Question: If you don't believe in Christian activism, what about abortion?

Question: If you don’t believe in Christian activism, what about all the babies who will otherwise be aborted? Aren’t you condemning them to death?

Response: We do not condemn any rescue of babies about to be aborted. In fact, we have an obligation to do all we can to rescue anyone from any harm by which they are being threatened. What we do oppose is the idea that we can reform a godless society by creating social upheaval. That is neither biblical nor practical. The unsaved by far outnumber Christians and can put on larger demonstrations and more pressure than we can. Sadly, there are already those who have been turned off to the gospel by the social/political activism of Christians. They resent the attempts to coerce them into godly behavior for which they have no heart, and as a result they end up hardened against Christ.

No matter how sympathetic we might otherwise be to the idea, it must weigh heavily that you cannot find even one example of God’s people anywhere in the Bible trying to reform godless societies. Nor did Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, Esther—much less Christ, Paul, Peter, or the early church.  

Yes, John the Baptist rebuked Herod, but he never tried through social/political activism to pressure him (or society) to adopt a godly way of life. Sin must be indicted publicly. John was right when he rebuked the Jews and their religious leaders—but in contrast to Christ, who never rebuked Herod or Caesar, it would seem that John stepped out of God’s will when he rebuked a godless king, which positioned him for death at the whim of Herodias’s daughter. Even so, John never tried to use social/political activism to force changes in private or public behavior. It’s one thing to rebuke a public leader who may be a professing Christian for his personal sins and bad example, and quite another to picket the White House in an attempt to pressure him into righteous living. It is even further from biblical teaching to pressure the entire United States, mostly unsaved, to forsake its evil ways. That is not consistent with God’s Word and is part of most “social activism” programs.

Yes, Jesus rebuked God’s people and their religious leaders—but not the Roman world. We try to follow His example in speaking out against error within the church. But Christ never reproved Caesar, much less tried to bring social/political pressure upon Roman society to get it to stop abortion, homosexuality, lesbianism, et al. Yes, the disciples turned the world upside down, but it was by preaching the gospel, not through political/social activism and public protest demonstrations. About ten percent of the Roman Empire became Christians, but that didn’t change Roman society or laws, nor was any attempt made to do so.

I [Dave Hunt] have stated clearly in numerous articles and books that we must follow God and not man. There is no law that requires a Christian to abort her baby. Obeying God rather than manmade laws does not involve forcing the unsaved to obey God. We don’t condemn Operation Rescue. Peacefully trying to rescue babies about to be aborted is according to God’s Word, but the shock value that once caused women to change their minds is no longer there because Operation Rescue is so well known today. Clinic Escorts are there in force, police are there to keep the abortion factories open, and business goes on almost as usual.

Denounce sin, convict them of rebellion against God, and call upon them to repent. God will bless such efforts. But don’t deceive yourself into thinking you will turn America back to God by large demonstrations and applied pressure. Don’t let this effort become a hindrance to, or a substitute for, preaching the gospel.