Pro Civil Rights and Pro Unborn Rights

Pro Civil Rights and Pro Unborn Rights

*Note: I "interrupt my 41 consecutive posts on "The Journey" to add a second post today--one that is timely, as I hope you will see when you read the following . . .

I find it fascinating that the same week we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, we also observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

I find it sad that it seems that few people are in favor of both events. That is, it seems that all too few people are pro Civil Rights and pro Unborn Rights.

Why? Why are so many either/or on these two issues?

Why aren’t we all both/and on these two issues.

Pro Civil Rights

I am pro Civil Rights. I am so very thankful that in 1963 and 1964 our nation passed the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Acts. Yes, I understand that legislation alone does not change hearts. However, as a nation, we have a moral responsibility to enact laws that protect all people. It is the bedrock of our national beliefs:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men . . .

So, although I recognize that passing the Civil Rights Act did not change a single heart, and though I recognize that ultimately it is through Christ and His Church that true reconciliation will occur, I still believe it was the right, moral, political, national thing to do to enact the Civil Rights Act. Therefore, I celebrate Martin Luther King Day as a reminder to me of his leadership in the crusade for Civil Rights.

Pro Unborn Rights

Likewise, I am pro Unborn Rights. I am horrified that in 1973 our Supreme Court legalized abortion. My prayer is that just as the Dred Scott ruling was overturned by a later Supreme Court, so Roe V. Wade will also be overturned.

The same arguments that were used first to enslave blacks and then to victimize blacks are now being used to kill unborn children. For slavery it was states’ rights and the rights of white land owners to do as they pleased with their “property.” How wicked.

And it is just as wicked that anyone’s “rights” could be put above the right to life of any unborn human being.

Some argue that Pro Life legislation will not change hearts, therefore, forget legislation and focus on Christ and His Church. Again, why not both/and? Just as the Civil Rights Act was the right, moral, political, and national thing to do, regardless of whether it changed one heart, so an Unborn Rights Act would be the right thing to do morally, politically, and nationally regardless of whether or not it changed one heart.

Pro Civil Rights and Pro Life

Based upon biblical principles, every human being is entitled to equal civil rights. Based upon biblical principles, every human being is entitled to the right to life (unborn rights).

Based upon the Declaration of Independence, every human being is entitled to civil rights (the right to liberty). Based upon the Declaration of Independence, every human being is entitled to unborn rights (the right to life).

I don’t expect to make many people “happy” with this post. Frankly, I don’t care. Likely, many will be “unhappy” with me on each side of these two issues. Fine.

Happiness, at least how we define it today, is unimportant. Interestingly, when the writers of the Declaration of Independence spoke of the right to the “pursuit of happiness,” they had in mind the Greco-Roman idea of happiness. To them it meant the right to freely pursue a purposeful life of meaningful contribution to society.

If we supported Civil Rights and Unborn Rights, then every human being would have the right and the opportunity to freely pursue a purposeful life of meaningful contribution to society.

Because of my interpretation of the Bible and because of my interpretation of the Declaration of Independence, I am pro Civil Rights and pro Unborn Rights.

Because of my interpretation of the Bible and because of my interpretation of the Declaration of Independence, I believe Civil Rights and Unborn Rights are both legislative matters and church matters. That is, we need national legislation that declares it is politically right to protect every human being’s Civil Rights and every human being’s Unborn Rights. And, we need the Church of Christ to fulfill her calling to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth so that law or not, by grace we choose to grant every person their civil rights (right to liberty) and their unborn rights (right to life), so every person can enjoy the pursuit of happiness (the right to freely pursue a purposeful life of meaningful contribution to society).

Local Caucasian Author to Speak on African American Church History

The following article appeared in several newspapers. If you are in the area, please join us Sunday night at 6:00 PM at Bethel Church in Crown Point.

Local Caucasian Author to Speak on African American Church History

When Crown Point resident Bob Kellemen speaks the night before Martin Luther King Day at Bethel Church in Crown Point on “Heroes of Black Church History,” he’ll start by addressing the proverbial “elephant in the room.” Why is a white guy speaking at a predominantly white church about the legacy of African American Christianity?

In his own words, “I grew up on 11th and Hovey in downtown Gary in the 60s and 70s when Gary was one of the most integrated cities in the country. I attended Calumet High School and always maintained great friendships with Hispanic and African American classmates and teammates. I now teach at Capital Bible Seminary where we have no majority culture. I’ve spent my whole life in a multi-cultural environment. I believe God has called me to a life-long, cross-cultural ministry.”

When Senior Pastor Steve DeWitt and Counseling Pastor Gary Butler learned that Dr. Kellemen was attending Bethel, and that he had written a book on African American Church history, they quickly began exploring ways that they could minister together to equip the church and community for multi-cultural ministry.

Pastor Butler explained how the seminar matches the vision of Bethel Church for authentic, life-changing fellowship “which happens as believers in the church gather to focus on Christ and minister to one another. By loving, serving, encouraging, exhorting, and praying for one another, Bethel strives to be a community hallmarked by Spirit-driven acceptance, concern, friendship, unity, and growth.”

Dr. Kellemen will base his presentation at Bethel Church on his book Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction. According to Kellemen, even the writing of the book was a multi-cultural experience. “I didn’t write the book alone; I co-authored it with Karole Edwards who is a wonderful African American friend and a graduate of the seminary where I teach. Karole and I like to say that we didn’t co-author Beyond the Suffering as much as we co-edited it. We wove together first-hand accounts of the amazing narratives concerning how African American Christians found courage and comfort in God and each other to move beyond the suffering of slavery to a place of healing hope.”

Edwards further described the books purpose. “Through Beyond the Suffering, we desire to inspire today’s generation as they hear the voices of past African American believers speaking through its pages. By listening to their personal narratives, readers of all races learn that no matter how difficult our external circumstances, we can move from victims to victors.”

During the presentation, which takes place Sunday, January 18, 2009, from 6:00-7:30 PM, Dr. Kellemen will focus on celebrating this great legacy of African American Christianity. Through an engaging PowerPoint presentation, stirring historical narratives, moving personal applications, and cross-cultural ministry implications, Kellemen plans to demonstrate how the African American heritage can empower people of all races to live more effective lives.

“This event,” Dr. Kellemen elaborated, “is a gift to African Americans and a gift from African Americans. It is a gift to African Americans because it validates their tremendous treasure of healing wisdom that has been buried for far too long. I want to be a voice for the voiceless African American believers of the past and finally tell their empowering story. As a gift from African Americans, the presentation is for all Americans. It equips everyone who attends, regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture, to minister to one another more effectively, especially during times of hurt, loss, and suffering.”

One of the real-life stories that Kellemen will share is called “pulling the rope in unison. “It illustrates the practical nature of the entire seminar,” Kellemen commented. “Venture Smith was born in Guinea about 1729. Kidnapped at age eight, Robertson Mumford purchased him a year later. After living with Mumford for thirteen years, Venture married Meg at age twenty-two. They remained together for over forty-seven years, through many trials and tribulations, until parted by death.”

“Venture’s narrative contains an explanation for their marital faithfulness. On the occasion of their marriage, Venture threw a rope over his cabin and asked his wife to go to the opposite side and pull on the rope hanging there while he remained and pulled on his end. After they both had tugged at it awhile in vain, he called her to his side of the cabin and by their united effort they drew the rope to themselves with ease. He then explained the object lesson to his young bride. ‘If we pull in life against each other we shall fail, but if we pull together we shall succeed.’” According to Kellemen, “we would all do well to heed Venture’s advice, whether as married couples, friends, co-workers, church members, community members, or neighbors.”

The seminar is free and open to the public. For more information, people can contact Pastor Gary Butler of Bethel Church at 219-663-9200. The church is located at 10202 Broadway, Crown Point, Indiana. Those wishing to learn more about Beyond the Suffering can do so at Dr. Kellemen’s website: http://www.rpmministries.org/.

Sanctity of Life Sunday: The Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Slavery Movement, and the Pro Life Movement

Sanctity of Life Sunday:
The Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Slavery Movement,

and the Pro Life Movement

Yesterday in my blog I reminded people that this weekend is Martin Luther King weekend. A friend reminded me in return that this weekend is also Sanctity of Life weekend.

The Civil Rights Movement: A Voice for the Voiceless

I was struck by that confluence of events.

And I was reminded again that being a voice for the voiceless is a common thread in this joint remembrance. Martin Luther King was a voice for Civil Rights—a voice crying in the wilderness pleading that we all fight for the rights of African Americans in American society.

Sanctity of Life Sunday is a voice for the voiceless—a voice for the unborn human being who can cry, but who cannot yet speak. Sanctity of Life Sunday is a civil rights voice—a voice pleading that the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be extended to all living beings.

The Anti-Slavery, Abolitionist Movement: The Pursuit of Happiness

In yesterday’s blog, I linked Martin Luther King, Jr. and his predecessors—people like the Reverends Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. Allen and Jones emphasized the biblical, universal truth that all people are created in the image of God and therefore have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The pro-life movement is the modern anti-slavery movement. The identical arguments are and should be used to support both convictions. Every human being, including the unborn, has rights that the powerful must protect. The most powerless in society—unborn children—must be protected from the ultimate abuse and the ultimate denial of rights.

Somehow in some twisted, distorted thinking the argument has pitted women’s rights and unborn children’s rights against each other. How sad, tragic, immoral, and a-historical.

Historically, some of the greatest anti-slavery advocates, some of the greatest abolitionist voices, were the women’s rights activists. As an example, white women in the North during the days of slavery fought back to back with blacks for the dual rights of women and of blacks.

Today, women, of all people, resonate with the fight for the rights of the unborn. For women still know what it is to be voiceless and powerless—to have their rights trampled upon by men with louder voices and stronger bodies.

How did this travesty of pitting women’s rights against the right to life occur?

It occurred partly because of our modern reinterpretation of the right to “happiness.” We hear the phrase, “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and we think of the modern definition of “happiness” which means to us some silly, misinterpreted right to be giddy, to feel good, to be “up” all the time.

Our founding fathers, steeped as they were in ancient Greek philosophy and ancient Roman political thought, had a very different view of “happiness.” For them, happiness was the right to pursue a purposeful life for the good of society.

Stop.

Please.

Ponder that definition: the right to pursue a purposeful life for the good of society.

That is not simply an individualistic right but a plural responsibility.

That is not the right to feel good, but the right to do good.

How Will History Judge Us?

Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights Movement, Richard Allen’s Anti-Slavery Movement, the Abolitionist Movement, and the modern day Pro-Life Movement all share the common denominator of speaking as a voice for the voiceless and insisting that the powerless be empowered and freed to live. All these movements share the insistence that all people be granted the same universal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—the right to pursue a purposeful life for the good of society.

We look back now and wonder how anyone could have ever supported the rights to slave ownership. The supposed right of the white slave owner to own blacks was pitted against the contested right of blacks to the same status as human, the same human dignity and equality, and, therefore, the same right to life, liberty (freedom), and the pursuit of happiness.

Even as I pen that previous paragraph I am sickened. Where in our constitution, where in biblical thinking, where in universal common law can anyone find a right for one person to own another person? Where can anyone find the right for one human being to enslave another human being? Where can anyone find the mentality that a human being’s skin color makes that human being a non-human being?

What outrage we should have as we reflect back on that hideous past way of thinking!

One hundred years from now will history look back and wonder in horrified bewilderment at how we could have been so cruel to so many unborn children? Will people of the 22nd Century be confounded when they try to figure out by what twisted logic millions of people were murdered every year—and unprotected by the powerful? Will they ask, “Where were the Civil Rights voices?” “Where were the Anti-slavery voices?” “Where were the Abolitionists voices?” “Where were the Pro-life voices?” “Where were the right to life voices?”

Will people of the distant future look back and be sickened by 21st century Americans? Will they wonder with righteous indignation and outrage where in our constitution, where in biblical thinking, where in universal common law anyone could find a right for one person to end the life of another person? Where anyone could find the mentality that a human being’s residence in a mother’s womb makes that human being a non-human being?

God’s Affectionate Sovereignty

Yes, it is no coincidence that we celebrate Martin Luther King weekend and Sanctity of Life weekend together.

In God’s affectionate sovereignty, He wants us to link civil rights and the right to life. He wants us to link the rights of African Americans, of women, and of unborn children. He wants us to be a voice for the voiceless, wherever and whenever the powerful attempt to silence their still, small voices.

Martin Luther King's Predecessors

Richard Allen and Absalom Jones:

The Martin Luther King, Jr. of Their Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was, of course, one of the main leaders of the American Civil Rights movement. What is lesser known today is King’s training and ministry as a Baptist pastor. Even fewer people know the long history of African American ministers promoting civil rights.

That history begins with the Reverends Richard Allen (1760-1831) and Absalom Jones (1746-1818). Allen and Jones were foremost founding fathers of the African American independent churches and of the American Civil Rights movement.

Allen’s Ministry

Allen traveled extensively, preaching in Delaware and Pennsylvania. In February, 1786, he preached at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Thinking that he would be there one or two weeks, ministry needs led Allen to a settled place of service in Philadelphia.

Concerned for the wellbeing of African Americans in this parish, he established prayer meetings. “I raised a society in 1786 of forty-two members. I saw the necessity of erecting a place of worship for the coloured people.”

It was at this time that the Rev. Jones united with Rev. Allen. Their little band met great opposition, including “very degrading and insulting language to us, to try and prevent us from going on.”

Notwithstanding, they established prayer meetings and meetings of exhortation, with many people becoming Christians. Their growing congregation, still without a building, often attended services at St. George’s Church. When the black worshippers became more numerous, the white leaders “moved us from the seats we usually sat on, and placed us around the wall.”

Jones’ Convictions

It was at this juncture that one of the most noteworthy events in the American Civil Rights movement occurred. Taking seats that they thought were appropriate, prayer began. Allen describes the scene.

“We had not long been upon our knees before I heard considerable scuffling and low talking. I raised my head up and saw one of the trustees, H. M., having hold of the Rev. Absalom Jones, pulling him up off of his knees, and saying, ‘You must get up—you must not kneel here.’ Mr. Jones replied, ‘Wait until prayer is over.’ Mr. H. M. said ‘No, you must get up now, or I will call for aid and I will force you away.’ Mr. Jones said, ‘Wait until prayer is over, and I will get up and trouble you no more.’”

By the time the second usher arrived, prayer was over, and, according to Allen, “We all went out of the church in a body, and they were no more plagued with us in the church. This raised a great excitement and inquiry among the citizens, in so much that I believe they were ashamed of their conduct.”

The Birth of the Black Church

As a result, Allen and Jones birthed the first independent Black Church in the North when they hired a store room and held worship by themselves. Facing excommunication from the “mother church,” they remained united and strong.
Allen stirringly recounts the situation. “Here we were pursued with threats of being disowned, and read publicly out of meeting if we did continue to worship in the place we had hired; but we believed the Lord would be our friend. . . . Here was the beginning and rise of the first African church in America.”

Some twenty years later, when increasing numbers of African Americans could not worship without harassment in the Methodist Church, Allen and others called a conference which established the first African denomination in America. It was resolved, “That the people of Philadelphia, Baltimore, etc., should become one body, under the name of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.”

While Americans rightfully pause to remember the historic work of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is equally important to reflect on precursors to his work. The Revs. Richard Allen and Absalom Jones paved the way for heroic African American ministers to pursue civil rights, equality, and religious freedom for all Americans.