Read from the beginning of this memoir: Part 1

Misguided Brothers – The Abortion Doctor and His Killer

In Depth Pro-Choice Documentary, AFTER TILLER

3rd Trimester Abortion via LETHAL Injection | Former Abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino

In the previous blog entry I processed the attack on Planned Parenthood by a madman that took place during the time I was present at the abortion clinic every business day.

I felt it was important to follow that up with a completely different case. The case of a professing pro-life Christian who shot a professing Christian abortionist.

Scott Roeder, who shot Dr. George Tiller in the church Tiller attended, made a bargain with the devil. He would terminate one human life in hopes of sparing or improving the lives of others.

Terminating a life is like aborting faith, shooting blind.

Dr. Tiller’s killer believed the lie that if the pro-life Christians would only rise up to kill the abortion doctors, abortion would end. Lives would be saved!  He put his own ideas of how to save lives above the commands of God, “Do not murder.” and further spurned another command of God’s to obey the law.

Instead of acting to terminate unjust laws, or terminate the crisis’ that led women to abortion, or protest peacefully by civil disobedience, he put his hope in the strength of the sword as Peter did in the garden. He believed he could stop the violence with violence, disregarding Christ’s words that, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.”

Scott turned a blind eye to his brother (the abortionist) trapped by the lies of abortion and considered him an enemy. He may even have believed the lie that it was more merciful to kill the doctor than to allow him to continue the quality of life that terminating the unborn afforded him. But according to his testimony, it seems he was primarily motivated to spare baby’s from certain death.

A grave error this brother made indeed!

It was an abandonment of faith in whatever work God was doing. We don’t know what was in Dr. Tiller’s heart or if he would experience conversion on the issue of life. Even if he hadn’t, his life held value to God. Only God, who gave the abortion doctor life, had the right to end his life.

Scott Roeder did not treat the abortionist as Christ commanded him to treat an enemy,

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Matthew 5:43-48

Or in the words of this wise man,

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Both brothers, the abortionist and his killer were trapped by the same lie. They both believed it would be better to deal out their own method of justice to their victims, terminating human lives rather than to work through love to rescue every life. Dr. Tiller was killing (under the protection of the law) hoping to “save” women from their pre-born babies. Scott Roeder killed (illegally) hoping to “save” the pre-born babies from the abortionist.

They both put themselves in the seat of the judge, jury, and executioner.

All who follow in their footsteps become prisoners to violence, sitting in their own physical prison and bound by a spiritual prison.

God is not looking for us to go out and murder sinners (a category we all belong to, by the way). He is looking for each one of us to repent so that he can set us free.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3 :8-9

Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 

Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tender-hearted and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3: 8-9 

The large majority of the pro-life movement has condemned acts of terrorism and violence against clinic’s and abortion workers (unfortunately there have been incidences that may lead pro-choice advocates to doubt/question this).

Huge strides are being made, to not only condemn violence, but to graciously extend LIFE and a way out to those in the industry (much thanks to And Then There Were None and their supporters).

If there be the tiniest sliver of hatred in the eye of the Christian pro-life movement it will be seen and magnified. It dishonors the Lord we claim to serve. I want to challenge any Christian who would withhold kindness from current abortion workers to consider the Lord’s kindness towards us, in that while we were God’s enemies (before repentance) Christ died for us! And he didn’t yell out, “This is your fault you wicked sinners!” as he suffered on the cross. It was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

How can we treat our brothers any different?

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8