New Stanek poll: How often does your pastor preach against abortion?
I have a new poll question up:
How often does your pastor preach against abortion annually?
Most pro-lifers I know complain their pastor doesn’t talk about the abortion issue enough. So how often is that? Vote on the lower right side of the home page.
(Is your pastor resistant? Have him/her read what Franklin Graham thinks.)
In the last poll, 90% thought Emily Letts’ “abortion video” damaged the pro-abortion brand…
As always, make comments to either the previous or current poll here, not on the poll site.
May.27, 2014 5:48 am |
Polls |
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Pastor at my old parish sticks to comfortable topics.
A few years ago, our family started traveling to a Catholic parish where the priest is a dedicated culture warrior. His recurring sermon themes are: “How to grow in holiness so we can have the courage to withstand the ridicule that we suffer as we speak the truth about life, natural marriage, and the reality of Jesus Christ.”
Love this poll. If you’re wondering why some pastors remain silent on this issue and want some practical tips for reaching out to him effectively, I had a pastor and a priest come on to my podcast a few years to discuss this very issue: http://prolifepodcast.net/2012/04/139. I hope it helps you get your pastor to preach about abortion more!
Is it any wonder that women go to get abortions and claim they are Christians and that God will forgive them? The spiritual leaders are silent.
Speak out pastors!
The pastor who married my first husband and I preached against abortion and homosexuals. I met him in front of Martin Ruddocks abortion clinic. He even devotes 1 hour prior to the service to talk about the evil of abortion. Some people cant stand him. I love him! That man travels the US preaching about abortion. Anyway I left a message at my girlfriends church and complained that the service was a little too warm and fuzzy for me. I said…”You did not address abortion or homosexuality ” MUCH to my surprise I hadnt set foot in that church since Mothers day. We went. He brought up the Emily Letts video ..Yes! My post abortive friend stood beside me. She said nothing but I do still hold out hope for her. Her abortion was in 96 but she still says ” no regret “
The pastor who married my first husband and I preached against abortion and homosexuals.
Well, gays are people too.
I believe in God, but I am not a fan of organized religion — I have been hurt by so-called “religious” people too many times.
My pastor teaches through the Bible verse by verse, so doesn’t do “topical” sermons that would have him preach specifically on abortion.
However, he frequently talks about something related to abortion as part of his announcements. For example, our church specifically backs two crisis pregnancy centers so he’ll announce things they are doing, noting the reason and importance of their work. He’ll also alert us about legislation regarding abortion so that we can communicate with our representatives. He is not afraid to include abortion in-and-amongst the examples and illustrations in his sermons. I would characterize him as passionate and compassionate about ending abortion in our culture and extending a hand of grace and healing to those who have been harmed by abortion.
This is one ‘truly weird’ question … it’s like trying to assess the ‘Christian-motivation’ of someone by their church attendance …. Reality, forgive us, for we know not what we do!
If you are already an ardent anti-choicer why should your pastor need to focus on it?
Maybe there are other things which require a bit more attention and focus to convince people to behave as they are ‘supposed’ to.
You don’t need forgiveness John, maybe understanding ;-)
I’d like more preachers to focus on gluttony, pride, turning the other cheek, and wealth.
Thankfully though, the pastor at my church preaches on what he feels he is called to preach on, not what makes people feel prideful or happy about.
Specifically, once a year.
The last time I attended my church, the “sermon” was provided by some circuit riding preacher that was selling marriage counseling seminars, for $40 a head on the following Wednesday night. He was also asking for people to take the 2 hour course so they could be trained as to council those with marital difficulties. Between this outrage, and previous sermons by the in house preachers about how the church’s debt is $9 million and the assembled needs to kick in better via tidings, I’ve had enough, and won’t go back again.
more resources about how to approach your pastor if you wish to do so…
https://www.priestsforlife.org/store/p-134-a-letter-to-my-priest.aspx
and for clergy looking for resources…
http://www.priestsforlife.org/clergy/index.aspx
finally, in an attempt to gently correct our word choices, it is homosexual behavior (and any other sex outside the bonds of marriage) that we should speak against
Hey Bryan…I know of a few people who have stopped going to church because they get that message that we are all going to heaven no matter what they do. I feel a pastor has a duty to speak out against gay marriage and abortion but many wont touch it with a 10 foot pole. I was so glad the pastor at my friends church brought up the Letts video and added ” All she talked about was MY LIFE.” She was a mom and she still is if its even true. But either way she works in the industry and must be prayed out.
John Hagee is on TV right now talking about abortion drugs homosexual marriage fatherless homes! Hes awesome!!!!
heather –
Why the stink would a pastor have the DUTY to preach about those subjects? Don’t you believe pastors feel called to speak about certain subjects? Do you have a checklist of things they must hit to be fully approved by you? If God seems to be calling a pastor to give a certain message, but you believe they should talk about gay marriage or abortion, do you just trump God?
Sorry – but that comment, to me personally, just reeks of somebody thinking their own agenda is more important than Christ’s message.
“Sorry – but that comment, to me personally, just reeks of somebody thinking their own agenda is more important than Christ’s message.”
Ex-RINO, are you saying that Christ’s message to you is not that it is wrong to commit abortion? Cause I would have to agree with Heather that any preacher who would condone abortion is not a disciple of Christ.
No truth – that is not what I’m saying.
If a preacher feels calls to preach on abortion, they should be Biblical about it, which I believe is a pro-life viewpoint.
What I disagree with Heather on is that a pastor has a duty to speak about those things. Again, if called, they should accurately portray the issue. But I can’t find any Biblical backing to say that a preacher should hit on certain subjects in certain proportions as they are ministering to their flock.
Ex-RINO, we agree that abortion is anti-Christian. Since 1973 our society has legalized the dismembering of babies in the womb. Christian preachers now have a duty to protect God’s children by speaking out against abortion lest Christians (and all of society) continue to mutilate and kill mothers and their unborn children.
truth –
They have the duty?
What else do they have the duty to preach on? Social justice? Gluttony? Pride? Money? Divorce?
Ex-RINO, Biblically none of those sins could have killed our Saviour. If Mary the mother of Jesus had chosen abortion the New Testament (which follows the ministry of Jesus as he grew) would not even exist so those other sins pale in comparison to abortion.
truth –
So your contention is that anything that could have killed Jesus should be preached about the most? So abortion, violence? Only Jesus living in the past – so not safe driving or anything?
Are you backtracking then from homosexuality?
Yes Ex-RINO, My contention is that dismembering unborn children in the womb is far more grievous to the Holy Spirit then car accidents. To commit or even condone abortion is to completely reject God and to be a disciple of the anti-Christ; unless you repent. The day of reckoning will come for those who kill God’s children. It would be better you had a millstone tied around your neck and be cast in the sea.
So you’ve put abortion on a special level, greater than all other sins. Is this supportable by scripture?
Second time I’ll ask – are you backtracking from your linking to homosexuality?
What do you mean by backtracking from homosexuality? I have always said without hesitation that a person who tears a baby out from her mother’s womb is guilty of a far more grievous sin than abnormal sex.
Sorry truth – it was Heather who claimed pastors had a duty to speak out about homosexuality.
So you are essentially saying that the ONLY thing they have a duty to speak about is abortion – correct?
Apology accepted. All Christians definitely have a duty to stand up and be a voice for the unborn.
Ex-RINO, how often does your pastor speak out against abortion?
Our pastor goes book by book through the Bible (not in order – picks a book and works completely through it) – not topical – so he’s mentioned it a few times as it relates to the scripture at hand.
Which scripture passages did your pastor deem related to abortion?
I don’t remember everyone – one interesting application was from James 4 – essentially, those killing because they lack faith, or don’t ask. The pastor equated abortion to a lack of faith and truth in God’s provision.
The pastor at the parish I usually go to has spoken more, and has written more in the pastor’s note in the bulletin, on this topic in the past few years than I ever remember him doing previously. Not sure why. It could be that as he gets older, he is caring less about potential criticism, although he definitely cares about not offending people. He has also spoken and written about the marriage issue, which has surprised me a little. I think maybe the issue of redefining marriage has opened his eyes to the fact that the culture is ever less friendly to Christianity. Either that, or it’s been the tipping point that has given him the stomach for the fight.