Lutherans for Life Statement on the Murder of the Abortionist
June 1, 2009
Lutherans For Life (LFL) joins pro-life groups across the country in extending our sympathy to the family of George Tiller, the late-term abortionist who was gunned down Sunday morning in his church. We join other pro-life groups in denouncing this action as evil. No circumstances justify the violent murder of another human being.
God’s Word tells us not to fight evil with evil but to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Based on that same Word of God, LFL believes that abortion is a great evil, the violent murder of another human being that deeply grieves the Author and Redeemer of life. But we oppose the use of evil to overcome this evil. We have the greatest “good” there is to use against it, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. LFL strives to apply the Gospel to the life issues, to change hearts and minds so that people will turn to the Lord of Life and not the god of death as the solution to difficult circumstances. We want to make the killing of children in the sanctity of the womb as unthinkable and deplorable as the killing of George Tiller in the sanctity of his church.
While George Tiller was a member of a Lutheran denomination that does not officially oppose abortion, it should be noted that almost all other Lutheran denominations do take an official stance that opposes abortion and asserts the God-given value of human life from conception to natural death.
We commend the Tiller family and all affected by this tragic event into the loving arms of a crucified and risen Savior.
I think this would have been a much stronger statement if it would have ended after the first paragraph. Though I’m glad it doesn’t come right out and say, “But Tiller was an evil man” the implication is still lurking in the background.
The best thing we can do is say, “The murder of this man was wrong” and then shut-up. To not put too fine a point on it, the murder of a child is no more evil than the murder of a serial killer.
The murder of Tiller was an outrage. Period.
@Rev. Charles Lehmann
Pr. Lehmann, I respectfully disagree. The reality is that the mass media is confusing a whole range and host of issues, and I think we can not ignore who the victim was and what he did. The media certainly isn’t. I think Lutherans for Life provided a very fine statement that says just enough.
@ptmccain
I guess maybe I’ll put it this way. I’m not smart and discerning enough of a writer (or maybe reader) to find a way to highlight Tiller’s evil without diminishing the equal evil of his death.
I think it’s probably impossible for the pro-life community to say anything negative about the man right now without making it appear that his murder was justified.
@Rev. Charles Lehmann
Pr. Lehmann, thanks for your additional comment. I do see your point, and agree with you. I do however believe Lutherans for Life’s message did not fall into the trap of putting the focus on the man who was killed. I think it is important not to permit the pro-abortion groups to abuse this situation, and so I think the LFL statement struck just the right note.
I believe you run about the same risk of conveying that his death was justified by saying nothing.
Vengeance is the Lords.
I felt a need to put a prayer request regarding this tragedy/travesty in our bulletin for this Sunday, even though I knew it would be controversial. Here’s what I wrote:
Pray for God’s mercy and guidance to the government and citizens of our country in the aftermath of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, abortionist gunned down in his church by a militant “pro-life” activist on Sunday May 31 (see Romans 3:23, 24; 12:9-21)
Note to any of my brothers in the ministry reading this: feel free to use this in your congregations if you wish
Oops. That first reference should be Romans 2:23, 24 not 3:23, 24.
Such air headed crap. George Tiller was a mass murderer of children. If he lived in the days of Christ, he would have been executed for his crimes, even under Roman Law he would have been taken and fed to the lions, just like we execute murderers. 30,000,000 American children have been killed since the 1970′s in legal abortion clinics, that’s 5 times the number of jews killed by Hitler during the Holocaust.
Abortion doctors = George Tiller = Adolf Hitler.
Wake up!
I let this comment stand as a good example of the muddle-headed thinking that caused this murder. Apparently in Jeff’s world, there is no law nor order and the Scripture, “Vengeance is mine” has been set aside for, “And everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” The ends do not justify the means, Jeff. Get a grip.