Is Suing God The Answer?
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Recently Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers filed a lawsuit against God in the
Douglas count Court. The suit asks for a permanent injunction to cease harmful activities, etc. The reason he filed this lawsuit was to make a point. Apparently he has a problem with all the frivolous lawsuits that are clogging up the courts. Well I see his point as I believe that to be a problem as well. But does another frivolous lawsuit help the situation?In my opinion, all this did was raise awareness of the Senator. If that was his goal he accomplished it. If his goal was to truly stop frivolous lawsuits, well then he just wasted his time and the courts. The Constitution allows the courthouse doors to be “open” and this is a freedom that we cherish. If you are wronged, you have the opportunity present your case and have a judge and/or jury compensate you justly.
This reminds me of one of my biggest pet peeves with Christians across this country. I have heard people tell church congregations about letter writing campaigns they are doing to make abortions illegal or how they are putting together walks for this and that. If we would take our energy and really put it to a cause, we might actually make a difference in someone’s lives. Just imagine if all the people who picket abortion clinics, spent all that time counseling young women. If every Christian in this country would just tithe 10% of their TV time to helping young girls, abortion would be a thing of the past.
So the next time you think that you want to “Sue God,” or get into a letter writing campaign, just say to yourself, “When our Savior was on the earth, what did He do?”
By they way, just how are they going to subpoena God?
In His Name
Pastor Bob
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April 29th, 2008 at 9:48 am
[…] Jim and Brenda Johnson wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIf every Christian in this country would just tithe 10% of their TV time to helping young girls, abortion would be a thing of the past. So the next time you think that you want to “Sue God,” or get into a letter writing campaign, … […]
April 30th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Pastor Bob:
I understand your point, but your words are hurtful to me, I am a woman who spent most of her youth “Counseling pregnant girls” at the steps of the abortion clinics. Have you ever been on a picket with pro-lifers? DO you have any understanding what occurs there? Many - many girls are counseled at pickets and many many girls change their minds and allow their babies to live. Your comment is like saying that the unsaved will ONLY walk into church and if we would just “Preach at church” more people would be saved. How come it is acceptable to “GO into all the world and preach the GospeL” even breaking laws in Muslim and Communist countries to smuggle Bibles- But when it comes to the “Gates of Hell” ( abortion clinics) where REAL Children are being Sacrificed- preachers like you judge those of us who “Go”.
There is a at least one baby alive today because I chose to ” Picket an abortion clinic.” There may be more, but in God’s grace, He allowed me to meet this one and in God’s sense of mercy, the child was even born on my birthday ( what a gist that was to me) . While entering the abortion clinic, the mother saw our so-called “graphic sign” and it was that picture that changed her mind. Do not underestimate God and what He can do. On top of that- I can document personally several people being saved as a result of my picketing abortion clinics and preaching to those who passed by. I can also testify to one women who was just walking by- who was contemplating suicide- and she didn’t kill herself because Christians were on the street in front of the killing centers and we were able to speak to her. Homeless people were fed and housed after we met them in front of the abortion clinics and one staunch atheist from the local college came out to grill us about “God” everytime we went to the abortion clinic to picket. He is now a born again - spirit filled Christian.
Your words hurt me because those of us who care deeply for the women and their unborn children are persecuted by both the world and the church. I have been attacked, punched, spit on at the abortion clinic, I have been lied and lied about by Christians, the press, etc. I have had my car vandalised, my mom was shot at and my sister has been egged at the doors of the abortion clinic. But still we march on. Why? Because we believe these are real babies.
If you were being killed, do you want me to call 911 and rush to your house to help you - or counsel those in prison who have already committed crime? How come we have a different standard for the REAL babies dying from abortion? Jesus told us to “DO unto others what we would have others do for us”. Counseling is great…trust me… I have counseled everywhere. I have had women in my homes, I have witnessed on the streets, grocery stores, malls, etc. I have worked the Pregnancy Centers, talked to Christians who found themselves pregnant, and spoke to youth about abstinenece.
Try and give some support to pro-lifers. Don’t be so harsh and critical about your brothers and sisters who face judgment and persecution from the church and the world. It is lonely out there. Read some of what the abolitionists went thru and trust me- we pro-lifers are going thru similiar things. We have few churches who stand committed to fighting abortion because it is “negative”.
How about admonishing those doing NOTHING to get involved instead of trying to tell those of us who have given years and years of our lives in snow, cold, heat, and discouragment…to do one more thing. What if…every Christian did SOMETHING????
Below I are the words of Charles Finney - I encourage you to open your heart while you read this :
LECTURES ON REVIVALS OF RELIGION
by The Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY
LECTURE XV
HINDRANCES TO REVIVALS
Revivals are hindered when ministers and churches take wrong ground in regard to any question involving human rights. Take the subject of SLAVERY (abortion), for instance. The time was when this subject was not before the public mind. John Newton continued in the slave trade (abortionist trade) after his conversion. And so had his mind been perverted, and so completely was his conscience seared, in regard to this most nefarious traffic, that the sinfulness of it never occurred to his thoughts until some time after he became a child of God. Had light been poured upon his mind previously to his conversion, he never could have been converted without previously abandoning this sin. And after his conversion, when convinced of its iniquity, he could no longer enjoy the presence of God, without abandoning the sin for ever. So, doubtless, many slave dealers and slave holders (abortionists and abortion workers and supporters) in our own country have been converted, notwithstanding their participation in this abomination, because the sinfulness of it was not apparent to their minds. So ministers and churches, to a great extent throughout the land, have held their peace, and borne no testimony against this abominable abomination, existing in the church and in the nation. But recently, the subject has come up for discussion, and the providence of God has brought it distinctly before the eyes of all men. Light is now shed upon this subject, as it has been upon the cause of temperance. Facts are exhibited, and principles established, and light thrown in upon the minds of men, and this monster is dragged from his horrid den, and exhibited before the church, and it is demanded of them, “IS THIS SIN?” Their testimony must be given on this subject. They are God’s witnesses. They are sworn to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It is impossible that their testimony should not be given, on one side or the other. Their silence can no longer be accounted for upon the principle of ignorance, and that they have never had their attention turned to the subject. Consequently, the silence of Christians upon the subject is virtually saying that they do not consider slavery (abortion) as a sin. The truth is, it is a subject upon which they cannot be silent without guilt. The time has come, in the providence of God, when every southern breeze is loaded down with the cries of lamentation, mourning and wo. Two millions (46 millions unborn) of degraded heathen in our own land stretch their hands, all shackled and bleeding, and send forth to the church of God the agonizing cry for help. And shall the church, in her efforts to reclaim and save the world, deafen her ears to this voice of agony and despair? God forbid. The church cannot turn away from this question. It is a question for the church and for the nation to decide, and God will push it to a decision.
It is in vain for the churches to resist it for fear of distraction, contention, and strife. It is in vain to account it an act of piety to turn away the ear from hearing this cry of distress.
The church must testify, and testify “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” on this subject, or she is perjured, and the Spirit of God departs from her. She is under oath to testify, and ministers and churches who do not pronounce it sin bear false testimony for God. It is doubtless true that one of the reasons for the low state of religion at the present time is that many churches have taken the wrong side on the subject of slavery (child killing-abortion), have suffered prejudice to prevail over principle, and have feared to call this abomination by its true name….
But I repeat it, the subject of slavery (abortion) is a subject upon which Christians, praying men, need not and must not differ.
Another thing to be avoided is an attempt to take neutral ground on this subject. Christians can no more take neutral ground on this subject, since it has come up for discussion, than they can take neutral ground on the subject of the sanctification of the Sabbath. It is a great national sin. It is a sin of the church. The churches by their silence, and by permitting slaveholders to belong to their communion, have been consenting to it. All denominations have been more or less guilty, although the Quakers have of late years washed their hands of it. It is in vain for the churches to pretend it is merely a political sin. I repeat it, it is the sin of the church, to which all denominations have consented. They have virtually declared that it is lawful. The very fact of suffering slaveholders (abortionists) quietly to remain in good standing in their churches, is the strongest and most public expression of their views that it is not sin. For the church, therefore, to pretend to take neutral ground on the subject, is perfectly absurd. The fact is that she is not on neutral ground at all. While she tolerates slaveholders (abortionists, those who have and support abortion) in her communion SHE JUSTIFIES THE PRACTICE. And as well might an enemy of God pretend that he was neither saint nor sinner, that he was going to take neutral ground, and pray “good Lord and good devil,” because he did not know which side would be the most popular…
Still it may be said, that in many churches, this subject cannot be introduced without creating confusion and ill-will. This may be. It has been so upon the subject of temperance, and upon the subject of revivals too. In some churches, neither temperance nor revivals can be introduced without producing dissension. Sabbath-schools, and missionary operations, and everything of the kind have been opposed, and have produced dissensions in many churches. But is this a sufficient reason for excluding these subjects? And where churches have excluded these subjects for fear of contention, have they been blessed with revivals? Every body knows that they have not. But where churches have taken firm ground on these subjects, although individuals and sometimes numbers have opposed, still they have been blessed with revivals. Where any of these subjects are carefully and prayerfully introduced; where they are brought forward with a right spirit, and the true relative importance is attached to each one of them; if in such cases, there are those who will make disturbance and resist, let the blame fall where it ought. There are some individuals, who are themselves disposed to quarrel with this subject, who are always ready to exclaim, “Do not introduce these things into the church, they will create opposition.” And if the minister and praying people feel it their duty to bring the matter forward, they will themselves create a disturbance, and then say, “There, I told you so; now see what your introducing this subject has done; it will tear the church all to pieces.” And while they are themselves doing all they can to create division, they are charging the division upon the subject, and not upon themselves. There are some such people in many of our churches. And neither sabbath-schools, nor missions, nor revivals, nor anti-slavery, nor anything else that honors God or benefits the souls of men, will be carried in the churches, without these careful souls being offended by it…
What is the condition of this nation? No doubt, God is holding the rod of WAR over the heads of this nation. He is waiting before he lets loose his judgments, to see whether the church will do right. The nation is under his displeasure, because the church has conducted in such a manner with respect to revivals. And now suppose war should come, where would be our revivals? How quickly would war swallow up the revival spirit. The spirit of war is anything but the spirit of revivals. Who will attend to the claims of religion, when the public mind is engrossed by the all-absorbing topic of war. See now, how this nation is, all at once, brought upon the brink of war. God brandishes his blazing sword over our heads. Will the church repent? It is THE CHURCH that God chiefly has in view. How shall we avoid the curse of war? Only by a reformation in the church. It is in vain to look to politicians to avert war. Perhaps they would generally be in favor of war. Very likely the things they would do to avert it would run us right into it. If the church will not feel, will not awake, will not act, where shall we look for help? If the church absolutely will not move, will not tremble in view of the just judgments of God hanging over our heads, we are certainly nigh unto cursing, as a nation…The churches did take hold of temperance and other branches of reform to such an extent as to avoid those evils against which they were warned. Upon the question of slavery (abortion) the church was too late in her testimony to avoid the war. But the slaveholders were much alarmed and exasperated by the constantly growing opposition to their institution throughout all that region of the north where revival influences had been felt. They took up arms to defend and perpetuate the abomination, and by so doing abolished it.
Full Work here: http://www.charlesgfinney.com/1868Lect_on_Rev_of_Rel/68revlec15.htm
God Bless you ,
Carole
May 9th, 2008 at 5:01 am
The point of the message “Is Suing God the Answer” has been missed. Carol there was not a thing in this message that was hurtful. I, too, have counseled many young pregnant girls in clinics, strived to give them the word of God and most of all let them know how much God loves them. Yes, they have made a mistake by having sex outside of marriage, but the child is a life and it is not a mistake. God has a plan for that life, a purpose, a destiny. I just choose not to do what I believe the word of God instucts in a militant way.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Carole,
I believe that you have misread the article. He never said anything against what you are doing. In fact, you are doing what he is stating should be done.
You aren’t “just” picketing- you aren’t “just” walking — you aren’t “just” writing letters.
You are actually “directly” involving yourself one on one counselling the girls and sharing the love of Jesus with them and with the many others that you are able to come into contact.
I believe you have become overly defensive when there was no need to be and i would in love suggest that you reread the article. The Lord has opened doors and given you opportunity and favor and protection in the work that He has assigned to you. I believe that because of the persecution, the lies, the hateful way you have been treated has caused you to be extremely sensitive — understandably so, but in love and as a sister in Christ, may I suggest that you examine your defensiveness.
If you reread the article he stated “Imagine if the “people who picket” were to “counsel”. This obviously does not apply to you, because you do counsel.
But make no mistake in thinking that “every single person” picketing “every” abortion clinic is actually “counselling”.
There are many many people who only picket and in some cases aren’t even good christian witnesses by their actions and their words while they are picketing. Again, this obviously isn’t you based on what you shared that you are doing.
Again, in love and as a sister in Christ - examine your defensiveness because your email and the way it was written is an attack on the pastor. His article was not an attack on you or those who are actually out on the front lines truly doing as Jesus would do — talking to people. Jesus didn’t go around carrying a sign — He engaged in dialogue with the hurting and lost. In that, I see your steps in following His example in the working you are doing.
I only suggest that you look within and follow His steps in your response to the pastor’s article.
Also, lest you make the mistaken assumption that I know the pastor, I do not.
I joined this site today and was checking the site when I saw the “Sermon” tab and checked it out.
My love to you as my sister in Christ and my prayers for God’s continued protection over you as you continue to minister out on the front lines.
God bless
Sharon