Scott Roeder

[theophilus]

Scott Roeder's murder of George Tiller is a lot like an incident recorded in chapter four of 2 Samuel. Two men named Baanah and Rechab murdered Ish-bosheth the king of Israel and brought his head to David. They knew that God had chosen David to be king over all of Israel and that Ish-bosheth was in fact a usurper who was opposing God's will. They thought that they were carrying out God's work and that David would reward them for what they did. But instead David had them executed for their crime.

What they failed to take into consideration is that God cares not only about our goals but the methods we use to carry them out. They were right in their belief that all of Israel should be under David's rule but the method they used to help bring this about was wrong.

Scott Roeder has made the same mistake they did. He is right in his belief that abortion is a great evil and that Christians should do all we can to end it. The problem is that the method he used is just as bad as the evil he was trying to end. He should be convicted of first degree murder and punished just as Baanah and Rechab were.

Abortion proponents are protesting the judge's decision to allow Roeder to enter a plea of voluntary manslaughter. I think that those of us who are prolife shoud protest it too because the prolife movement will be hurt if he is convicted only of manslaughter instead of murder. Such an outcome could encourage others to commit acts of violence against abortion providers and create a public perception of them as victims of violence rather that as perpetrators of it. George Tiller would probably be regarded by many as a martyr for his cause. It has been said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Martyrdom can be used to advance other causes besides Christianity. We should avoid doing anything which might create such martyrs.

[richardP]

WHILE I AGREE with following the procedures of law in the Roeder case, I take exception to your use of the passage in Samuel to justify your argument.

In fact, I take exception to almost everything King David did. He was a hot headed warlord whose hands were stained with blood; sometimes innocent blood at that. Characters like him give modern Jews and Christians a bad name. He did try very hard to follow the Lord (most of the time), and for that God was pleased.

What does that tell us about God and old testament kings? It tells us that God had to come down here in person and straighten us out on what is important to Him and how we ought to treat each other.

The biggest issue in the land is not the lawless act of some religious hothead whether they are Roeder or David. The issue is the murder of countless innocent unborn lives. How will that stand with God? Will God hold Roeder to blame for his violent act or will he hold to account all the Christians who stood by and did nothing while millions were killed for the sake of convenience?

Why is the death of one man more heinous than the brutal murder of millions?