Dear Editor,
I was grateful to read the provocation from John Stevens (Comment, May en) about what the blind spot of our day might be. He mentioned two possibilities in particular: abortion and global warming. It will come as no surprise to those who are aware of our ministry that I will be placing my vote with the former, but allow me to offer four objective reasons – nothing to do with my ‘passion’ or ‘calling’ – as to why, if we were to pick one (and I am not saying there is only one), it would have to be abortion, hands down.
First, the scale in terms of human lives. According to the World Health Organisation (certainly not a climate-change ‘denier’!): ‘Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year’. Baby genocide already claims more than 70 million lives per year. Are these numbers even worth comparing?
Second, it would be hard to argue that global warming is suffering from under-attention in the way that abortion is. At Tearfund’s recent Justice Conferences, climate change was the dominant focus, and the Church of England has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in this area. Every church and individual has put at least minimal thought into recycling, etc. Where is the comparable attention to the local and global baby genocide?
Third, everyone in society already agrees at least notionally that looking after the planet is a good thing. There is nothing like the same consensus that it is wrong to kill babies – even in the church. For this reason it is especially urgent that we address our own moral confusion and then help to lead the world on this pressing ethical issue. Have we become a thermometer, merely reflecting the culture, instead of a thermostat, changing the culture? If so, we need to repent.
Fourth, whilst we can see Biblically that looking after non-human creation is an important part of our God-given role on earth, God’s condemnation of the shedding of innocent blood and of child sacrifice is at a far higher level (e.g. Ps.106, Jer.7), and there are repeated commands to defend the defenceless (e.g. Prov. 24:11-12; 31:8). Since God cares so deeply about this, shouldn’t it trouble us that we care so little?
Yours sincerely,
Dave Brennan (Brephos, which exists to help churches respond to abortion) By email
