October 12, 2023

Dear Redemption family,

I urge you to vote “NO” on Issue 1.

Maybe that surprises you. Our church strives to be apolitical as much as possible. But, when the bible speaks, we speak. And, from our church’s perspective, abortion is not a political issue, but a moral and biblical one. Thus, this is one of RC’s distinctives: “We believe the unborn human being is a human being and, therefore, has a right to life. We express that through encouraging adoption, helping high school moms, and caring for orphans around the world. We also love to help women heal emotionally from past mistakes, because Jesus is about grace and forgiveness.” Therefore, while we usually stay quiet on politics and voting, on this one we feel compelled to speak.

We believe that abortion is the killing of a human being. It is sin. And it’s a tragedy that our country has a huge industry that turns a profit by preying on vulnerable women, killing millions of babies, and burdening women with untold mental and emotional anguish.

Of course, biblical and theological literacy has declined over time, along with philosophical and moral understanding. Many who attend church may be more familiar with modern culture’s perspective than with the traditional Christian perspective on abortion. So, here are some helpful resources:

If passed, Issue 1 will enshrine a right to abortion in the Ohio constitution. Before voting, I encourage you to read what is in the proposed amendment and find more information about the language at this website.

Of course, many in our culture will disagree with us. Shoot, I’m sure that not everyone who attends RC will agree. Therefore, let us remember a few things:

  • Our witness for Christ is carried in our tone, not just our content. While the culture around us takes the gloves off, let us be kind, calm, and charitable. Let us remember that everyone that disagrees with us is not an enemy but a human being whom we wish to reach with the gospel.

  • We must strive to be pro-woman, pro-helping, pro-compassion… not just anti-abortion. So, as disciples of Christ, let’s continue to lean into being foster parents and supporting foster parents. Let’s adopt and help those who adopt. Let’s continue to support ministries like Teen Mother Choices, that doesn’t just say, “You can’t abort,” but also says, “Let us help you.”

  • This is about real women in our midst. You see, for many Christians this is simply an abstract issue that applies to “those women out there.” But, for many women, it’s very personal and emotional because they have walked that road. Sometimes your opinion will be heard by a woman who has had an abortion and feels horrible about it. You’ll say, “I never knew!” Of course you didn’t. You think she wears that bit of her story on a t-shirt?! You may think you’re simply waxing intelligently about a cultural issue, meanwhile you are unknowingly throwing salt in the most sensitive, emotional, shame-filled wound of her life. And, yes, we have many women at RC who have had abortions. And I love them. More importantly, Jesus loves them. Let him who is without sin throw the first stone. Yes, we’ll still call it sin. But know that those women are devastated, trying to heal, trying to believe God loves them and forgives them. Let’s love them well.

Our ultimate hope is in Jesus, not the laws of the land. And our ultimate message is the gospel, not pro-life. Yes, let us vote well. But let us also live and love well during the season of history that He’s given to us.