Hiding behind women and children

From time to time, I'm told that a man has no business talking about abortion. Garbage. I'm a human being with a vested interest in the human race. I, too, was an embryo, as were my children. We are so happy to have a pro-life woman speaker, a black person to speak against critical race theory. Now, we're cheering on school kids who are refusing to wear masks at school. Now, I get all this. But there's something else going on here, and it's not good.

First, just because you are of a certain gender, race, or ethnicity does not mean you have any special wisdom. But, second, and I think this is more important, such thinking allows people to hide and to do so for their personal benefit. So it was, and still is, men say, “Hey, I have no business talking about abortion, because I'm not a woman, and I can never get pregnant.” Such statements are made under the guise of virtue and humility, are but nothing but manifestations of cowardice and opportunism. A child, whether a teen or a toddler, or a baby in the womb, should well expect dad to step up and do the right thing for her safety. Soldiers are caused to fight for the protection of a country, no matter the age, sex, or ethnicity of the people they are protecting. There is never a good reason not to do the right thing. But, if you say, “No, I won't talk about the issue, because I am a man,” what you are really saying is that you are not a man, that you are unwilling to do your duty. . . .

All of this is to say, the truth is the truth. And if you have access to the truth, you have an obligation to speak it, regardless of the narrative, or whether your speech is deemed somehow less legitimate. That's after all the idea, to silence Christians, and if they can silence white, male ministers, well, that's quite an accomplishment. It’s good to cheer on the moms at the school board meetings and to celebrate kids who are waking up, but really, the ones most responsible are the men who are told by St. Paul that they are the heads of the household. If we believe that, we should act accordingly, instead of hiding behind those voices who are conveniently, for us, are thought to be authentic.

The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer is chairman and professor of Exegetical Theology and director of the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Be Informed

Should a religious flag fly over a government building? Staff at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty explain.

Be Equipped

Learn more about French President Emmanuel Macron’s request to include the right to abortion in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights with Dr. John Warwick Montgomery.

Be Encouraged

These are not small and insignificant words which the devil speaks to us: “If you want to have the Gospel, you will be hated by all people! What will you do then?’ Christ has proclaimed this warning that it will be this way. But the devil will do his best to make people fall away from the Gospel.
— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

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Chaplain Craig muehler, religious liberty and the military