Capital Punishment, Mercy Killing, Self-Defense, Abortion: What's A Christian To Do?

http://www.jacksbuzz.com/

The Bible reveals that God gives lawfully constituted civil authorities the right to carry out capital punishment in certain instances (Gen. 9:5, Ex. 21:12-17, Deut. 7:1-2, Acts 25:10-11). These “governing authorities” do not bear the “sword in vain” (Rom. 13:1-4).

But the New Testament teachings of Christ and His apostles make it clear that true Christian believers are not to be part of the secular governments of this world. Only those who don’t know the true God should be the executioners of the wicked.

Here, then, is the New Testament teaching for true Christians: We are not to bear arms or use swords or guns to enforce Caesar’s laws, avenge ourselves or punish evildoers. When the apostle Peter, with a sword, cut off the ear of a man, Christ rebuked him, saying, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt. 26:52, John 18:10-11).

To the Christian, Paul says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” (II Cor. 10:3). Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you.”

The deceived billions on this earth “fight and war” but are unable to attain true peace (Jas. 4:1-2, KJV), because “the way of peace they have not known” (Rom. 3:17). But the true Christian “must not quarrel but be gentle to all” (II Tim. 2:24). He must set the proper example to the world.

“What about mercy killings (euthanasia), capital punishment, killing in self-defense, taking revenge, “just” wars, abortions (killing of unborn infants) and suicide?”

God, the giver of life (Gen. 2:7, Deut. 32:39), has the right to take any life if and when He chooses. But man does not have that power, unless God grants it to him. In numerous instances, God not only permitted His servants (prophets and civil leaders in the nation of Israel) to take life, but He actually commanded it under certain circumstances (I Sam. 15:3-33).

In New Testament times though, Christians are commanded never to avenge themselves, but let God do it in His own time and way (Rom. 12:19).

Mercy Killings or prolonging life

Are “mercy killings” permissible, since they are, supposedly, acts of mercy? No example in the Bible shows any people of God taking the life of another or their own, with God’s approval, either in acts of euthanasia or suicide.

God also does not say that we must give our loved ones drugs or oxygen or do all within our power, such as using various machines, to force them, contrary to nature, to live as long as possible, even when they are in great pain or totally unconscious.

Though God permits capital punishment to be carried out by those duly authorized, it is wrong for those in authority to abuse this power. They should not use this power to kill the just, as Herod did in the case of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29).

Abortions

What about abortions? Using abortion as an alternative form of birth control is tantamount to the practice of the ancient Canaanites and others, who slew their infants in sacrifice to pagan gods such as Baal in the mistaken belief that their gods would bless them for doing so. God gives us life, and only He can legitimately take it from us. Is it wrong to take a life, even that of an unborn. By doing so we  violate God’s Sixth Commandment?

Will Aborted, Stillborn, or Miscarried Babies Be Resurrected?

angela-stevens.com

In this past century, the world has changed from abortion being unacceptable (with minor exceptions) to abortion being an accepted form of birth control.

But the fetus is indeed human, as evidence proves. By seven weeks, the unborn child has its own measurable brain waves. Brain waves are among the legal criteria to determine whether a person is dead, so also, brain life, or the point at which brain waves are first detected, should determine the viability of a fetus.

Since brain waves can now be detected at seven weeks, doctors are in fact aborting living humans. And of course the fetus is already alive before the seven weeks!

If one has any doubt when a human life begins, one should give the baby the benefit of the doubt. As U.S. President Ronald Reagan once wrote, “If you don’t know whether a body is alive or dead, you would never bury it.”

A matter of attitude

Consider this: A woman rushes to a hospital in labor. Within minutes she gives birth to a 22-week-old premature baby. Since the mother wants the child, the hospital will do everything within its power to save the life. Great sums of money in health care may be spent on the effort.

Now go down a corridor and into another room. There a woman has her 22-week-old fetus aborted. The mother didn’t want the baby. We are told that her 22-week aborted baby isn’t a viable human being! How can it be human in one room and a nonviable human in another?

The difference is the woman’s — and the doctor’s — attitude.

Proabortionists want to believe that the growing baby within the woman is nothing but “fetal tissue.” They either avoid or conceal the fact that the baby is actually a human and dies a painful death when aborted.

Science shows early life

Since 91 percent of abortions within the United States, for example, occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, let’s look at fetal development of the unborn:

• Within 18 days after conception the beating heart already pumps blood through its own bloodstream.

• By six weeks the nervous system begins to function. The kidneys and stomach begin working.

• At around seven weeks, the unborn embryo has its own brain waves. (Brain waves are among the legal criteria that determine whether a person is alive or not.)

• At nine and 10 weeks the thyroid and adrenal glands function. The embryo can squint, swallow and respond to noise.

• By 10 weeks the unborn basically has everything a newborn baby has.

What happens when an attempt is made to end this life? To kill the unborn 10-week embryo may require the D&E (dilation and evacuation) technique. The abortionist basically draws and quarters the embryo.

When the abortionist’s instrument first touches the uterine wall, the embryo immediately recoils and the heart rate increases. The unborn responds by attempting to escape the instrument. The abortionist grabs an arm or leg and rips it from the body. Blood begins oozing from the baby. Then the abortionist finds another arm or leg and tears it off. He continues until everything is severed.

Finally the dead, dismembered embryo has its skull crushed. The parts are then sucked out. It’s all over in about 15 minutes. To say this embryo perceives no pain is, at the least, not telling the entire story. Today’s society doesn’t tolerate convicted murderers to die this kind of death!

Prenatal research also reveals the unborn responds to pain, touch, cold, sound and light. The unborn gets hiccups, sucks a thumb, passes through waking and sleeping stages and respond to hearing their mother’s voice.

It seems that the womb is not the quiet place some thought it was.

Source: Plain Truth, 1985

Are the unborn resurrected?

It is God’s great master plan to make salvation and eternal life available to every human being who has ever lived or will live in the future. He will resurrect those who die without having had this opportunity.

We have seen that unborn babies are fully human at the earliest stages, and so it is no small leap of faith to say that the spirit in man (Job 32:8), which goes up to God upon death (Ecc. 3:21), enters at conception. So if after conception, the zygote (a fertilized egg cell) has the potential to produce a human life, we can logically conclude that babies who die before they are born will be raised in the second resurrection. There is of course no way to know with 100 percent certainty, but we do know with certainty that God is merciful and, with His infinite wisdom, will maintain His master plan.

Redefining "Extreme"

bumperstickers.cafepress.com/

Writing in the Washington Times today, Oliver North observes how, according to the U.S. government, you are more than likely a “right-wing extremist”:

According to the U.S. government, I am an extremist. I am a Christian—and meet regularly with other Christians to study God’s Word. My faith convinces me the prophecies in the Holy Bible are true.

I believe in the sanctity of human life, oppose abortion and want to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman. I am a veteran with skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.

I own several firearms, frequently shoot them, buy ammunition and consider efforts to infringe on my Second Amendment rights to be wrong and unconstitutional.

I fervently support the sovereignty of the United States, and I am deeply concerned about our economy, increasingly higher taxes, illegal immigration, soaring unemployment and actions by our government that will bury my children beneath a mountain of debt.

Issued by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, the nine-page report titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” is loaded with warnings about how everyday Americans could soon be considered enemies of the state.

“It is one of the most alarming documents produced by our government that I have ever read,” notes North, and one that you and I are not supposed to know about. Apparently, at the bottom of the cover page of the report is a warning that it is “not to be released to the public, the media, or other personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know.”

North concludes with a grim and foreboding scenario:

According to this homeland security assessment, the most dangerous threat we face here at home isn’t from radical imams preaching violence in U.S. mosques and madrassas; Islamists recruiting in our prisons; Somali terrorists enticing young immigrants to become suicide bombers; or Hamas, Hezbollah or al Qaeda operatives plotting mass murder. No, according to the department, the real threat is what our government labels “right-wing extremist ideology.”