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 

A News Podcast Recommendation - The World and Everything in It

If you are looking for solid journalism from a biblical worldview, check out The World and Everything in It Podcast. I have been listening for well over a year and love it. It isn't sensationalized entertainment. It doesn't aim to keep listeners in a perpetual state of anger and anxiety. It is careful, factual reporting that focuses on many issues that actually matter from a biblical worldview. I listen most mornings on my commute. 

Resources to Help You Speak for the Unborn

The abortion debate is back in the national spotlight with a recent Texas law as well as a case that will be heard this Fall by the Supreme Court which directly challenges Roe v. Wade. We must pray for the injustice of Roe v. Wade to be overturned. 

But, we must do more than that. We must be ready to speak on behalf of the oppressed. The weaker and more defenseless they are, and the more irreversible the threat they face, the more responsible we are to use our voice. 

Proverbs calls us to this work. 

Prov. 24:10-12 says,

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?

Proverbs 31:8-9 says, 

Open your mouth for the mute,

    for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Here are some resources to equip you to speak for the unborn:

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

This is a brief blog post outlining the logic of why abortion is a major issue that we must never stop fighting. 

Scott Klusendorf - Defending Your Pro-life Views  (Video)

A short 3 minute video on how to make the pro-life argument. 

Abortion Is Immoral: An Animated Roadmap of the Argument (Videos)

A four-part animated video summary of an essay by Patrick Lee (ethicist) and Robert P. George (Princeton Law Professor): “What Is Wrong with Abortion." This one deals with more details of the legal and philosophical arguments against abortion. 

Abortion: From Controversy to Civility | Stephanie Gray | Talks at Google (long Video)

Another approach to making the pro-life case in a world that lacks a biblical worldview. Stephanie appeals to the idea of heroism and our obligation to protect the weakest among us even when it is costly (she gave this talk to google employees). 

Meet Baby Olivia | A Never Before Seen Look At Human Life In The Womb (Video)

This is a short 3 minute, medically accurate video of a baby maturing in the womb. 

Lessons Learned about Ministering Outside an Abortion Clinic part 1 (Blog)

A short article I wrote that reminds us that as Christians we have a message for those considering abortion and those who have had them. 

The Most Important Decision of the Semester

Kevin DeYoung has a helpful article at the Gospel Coalition about the most important decision students will face as they move into adulthood and go out on their own. He writes, "Of all the decisions you’ll face this year, the most important one may be whether you get up and go to church on the very first Sunday when no one is there to make sure that you go to church."

There will always be other things pressing for your time and attention: exams to study for, a job, friends, a campus ministry, etc. Those are all good things. However, other things may not be so good: laziness, a desire to avoid relationships that require work, or a desire to hide sinful lifestyle choices. 

But, if you belong to Jesus, you need to be gathering with the church family. You might think your personal relationship with Jesus doesn't require this, but you would be wrong. DeYoung provides a helpful quote from John Stott on this: "An unchurched Christian is a grotesque anomaly. The New Testament knows nothing of such a person. For the church lies at the very center of the eternal purpose of God. It is not a divine afterthought." God says that the church is Jesus's bride, body, family, and temple. If we ignore what God prioritizes, then we will miss out on joy, and we will easily begin to ignore other things he tells us. 

One more thing to consider. The church body needs each member if it is to grow as a healthy body (1 Cor. 12). If you choose not to prioritize it, you will also deprive other brothers and sisters of what you owe them. 

There are always other things that compete with attending the worship service and other meetings. Sometimes we might have to miss, but we should miss being there in our affections. We should take long to be with God's people. Don't fall into the temptation of saying you are too busy. We are busy with the things we think are most important. So, if we are consistently too busy, then we are saying it isn't the highest priority. But, for the sake of your own soul and the building up of the body, decide to make gathering on Sundays (and coming to a Bible study if you can) a top priority. 

How is Your Summer Going? Advice for Redeeming Your Break

 Not everyone gets a summer break. But for those on break, I wanted to check in and ask how your summer is going. Are you stewarding the gift well? Are you growing in your love for Christ, his people, and your neighbors? Are you serving your family well and with a cheerful heart? 

I wanted to offer some counsel to those who might have noticed that their summer is flying by without much progress in spiritual growth or fruitfulness. You might have started out with many big goals, but you have found that not much has happened to meet those goals. Here is some advice.

1. Realize that goals are good to have, but developing habits is the key to obtaining those goals. In other words, your goal will only be met if you set up new habits to help you travel towards the goal. 
2. Develop habits of Bible reading and prayer. If you are a Christian, you want to be more like Christ. This goal will only happen as you learn from God's word and ask him for help (communion with God). So, if your goal is growth, develop the habit of a particular time of day and location for Bible reading and prayer. The goal isn't to the routine, but the goal won't be achieved without it. 
3. Develop habits of serving others. When you find yourself tempted to veg out with a screen, first ask if there is someone you can do good to in your home or church. Meet a physical need (wash the dishes) or a spiritual one (pray for a friend or send an encouraging text). 
4. It's not too late to start! You might be thinking you've wasted your summer. It's not over! Developing habits now will help you this summer and in the Fall. 

I'm praying for you. May you labor and rest to the glory of God this summer. 

Living as Strangers: Four Classic Sermons

Tonight we begin our "classic sermon discussion" series. We will be looking at four sermons from the past 300 years. If you'd like to read along, here is the reader that contains the sermons. 

Below is the table of contents

• "The Christian Pilgrim or The True Christian's Life a Journey Toward Heaven" Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
• "Persecution Every Christian's Lot" George Whitefield (1714-1770)
• "Commentary on Psalm 103" in The Treasury of David  Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
• "Boasting Only in the Cross" John Piper (1946-Present)
• Appendix: The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723) Arranged Topically

The Beauty of The Gender Binary

In the first post in this series, I noted that philosophers have long noted the three categories of truth, goodness, and beauty. Every person longs for what is true, good, and beautiful because God has implanted it in us. Furthermore, those three are wed in an indissoluble union. If something is not true, then it is not good. If it is not good, then it is not objectively beautiful. 

The question we have examined is whether the gender binary or transgender view of humanity accords with the truth and goodness. We have found that understanding humans as immutably male or female (and the corresponding gender) is true and therefore good. Today, I will briefly discuss the beauty of God's design.. 

Objective Beauty

“Beauty . . . awakens a longing within us for a world where everything is as it should be, where everything fits together in the right way.”[1]  Ultimately, beauty is objective because God designed the world and gives it the template for beauty. Thus, “beauty emerges when the material and spiritual creation is shaped according to the divine design.”[2] 

This argument is obviously based on the previous two issues of truth and goodness. If one disagrees with the above assessment (i.e., that the gender binary accords with what is true and good), it is unlikely that the binary will appear beautiful. For those that have eyes to see, however, it is lovely. 

The Gender Binary is Beautiful

The binary is beautiful because it cultivates a budding and flowering process in humanity. As Anthony Esolen observes, “The boyishness of the boy is to come to flowering in manhood and fatherhood. The girlishness of the girl is to come to flowering in womanhood and motherhood. That is what the sexes are for. We want no longer to deny reality. We want to work in harmony with it.”[3] The binary is the rich soil that produces wonderful flowers in life.

On the other hand, transgenderism is like an orchestra in which there is no composer or music to ensure everyone is on the same page. The musicians show up with instruments they have never played before, and some even show up with instruments that they made with no expertise. These musicians then play what they want when they want. Such self-determination and lack of design can only result in a cacophony. It leaves nothing to enjoy or dance to. 

The gender binary, however, is beautiful in the same way that an orchestra makes a wonderful tune. There are certain musical realities and defined roles that provide structure to what is going on. The composer expresses creativity in a way that highlights harmony. The musicians each fill their roles and play in ways that fit the musical design of the composer. The music produced prompts joy within those who experience it. The gender binary is written into reality by God and performed in the lives of people. It gives people a beautiful song to dance to.

---

[1] Gould, Cultural Apologetics, 104.

[2] Wainwright, 24.

[3] Anthony Esolen, Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture (Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2017), 96.