Whose Truth is Right?

By Michael Griego on January 27, 2017 • ( 1 )

Our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs develop over time. Is there absolute truth regardless of our maturity? Absolutely. ♦

True confession: I used to be Pro-Choice. Yes, I used to believe that abortion was alright. I did not have any problem with people choosing to have an abortion if they wanted. Granted, I was not militant Pro-Abortion by any means. I simply went along with the popular “woman’s right to choose” slogan. Seemed to make sense to me.

After all, it is a woman’s own body. She should have the right to do with it as she pleases. I even blithely went along with the common libertarian point of view, “As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.”

Then I got married.

New Wife, New Life, New Thinking
My young wife had clearer thinking on the matter. Even though she was a new Christian, (I, the casual pro-abortionist, introduced her to Christ shortly after we graduated from college) my wife had a steadfast view that abortion was the taking of an innocent life created by God.

I thought it was a debatable issue. I could see the merits of both sides of the argument.

Now that I was married, however, it really didn’t affect me anyway. We planned to wait 5 years before we would have children. We never really talked about abortion, even at our church. Seems that we were easily able to avoid the topic altogether. We certainly didn’t make a fuss about it one way or the other, even among our Christian and non-Christian friends.

But as these things often go, although we practiced birth-control, we got pregnant and had our first child after only 4 years.

It was at this point that the whole topic of abortion came to life for me, so to speak. We had an ultrasound conducted and we heard the heartbeat, and saw a living fetus. The implications of abortion now became real. I now realized that people were making conscious decisions to terminate God-created life at this point in pregnancies.

I cringed at the thought that morning of something that had just previously been my own casual point of view.

Bad Christian? No, Maturing One.
I’m learning these days now to cut some slack and give grace for those that don’t believe as I do. On a variety of fronts, be it on matters of faith, business, politics, or the need for the Dodgers to win another World Series.

In my own life’s maturing, I’m now realizing that strong and even casual thoughts, ideas, and beliefs have their reasons and origins. They may be misguided and wrong but they are real and owned by their possessor. What will change any substantial point of view will only be a comprehensive confrontation with the truth. Less black and white topics and points of view (like my Dodgers) really are debatable and shall remain so.

Therefore my youthful perspective on abortion did not make me a bad Christian or bad person. Just like Thomas’ refusal to believe Christ was alive when told by trusted friends did not make him a bad person. Only a doubting one. When confronted with the real Truth in front of him, his old beliefs were overwhelmed.

And so were mine about abortion.

What is Truth?
That is a question asked of Jesus by Pilate upon Christ’s arrest. Jesus answered as follows:

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. – John 18:37-38

Pilate really wanted to know and understand truth. It was standing right before him.

Jesus had earlier told his disciples about who He was relative to truth:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7

I bring up Jesus because He as the human incarnation of God, fully God and fully Man, is the author of life and creation (Hebrews 1). He lived physically and said He was Truth testifying to Truth. Many of us, Christian and otherwise, give nodding assent to his existence on earth and his good teachings.

But we don’t always make the full connection to the implications of Jesus in all matters of life. Like with a topic like abortion.

The truth is, abortion is the deliberate taking of an innocent life created by God and intended for a purpose. It is God that “formed my inward parts and wove me in my mother’s womb.” That we are, in fact, “wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14), known and called “from my mother’s womb” (Psalm 22:10) and “made in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) and are to “be fruitful and multiply” are purpose enough for a right to life regardless of the circumstances.

Furthermore, the sexual freedom that abortions provide is inconsistent with Biblical teachings that sex is to be between a man and woman only in holy matrimony, a God-created concept. As God’s way dictates, a life in obedience to the teaching of Jesus and the Scriptures removes the need for abortions.

Said another way, it’s our own disobedience that causes our cover-up sins. And Gallup polls saying that 47% of the public doesn’t agree does not make it right. Or not True.

Epilogue
Our first-born son is now the proud father of 3 beautiful girls. He and his two siblings (we now have 8 grandchildren) are no doubt raising their own children in the ways of the Lord and grow to understand that they are wonderfully made for a purpose and that all of life is precious and from God.

They, like all of us, will not be perfect and without sin, but will grow and mature out of their youthful ignorance to be wise followers of the one True God and obedient to His teachings and precepts.

Do you know truth?
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“Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us within our mothers?” – Job 31:15