Call to excommunicate late-term abortionist

[Rosalinda]

Operation Rescue is calling for the excommunication of Dr. Tiller from the Reformation Lutheran Church. They have a photo of him and his wife receiving communion. I was surprised to read how it is considered blasphemy to receive communion bread and juice while in a willful state of impenitance. While I empathize with the feelings of the faithful it seems it is not only Catholic church leaders who are reluctant to correct wayward Christians.

operationrescue.org

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Tiller’s clinic is a few miles from where I live.

Once a (non-Catholic) guy I worked with, a large biker-looking dude with a pleasant attitude, said he used to have words with Tiller on a regular basis because he’d see him in the store and other places.

This guy wasn’t afraid of anybody, but nobody got too mad at him, except possibly Tiller.

It was about ten years ago and I wish I could remember the details, but one vivid memory is that he saw Tiller gathering steaks into his grocery cart and called over to him from just a few feet away but loud enough so others can hear, “hey George, how many babies did you have to kill to buy those steaks?” and stuff like that.

Of course this is probably NOT the Christian approach, but it sure was funny to hear of some of these exchanges.

Strange thing, though, I remember this guy saying he talked to Tiller’s pastor (not Catholic) who taught from the pulpit against abortion. The pastor defended Tiller, and the Church’s keeping him in good graces. I don’t know what went on behind the scenes, but I do know that Tiller is very shrewd in knowing how much and to which politicians he makes contributions. Maybe that’s the same for the Church.

As Catholics I don’t see we have much jurisdiction here, especially since we believe he is only receiving a phony symbolic wafer anyway. Gosh, why not encourage him to keep going to that Church, because as long as he is there and receives phony wafers, those wafers will not convict him, right?

Alan

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

[

As Catholics I don’t see we have much jurisdiction here, especially since we believe he is only receiving a phony symbolic wafer anyway. Gosh, why not encourage him to keep going to that Church, because as long as he is there and receives phony wafers, those wafers will not convict him, right?

Alan](http://drtiller.com/medir.html)

Lutheran wafers are just wafers but a person’s intent matters. If he believes some sort of change is occuring (consubstantiation?) then he may well be convicted based on that belief.

Anyway, I pray he gets convicted by the Holy Spirit before he gets to judgement day and repents during RCIAA. That would be best outcome I think.

 

[Lilyofthevalley]

Reformation Lutheran Church. Are they Evangelical lutherans? If so they won’t take a hard stand on this member. If they were Missouri Synod they probably would.

 

[Tom444]

As far as I can tell, “Reformation Lutheran Church” is just the name of an ELCA parish in Wichita. The pictures on their website look like the same church as the one shown in the Operation Rescure article.

So, maybe the pastor there occasionally preaches against abortion, but my guess is that he has no problem with cashing the checks Tiller leaves in the collection basket (he must have just forgotten about Matthew 6:24).

As for the ELCA actually condemning Tiller? Not too likely. Just look at their statement on abortion.

Because we believe that God is the creator of life, the number of induced abortions is a source of deep concern to this church. We mourn the loss of life that God has created. The strong Christian presumption is to preserve and protect life. Abortion ought to be an option only of last resort. Therefore, as a church we seek to reduce the need to turn to abortion as the answer to unintended pregnancies.

Doesn’t sound like much of a position at all. If you can stand to read the whole thing, they’re basically just giving lip service to pro-lifers, while being careful not to offend the pro-aborts, and suggest even more sex education to prevent unwanted pregnancies (because, as we all know, the last few decades of that have reduced the number of abortions:banghead: ). But liberal Protestants actually condemning anything? I’d be laughing at that idea, except for the fact that there’s nothing funny about this.