Sunday, February 01, 2015

We Are the World



Abolish Human Abortion"Isn't it strange how Abby Johnson, Justin Edwards, Bryan Kemper, Gregg Cunningham, Marcus Pittman, Jill Stanek, Steve Hays, Eric Scheilder, Troy Newman, Tony Miano, and Albany Rose (among many others) are all against each other in various ways but unified in their hatred of AHA…"

Ah, yes, it must be "hatred." Just like if you criticize homosexuality, that means you "hate" homosexuals. If you criticize Catholicism, that means you "hate" Catholics. 

…and working together…

I'm not "working together" with these individuals. We don't compare notes. We don't do videoconferences. 

I just get up every morning and post on whatever I happen to think about that's worth posting on. 

"…to slander abolitionists and spread confusion about the ideology…"

How can you slander an ideology?

"…and practical application of abolitionism…"

Abolitionism has no practical application. It's just rhetorical bravado. 

"Why is this? How has it come to be that catholics, anti-catholics, calvinists, arminians, secularists, theonomists, and atheists are all working together to write anti-AHA blogs and share them around in hope of dismantling the abolitionist movement in America?"

I haven't really thought about dismantling" the abolitionist "movement," "ideology," or whatever. What's there to dismantle? Their store? 

"Might I suggest a simple explanation:
They all have one thing in common. They want to keep things the way they are…"

To the contrary, I'd like to see more progress made outlawing abortion. But AHA is dividing our efforts. Moreover, given AHA's lack of organizational discipline and the fact that it fraternizes with terrorists, the prolife cause may be tarred by association if an abolitionist goes postal. 

"and they want to keep themselves in the positions that they have built."

What position have I built? 

"They want to be leaders who fight abortion and are known for fighting abortion."

I don't get up in the morning thinking to myself "I'm a leader." I don't look behind me to see who, if anyone, is following me. I simply do posts on things I think are interesting or important, with occasional humorous pieces for comic relief. 

"Abolitionism tears down their stages and platforms." 

Let's see…I'm sitting at my laptop, doing a little post for Tblog. Is that a platform? If so, how has that been torn down?

"It calls out their para-ministry mindset…"

I don't get up in the morning thinking to myself, "Tblog is a paraministry." I simply do posts on things I think are interesting or important. 

"…and encourages all Christians to work together in the cause of the establishing justice for the pre born."

What that really means is that AHA thinks Christians should abandon the prolife movement and methods to unite behind AHA. 

"It destroys the divide between leaders and minions…"

It just gets better. Now I have minions. I didn't realize until now that I had minions. I appreciate the tip. I'm afraid I've been neglecting my minions. I need to take advantage of having minions at my beck and call. Fetch me my slippers!

"…clergy and laity."

I'm just a layman myself. One of the common lumpen. 

"Abolitionism calls the culture to repent and follow Christ. They call the culture to support them and admire them for their special callings."

When have I called upon the culture to support me and admire me? 

"They want to perpetuate the idea that AHA is an organization (and not just an ideology)…"

If AHA is not an organization, then it has no official ideology. There's no one in authority to say what it truly represents. 

"because they see us as competition…"

Competition for what? I do this for free. 

"and they don't know how else to interpret our drive."

Well, to judge by all the self-important statements they make, I'd interpret their drive as an ego-trip. 

"They want to spread straw men against us because they cannot fathom our growth…"

Actually, it's easy to fathom how social media can grow. It's easy to grow a virtual community. 

"They also just feel guilty because much of what we say and do is what they originally believed ought to be said and done…"

How does he happen to know that?

"…but that which they determined to be unsayable because it would offend their hearers and potential supported [sic]…"

Because I always go out of my way to be inoffensive. 

"and undoable because they simply do not believe in the power of the gospel over and above the pragmatic wisdom of man."

Let's finish with a few general observations:

i) AHA spends an inordinate amount of time talking about itself. Constant preening. 

There's a reason for that. If you have no accomplishments to point to, a substitute is to spend time talking about yourself, posting self-congratulatory statements about the purity of your methods and motives.

If AHA produced results, then the results would speak for themselves. But since AHA hasn't achieved anything of consequence, all it can do is talk about itself and make flattering predictions about its magnificent future accomplishments.  

ii) Let's keep our eye on the ball. AHA "demands" the "immediate" and "total" abolition of abortion. That's their oft-stated goal. 

Everything else they say and do is just a distraction. Success isn't measured by having 36,529 "likes" on their Facebook page. Success isn't measured by how many national or international chapters they have. Success isn't measured by how many beenies, hoodies, T-shirts, and lapel pins they sell. Success isn't measured by how many retreats and conferences they organize. Success isn't measured by how many drop-cards and quad-folds they stick on windshields. Success isn't measured by the number of "agitation projects" they stage.  

By their own admission, success is measured by results. By the total abolition of abortion. 

iii) For instance, take their Project Ninevah, where they agitated in Fort Worth for a week. 

But the measure of success or failure is what that changed. After they come and go, after they leave, after the dust settles, how has that changed the situation for at-risk preborn babies in Fort Worth? 

If you go back to Fort Worth a month later or a year later, what will be different? What permanent, long-term change, if any, did that "agitation project" achieve?

Thus far, AHA reminds me of Jesse Jackson blowing into town to hold a high school rally, where he gives a rousing speech urging students to turn their life around. 

Question is: if you go back to that high school a month later or a year later, is there any appreciable change? If he hadn't blown into town and done this gig , would anyone notice the anything different? Or does life quickly return to the status quo ante, after the confetti is swept away? 

Remember the 1985 "We Are the World" charity song? Aside from selling 20 million copies, what did that accomplish? 

The bottom line isn't what AHA says or what it does, but what it has to show for its efforts. What discernible difference is this making to plight of unborn babies? How does this abolish abortion? Happy-talk is not a substitute for results. 

AHA is disdainful about incrementalism. So AHA needs to do better. Needs to do more. Need to hit the target. 

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