Denison Forum

That the US has been and continues to walk a very fine line in Ukraine does not mean that what the government is doing to support their defense is wrong. There are very good reasons to oppose Russia’s aggression and attempts to claim land over which they have no right. That said, it would be naïve to assume that the conflict in Ukraine will stay in Ukraine. Maybe it will, but every choice our government makes should be weighed against the possibility that it will provoke something more. I bring all of this up today as a reminder that the biblical command to “pray for all people,” and specifically “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” is just as relevant and important for us today as it was for the first generations of Christians (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Yesterday, the Senate voted on the Women’s Health Protection Act, which—had it passed—would have gone beyond simply codifying Roe v. Wade to also roll back a number of abortion restrictions that have been passed at the state level in recent years. It predictably failed to garner the requisite 60 votes. But now is not the time for taking a victory lap and acting as though God cares about the unborn more than he does those lamenting the Supreme Court’s impending decision. After all, how we react now will define the way many in that latter camp see our faith going forward.

As our culture becomes increasingly reliant on stereotypes to define large swaths of the population, it can be easy for Christians to follow suit. It’s just simpler, in many ways, to assume that what a person believes politically, where they live, or what they look like is a window into their soul and represents the whole of who they actually are. And there are times when those assumptions may be pretty close to accurate—after all, stereotypes usually exist for a reason. We are called to a higher standard, though.

Yesterday we discussed the need for Christians to forgive others “as the Lord has forgiven you” (Colossians 3:13). How does this imperative work in our larger cultural engagement?

As we become more divided over major issues, one may wonder, is the time for civility over?

Here’s the good news for mothers and their children (that’s all of us): we have a Father who loves us unconditionally and whose word shows us how to encourage our mothers in empowering and transforming ways.

Without question, we should pray for God to bless America. In fact, we are commanded to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and for our needs (Matthew 7:7). We should pray for our nation as the Jews prayed for theirs (Psalm 122:6).

How should Christians respond to the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade?

Writing for Public Discourse, law professor Michael Stokes Paulsen outlines what he calls “the one and only pro-life argument.” He makes a brilliant case that the issue comes down simply to this question: whether the unborn child is or is not a living human being. If it is, there can be no moral justification for killing it save in self-defense (saving the life of the mother).

The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, according to what POLITICO calls “an initial draft majority opinion. The draft making global headlines today was written by Justice Samuel Alito and circulated inside the court. It was obtained by POLITICO last night, which describes it as “a full-throated, unflinching repudiation” of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing federal abortion rights and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision that largely maintained them.

I plan to say much more on our subject tomorrow, but for today I want to make this emphatic point: mental illness is illness. It is like cancer, heart disease, or any other disease. However, it is unlike other diseases in that its causes and symptoms are often less obvious to the rest of us.