatingly described in terms of “the baby” and “this kid.” I know women who have been relieved at their abortions and grieved over their miscarriages. Why can’t we agree that how they felt about their pregnancies was vastly different, but that it’s pretty silly to pretend that what was growing inside of them wasn’t the same? Fetuses aren’t selective like that. They don’t qualify as human life only if they’re intended to be born.

f.       Some have said fetuses are dependent upon their mother or located in her so they are not worthy of the same rights. However, a one year old is quite dependent on his mother. And a person’s location does not determine if they are a person.

1. 2  It is unlawful to take the life of a human apart from due process of the law and is required that all people have equal protections.

a.       The 14^th Amendment, Section 1, of the Constitution makes this guarantee.

1. 3  Abortion takes the life of an unborn person

a.       The human being inside the womb (point 1 above) is “terminated” by means of lethal injections, crushing, dismemberment, etc.

1. 4  Therefore, abortion should be seen as unconstitutional by a court or explicitly outlawed by an act of Congress.

I realize that Planned Parenthood does not only perform abortions (STD testing and contraception resources, note they do not provide mammograms). However, other organizations offer these kinds of resources, too, without involving themselves in the destruction of life in the womb.  Bill S.1881 calls for funds to continue to be directed to these basic services at other organizations.

It took many years after William Wilberforce’s speech before parliament acted. Surely we all look back and wish they would have acted sooner to prevent the abuse and murder of so many African Americans. May you and other legislators have the courage to end the practice of abortion as soon as possible. Please begin by voting “yes” on Bill S.1881.

Thank you for your service to our state and country and for taking the time to consider this very important issue.

Sincerely,
Ben Khazraee

"It's a Boy" and There is No Sweeping It Under the Rug

The fourth video exposing planned parenthood has been released (see below). The video ends with doctors picking through a petri dish of baby parts and saying what they see: stomach, kidney, heart, legs, brain. The last statement is "it's a boy." 

These videos may provide cumulative evidence that Planned Parenthood is breaking federal laws (partial birth abortions and selling human body parts for profit). What it undeniably shows is that abortion is the killing of HUMAN life. We already knew that, but it has been easy for our country's collective conscience to look the other way. That is impossible now.

The ultrasound proved it many years ago, and now the graphic images from these videos show that these are human beings we are talking about. There are, as the Planned Parenthood doctors acknowledge, legs, heart, liver, brains, and even gender. If there are human organs then they came from a human being. The logic is undeniable.

Some may say what Planned Parenthood is doing is legal. I think we ought to push back on that type of thinking. Since these are human beings, it has to be illegal to kill them apart from the due process of the law. So, if these are innocent humans it must be murder (illegal). If they have done something worthy of death, they must receive a hearing in court (14th amendment to the constitution). Therefore, abortion must be illegal or unconstitutional.

Even if we granted the argument, however, that Planned Parenthood is not doing anything illegal, that still doesn't make it right. The powerful have almost always had the law on their side as they oppressed the helpless. That was true in the case of slavery and it was true in Hitler's Germany. It is sadly true for the unborn in America right now.

Regardless of the legal issues, there is no blissful ignorance to soothe American consciences anymore. No, there is no unseeing it. To continue to live in ignorance at this point is willful. "It's a boy," and there is no sweeping it under the rug. At least there shouldn't be. The sad reality is that many people stand to make a lot of money by sweeping this under the rug.

What can we do? 

First, just like during the movement for the abolition of slavery, we must help our neighbors and political leaders see the evil that has been domesticated right under our noses. We must not let them sidestep the logic: If it is an innocent human being, you cannot morally take its life. Have conversations with your friends and neighbors about abortion. Ask them if they've watched the videos and what they thought. Many of us probably think that if we lived during the time of slavery or Hitler we would have been outspoken in defense of the oppressed. Here is our chance to prove that.

Second, we must love pregnant women that need help. Support the local pregnancy center, provide for the physical needs of these women who often are in difficult situations. Share the gospel with them. Let's not just love in theory, let's love in deed.

Third, contact your Senator and Representative about this issue. We must call for just laws. The unborn can't speak for themselves (just like a new born can't). That doesn't mean they aren't worthy of the full protection of the law. Let's respectfully and wisely call our political leaders to uphold justice for all. For Tallahassee, Florida that is Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio and Representative Gwen Graham (click their name to go straight to the "contact page").

A Tale of Two Responses: Seeing Abortion for What It Is or Obscuring the Point

I recently watched a video from Planned Parenthood in which Cecile Richards, it's president, responds to the video that shows the chief abortion doctor discussing the sale of organs from aborted babies (see video below). I also watched Senator Lankford address the Senate about the same video (see video below). The contrast is striking and very telling.

Cecile Richards focuses on the issue of not making a profit of fetal tissue and that they are not doing anything illegal (which is actually debatable at this point). She apologizes for the "tone" of her staff member. Which seems to miss the point. If this is not human life we are talking about why is there a need to apologize? This is nothing more than a doctor talking about some routine organ removal. The apology seems to reveal that Cecile Richards knows that American's consciences are not buying that argument. Denny Burke has some good thoughts on her response, so I'll refer you to him. 

Senator Lankford speaks on the more fundamental question which cannot be dodged and he his clarity and conviction is tremendous. He basically asks, "How is that we have hearts and lungs and human heads to sell if abortion is nothing more than scraping out some tissue from a mother? If it has human organs it is a human. And if our declaration of independence declares that all persons are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, namely the rights to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, how is that we allow abortion to continue in this nation?"

It will take more than a look into accounting ledgers to answer his questions. May God awaken the consciences of many and grant us mercy so that we might end the oppression of the weakest among us.





Note: Planned Parenthood performs about 900 abortions every DAY.

Analysis of the Supreme Court Decision

If you are looking for some insight into the details of the supreme court ruling (including the logic they used) and some Christian analysis, I recommend Dr. Albert Mohler's special podcast on The Briefing.

"Why the Church Should Neither Cave nor Panic about the Decision on Gay Marriage "

Here is a helpful article by Russell Moore (head of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission) on today's Supreme court ruling legalizing gay marriage for all 50 states. He is right it is not time to panic or back down.

A few quotes:

The Supreme Court can do many things, but the Supreme Court cannot get Jesus back in that tomb.

We must prepare for those, like the sexually wayward Woman at the Well of Samaria, who will be thirsting for water of which they don’t even know.
There are two sorts of churches that will not be able to reach the sexual revolution’s refugees. A church that has given up on the truth of the Scriptures, including on marriage and sexuality, and has nothing to say to a fallen world. And a church that screams with outrage at those who disagree will have nothing to say to those who are looking for a new birth.
We must stand with conviction and with kindness, with truth and with grace. We must hold to our views and love those who hate us for them.