What is Going On?

I came across this diary at dKos. East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina as forced members out who voted for John Kerry or were Democrats. Here is a link from the local news story. The pastor of the church told those who voted for Kerry or other Democrats to repent of their sins or leave.

From the WLOS website:

East Waynesville Baptist asked nine members to leave. Now 40 more have left the church in protest. Former members say Pastor Chan Chandler gave them the ultimatum, saying if they didn't support George Bush, they should resign or repent. The minister declined an interview with News 13. But he did say "the actions were not politically motivated." There are questions about whether the bi-laws were followed when the members were thrown out.

There is something very wrong here. Very. Wrong.

The logic and past history of fundamentalist evangelical Christians leads one to believe that this was motivated due in part to John Kerry's and the Democratic Party's stance on abortion. They are pro-choice.

The pro-choice/life issue needs to be really clarified. I voted for Kerry, and yet, I am pro-life. What does that mean? Pro-Life. How can one be pro-life and still vote for a pro-choice candidate. Well, I may be pro-life, but I am not anti-choice. I do not see a conflict in this stance. Some of you may, and for good reason. But I see this as a constisant ethic of life.

How does this work? I believe that abortion should remain safe, legal and rare. So, how can I be pro-life. Well, as a well know seminary professor says, "it is more complicated than that." I belive that in order for abortion to become obsolete we must look at the root causes and begin working to eliminating them from the bottom up. We must look at the poverty that leads to the sense of hopelessness that makes abortion seems as the only viable option. We must look at a healthcare system that is so cost prohibitive that pre-natal care can seem like a pipe dreams. We must look at the cause for so many instable/abusive relationships that lead to the terror that the child would be better off not being born. We must look at post-natal care as an essential not an option. We must look at a society that makes tax cuts for corporations instead of using that money to provide child care and medical care for these children once they are born. We must let people know they are loved and cared for. We must have an ethic of life that extends past just a pro-birth world view. We must take care and love those that have been through the hell of abortion. We must not judge those who have had to make the choice. We must look in the mirror and ask what must I do in order to end this.

Until these things happen, abortion should be kept safe, legal, and hopefully rare. Until these things happen, women will feel the need to have an abortion. If abortion is made illegal it will not stop them. They will happen. Untill these things happen I pray for forgiveness for being part of the problem.

To create such a society may be a pipe dream on my part, but I beileve that that is a consistant ethic of life.

[UPDATE: Cliff has posted on the same subject form a different point of view. It is an interesting read and very good points. I disagree with some of it, but he does bring up a good thing...Did the pastor go about the dismissal of members the proper way. Scripturally consistant? We may never know.}