Dr. George Tiller
Why on earth would an individual who is a committed pro-lifer think that it is okay to slay another person in cold blood? Inherent in the pro-life position is respect for the sanctity of all human life, as we are all bearers of God’s image. That includes people who are living in unrepentant sin.
What is repugnant to me are Christians who are actually enjoying this fiasco, saying that Tiller got what he deserved. The most common expression of this sort I hear is “What goes around comes around.” VJack of Atheist Revolution linked to this article listing tweets about Dr. Tiller. At the time of writing, 12% of respondents to a WorldNetDaily poll said they cheer the fact that Dr. Tiller is dead. Even two bloggers that I respect and like have applauded the fact that Dr. Tiller is dead, see here and here.
The fact of the matter is that God made all human beings in his image, male and female (Gen 1:27), saint and sinner. God prohibits murder (Ex 20:13). The apostle Paul said not to repay evil for evil (Rom 12:17; 1 The 5:15; see also 1 Pet 3:9), to let God administer justice in his own way in his own time (Rom 12:19; see also Prv 20:22). Therefore, we must conclude that vigilante justice of this sort is wrong.
What about people like Dr. Tiller, who live in abject and unrepentant sin? Did God not order the Israelites to commit mass genocide on the Canaanites, the Midianites, and the Amaelkites, all of whom lived in that same abject and unrepentant sin? That was Old Testament times, when the Israelites held the power to enforce God’s law. We hold no such power under the New Covenant of grace. Like Romans 12:19 teaches, leave it to God’s justice.
What further amazes me is that people are also rejoycing that Dr. Tiller is in hell. This is an affront to me for two reasons. First, we don’t know the condition of his soul; that is between him and God. We can’t know the state of someone else’s election. Second, as I’ve stated before, we should never rejoice in a soul going to hell. Hell isn’t a place we should wish on people; instead, we ought to focus on making our own calling and election sure (2 Pet 1:10).
If a Christian is haughty about the fact that he is going to heaven, while a baby-killer like Tiller is rotting in hell, this “Christian” ought to wonder if he is actually going to heaven. True devotion to God brings humility, not pride. No one is going to heaven on his or her own merit, but by imputed righteousness through faith in Christ. Think about that for just one moment. The Christian isn’t in heaven because he followed the right path; he’s in heaven because God had mercy on him! This ought to be humbling, for as Paul repeatedly has stated, boasting is excluded.
How much more to God’s glory would it have been to see Dr. Tiller repent of his sins and stop performing abortions? Alas, he was in a church that appears to tolerate his sins enough to let him serve. All too often, the American church tolerates sin and doesn’t challenge people to repent. This creates a false assurance of salvation for many people. That false assurance creates the haughtiness that we just talked about.
A real assurance of salvation, as the apostle Peter wrote, produces faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Lacking these qualities, people forget that God cleansed them of their former sins (2 Pet 1:5-9).
So, Christians, look at your reaction to the Dr. Tiller killing. Are you pleased that a baby-killer’s life was ended, and he is now in hell for his unrepentant sin? If so, you might have to do some growing as a Christian. If you believe that this sort of thing undermines the pro-life position, and you mourn that Dr. Tiller may have yet had a chance to repent, then you’re probably on the right track.
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Posted on June 3, 2009, in Pro-Life Issues. Bookmark the permalink. 13 Comments.
Josiah Concept Ministries 
Very well said.
I had the same experience, coming across a couple anti-abortion bloggers who state specifically that they don’t shed a tear for Tiller or his family, and one who said that he hopes Tiller is in a particularly-hot part of Hell.
I’m as disgusted by that as I am by Dr. Tiller. Since I’m as deserving of Hell as anyone, I shouldn’t be celebrating that he might be there now. He might not, by the way … We don’t know the state of his soul or his relationship with God. I make a point of not guessing at such things.
I can imagine the awkward moment in the future … “Oh, you’re here? I was sure you’d be in the lake of fire. Huh, go figure!”
Cory,
you’re pronouncing a judgement on a situation that has yet to be judged.
Isn’t that the very premise you’re decrying by? It’s inconsistent.
Think on the incident with Phinehas:
Numbers 25
6 Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
10 The LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
Note: I’m not advocating killing abortionists…but I am recommending we not go around trying to “save face” by throwing a guy under the bus when we don’t know any details…that’s what we did with Paul Hill…I wonder how many of us have read Hill’s writing on the subject of why he killed an abortionist? You can if you like: http://www.armyofgod.com/PHillBookForward.html
Here’s a snippet of Hill’s reasoning:
“Not only does the Moral Law require the means necessary for defending the innocent, this duty comes directly from God, and cannot be removed by any human government. The duty to defend your own or your neighbor’s child, thus, is inalienable. When the government forbids this defense, the people “. . .must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29b). The Scriptures teach that when the government requires a sin of omission (as it has by forbidding the defense of our unborn children), we must obey God rather than the government. As a consequence, you do not need the state’s permission before defending your unborn child. No man-made law can remove the individual’s duty to defend his own or his neighbor’s child.”
We Christians have no command from God to kill anyone. You Jews did, Graig, but your Covenant was nailed to the cross and abolished. Thus Paul commands, Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” and that the governor, not the Christian, (verse 4) “is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” and “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” (2 Cor 10:4) though we be admonished to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2nd Timothy 2:3)
You Judaizers want to establish a Theocracy based on the Law of Moses, the enmity that Jesus abolished in his flesh , yea “having abolished in his flesh the enmity–even the law of commandments contained in ordinances–for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” (Eph 2:15-16) This enmity, this middle wall or partition (Eph 2:14) you Judaizers would indeed rebuild, and subjugate the political system to. Yes, you Judaizing Calvinists would (as Rushdoony your leader) stone those as blasphemers who deny absolutist predestination and stone as sorcerers those who preach the truth of the gospel. Yea verily, you would stone the Lord Himself at his second coming if it were at all possible! For ye love the murderous spirit of the Law of Moses, for as James and John when they thought to call down fire and consume the Samaritans,
“Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:55-56)
Graig=Craig French, the Judaizer
Rey,
not only do you not understand me, you don’t understand God’s Word.
BTW, which of Rushdoony’s works have you read that states we (not you, but Christians) are to kill blasphemers?
I’ve seen him saying exactly that in his videos on youtube. The guy is a creepy cult leader type who even kinda looks like Calvin in a way with that horrible beard. But I’m sure you worship him and think his beard is some symbol of great holiness and makes him a 32nd degree ‘Reformed’ “Divine” or some such foolishness. The man was a nut, and so is anyone who defends his demonic teachings.
Rey,
since you’re an avid viewer of Rushdoony, could you share a link to a specific video that substantiates what you’re saying?
So Rey…have you found that video from Rushdoony yet?
I’m sure it’s difficult to find…I’m certain you have a library’s worth of his videos bookmarked on your computer.
Maybe you’ll have it by tomorrow?
Are you too illiterate to go find it on youtube yourself or what?
Cory, document that comment from Rey.
I ask him to back up his assertion, he tells me *I ought to substantiate it for him*!
Not only does Rey commit libel (against Rushdoony), he does so in the most lazy fashion!
Rey,
I’m offering you another opportunity to show folks you are not a libelous coward(I say coward for 2 reasons: your victim is dead and can’t defend himself, and secondly: you resort to suggesting I’m illiterate rather than growing some stones and refusing to support your own assertions, thereby ignoring my reasonable request).
Would you like to share a link to any video where Rushdoony says Christians are to kill blasphemers? You have already said he does so more than once…so you must have a pool to select from.
You don’t even have to be specific about where in the video he says it…I’ll sit through the whole video myself. All you have to do is provide *any* video of Rushdoony where he makes such an assertion.
So, Christians, look at your reaction to the Dr. Tiller killing. Are you pleased that a baby-killer’s life was ended, and he is now in hell for his unrepentant sin? If so, you might have to do some growing as a Christian. If you believe that this sort of thing undermines the pro-life position, and you mourn that Dr. Tiller may have yet had a chance to repent, then you’re probably on the right track.
#1: I am pleased a baby killer’s life was ended.
#2: I am pleased he is in hell…so is God, btw.
#3: I never realized a mark of sanctification had to do with how well the pro-life movement was doing.
#4: Tiller had LOTS OF TIME to repent…he was 67 years old! On top of this, he was *excommunicated* by the more conservative Lutheran Church Missouri Synod years ago…he then joined the ELCA…the LCMS took steps to see that repentance and restoration could happen with Tiller, but he chose to continue murdering.
Why are we taking so much time trying to save face and not taking time to proclaim God’s truth? God’s Providence in this situation should be frightening to other abortionists.
Meditate on this providence of God:
A murderer, who had been excommunicated by a bible-believing, evangelical church, was killed in church. A man who invaded the peaceful place where children are knit together fearfully and wonderfully was killed in a house of worship to the Christian God where fear and trembling should be part and parcel to the worship of God.
“If a Christian is haughty about the fact that he is going to heaven, while a baby-killer like Tiller is rotting in hell, this ‘Christian’ ought to wonder if he is actually going to heaven.”
I don’t know what’s been being said about Tiller (or how “haughty” it might be) nor who he is really (i.e. I never heard of him till I read this post) but I hope you aren’t suggesting that baby-killer can somehow slide into heaven when God isn’t looking. And I have to say that anyone who says such a man was justified but not sanctified or suggests that he may be in heaven, is despicably putrid as is their theological system.
“How much more to God’s glory would it have been to see Dr. Tiller repent of his sins and stop performing abortions?” Agreed. At the same time, however, his untimely death does serve as a reminder that justice doesn’t always wait till the next world….or rather, that the justice of the next world is not always as far off in the future as we think. We should be reminded of our own mortality, and repent before someone does to us what they did to Tiller, lest we find ourselves going where he most definitely went.
All that being said, I must go where no man wants to go in our modern society. Wickle says “I had the same experience, coming across a couple anti-abortion bloggers who state specifically that they don’t shed a tear for Tiller or his family, and one who said that he hopes Tiller is in a particularly-hot part of Hell.” This is clearly looked down on by Wickle, and by you also Cory. How dare any Christian be glad that God punishes sinners in hell!
But wait! Look at Revelation 13:10 “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” What is the faith and patience of the saints? From this verse it appears that it is an expectation that people will get theirs for their sins. It appears in this context that the “patience of the saints” is particularly that those who persecute the church will receive recompense for their evil.
Tiller was not just an abortionist, but an abortionist pretending to be a Christian, giving Christians a bad name, saying you can kill babies and still be a Christian. In some people’s minds perhaps, the “patience of the saints” waited a long time for this antichrist pretender to get his for the shame he brought to the Lutheran church. I will not condemn those who feel this way even if I will not participate myself (in this case).