The flingers of cow patties are at it once again on Baptist social media as state Baptist conventions hold their annual meetings. I, for one, am tired of their bull...hockey.
My grandparents used to own an antique manure spreader. They would fill it up when they shoveled out the barn and then Papa would drive around the pasture churning the dried cow patties and flinging little chunks in every direction to fertilize the ground. If you got too close, you'd get splattered...and if someone plopped a green one in there, you better run for the hills. It appears that the usual poop spreaders among Southern Baptists have once again begun slinging steaming piles of manure—and by manure, I mean misrepresentations, deception, disgusting power plays, politically motivated attacks and outright lies.
[This post has been updated to reflect recent online smear tactics]
In the summer of 2021, I witnessed the most devious political trick I have seen in all my life. A resolution was put forward at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting that was originally worded in such a way as to Oppose ALL INCREMENTAL METHODS of preventing abortion, such as heartbeat bills, bans on partial birth abortion and placing ultrasound machines in pregnancy centers to persuade expectant mothers to choose life for their child. To any tried and true Baptist, this seemed like absolute madness. We are staunchly Pro-Life. But there is a wicked twist to this story. You see, they garnered support for this nefarious measure by calling it an Abortion Abolition resolution. You read that correctly. Yet, as presented, it opposed all of the above listed methods of preventing abortion. Strange. To those of us sitting in the Baptist pews, this seemed like lunacy, completely irrational. But there was an ulterior motive at play. A game was afoot because, apparently, some people think that preventing abortion is a game to be played for political capital and power, as opposed to a moral crisis to be solved, a literal matter of life and death.
This foolish resolution was even worded in such a way that it was understood to oppose the removal of dangerous, un-survivable ectopic pregnancies where the baby cannot grow and live and the mother is likely to die (which neither the Pro-Life movement, nor Texas law consider to even be an abortion—and we will examine what the Bible says presently).
Political factions such as Founders Ministries and the so-called Conservative Baptist Network have been consistently attacking the people who spoke up against this problematic and unwise resolution since that time. Many of the wisest, most thoughtful, theologically conservative, adamantly pro-life, actively opposed to abortion leaders in the SBC courageously voiced their concerns the evening before the resolution was voted on, but these deceptive political factions immediately began dishonestly attempting to frame such individuals as pro-abortion and they have not relented these past two and a half years.
The following year after the resolution proposal, in the spring of 2022, in a pre-convention, campaign style announcement, Tom Ascol, who became a leading candidate for President of the Southern Baptist Convention, made the following statement, deliberately misrepresenting and defaming my brothers and sisters in Christ:
By God's grace, in that Nashville meeting, the convention overruled the Resolutions Committee and insisted on hearing and ultimately adopted the strongest prolife, anti-abortion resolution in the history of the SBC. But its adoption came only after various Southern Baptist ethicists spoke against it. Later, a group of Southern Baptist theologians and ethicists wrote a lengthy statement arguing against the resolution's call for the abolition of abortion.
Mr. Ascol's statement omits a key piece of information (that some of the language was changed in response to these courageous theologians and ethicists) making it sound as if a large group of Baptists are somehow in favor of abortion. His statement was presented in a context that makes himself out to be a pro-life hero and to imply that others are pro-abortion villains, when in fact, it was the resolution he supported that would have served as the greater hinderance to preventing babies from being murdered in the womb.
This tactic was a pre-meditated political intrigue initiated by Mr. Ascol's brother Bill, who introduced the above-mentioned resolution with the backing of Founder's Ministries, of which Tom Ascol is the President. As it was presented to the messengers, his resolution condemned ALL "INCREMENTAL" methods of regulating or preventing abortion, demanding either total abolition or nothing at all. Below is an explanation of how this would have played out if passed with its original wording.
The Ascol resolution originally OPPOSED legislation such as the Texas Heartbeat Bill which bans all abortions after an infant's heartbeat can be detected in the womb. That bill had virtually ended the practice of abortion in Texas even before the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Yet, Tom Ascol and the churches who belong to Founder's Ministries would have convinced the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention to put out a statement opposing such measures before either happened.
Even the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that overruled states, forcing them to allow abortions, is considered to be an incremental step in ending the insidious evil of abortion, but the proposed Ascol resolution would have opposed ALL such incremental measures. (The resolution literally opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade because it only turned the matter back over to the states and did not fully ban the practice). He painted those who spoke against the resolution as pro-abortion liberals, but in fact, their position has saved countless lives in just the past few years while his has saved none. They are the pro-life heroes.
After hearing the concerns of the brave Baptists who spoke up (the ones who were maligned in the statement by Mr. Ascol) a more reasonable pro-lifer proposed a last-minute word change to the amendment altering the language from opposing "ALL Incremental," measures to opposing "ONLY Incremental," measures which somewhat lessened the disastrous consequences this resolution could have had. But the folks in the Founder’s Ministries camp opposed even that language adjustment. As you read above, Tom Ascol railed against those whose courageous voices prompted the alteration. It seems clear to me that the original wording of the resolution revealed his and his associates at Founder's Ministries true beliefs. Since they chose to vilify those whose words of wisdom led to the change, we can safely infer that they STILL oppose these important incremental measures and if they are placed in positions of influence, we can expect them to continue pushing the anti-incrementalist agenda which would be disastrous.
For example, the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, whom they vehemently oppose, purchases ultrasound machines and supplies them to pregnancy centers. Pregnant mothers-to-be in crisis are shown ultrasound images of their living baby. This incremental method has proven to persuade many mothers to choose life for their pre-born child and is a powerful tool in the pro-life crusade as they find Baptist pregnancy centers stocked with diapers, formula, baby food, clothes, and car seats, eager to meet their needs. Had the bold Baptist ethicists that they have maligned not quickly spoken up, the Ascol resolution could have been perceived as the Southern Baptist messenger body opposing and condemning such measures and forced the ERLC to stop buying ultrasound machines, hindering the work of these pro-life, anti-abortion pregnancy centers.
There is another linguistic issue as well. Pro-life advocates use the terminology that life begins at conception. The Ascol resolution stated that life begins at fertilization. Here is why that matters: Life begins when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall and a woman conceives. That is the moment of conception and the moment that a viable pregnancy begins. Another word for the uterus is the womb. Psalm 139:13 teaches:
For you formed my inmost parts. You knit me together in my mother's womb.
The prophet Jeremiah recognized that it was in the womb that God formed him. (Jeremiah 1:5) Paul knew that God had set him apart since he was in his mother's womb. (Galatians 1:15) The writer of Ecclesiastes 1:15 recognized that bones develop in a mother's womb. And John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while in the womb and even leapt for joy inside his mother’s womb when in the presence of Jesus, who was in Mary’s womb.
The Bible consistently recognizes the uterus/womb as the place where a woman conceives a child. It is only in a Mother's womb that a baby can grow. In rare instances, an egg will attach itself to the inside of the fallopian tube or somewhere else. These are called ectopic, or tubal pregnancies. The medical, scientific, legal and pro-life communities recognize that such pregnancies are not viable. The embryo cannot grow and continue to live outside of the womb. Scripturally speaking, the woman in such a situation has not conceived a child because the fertilized egg is not in her womb. If the unviable embryo is not removed, the mother's fallopian tube could rupture, causing her to bleed to death.
Even the most committed Christian, pro-life activists in the world, such as Lila Rose of Live Action, do not consider the removal of a tubal pregnancy to be an abortion. She spoke out on Twitter against an ignorant measure proposed in Missouri that would have prevented such pro-life, life-saving procedures.
The problematic wording of the resolution which lacked nuance and did not address the issue of ectopic pregnancies, but called for total abolition and strongly opposes all exceptions, was perceived as being designed to prevent such a removal. At no point have I ever witnessed a member of Founder’s Ministries or the Conservative Baptist Network correcting that perception, so I must assume they meant it that way. When you see them call for "total" abolition, it is safe to assume that they oppose the removal of non-viable ectopic pregnancies and would sooner see the mother die than receive life-saving medical care. I sincerely hope that SOMEONE from their camp will finally find the courage to address this issue. For goodness sake. And if you have and I have missed it, Please be sure to post a link or screenshot of proof. I will rejoice to see it.
In Texas, we have witnessed unscrupulous and criminally culpable doctors who have refused to perform the life-saving care of removing an ectopic pregnancy based on this same type of misunderstanding, so it is vital that the messenger body of the Southern Baptist Convention communicate clearly on such matters. Ambiguous communication about life and death matters is not a pro-life position at all. It is unwise and MISrepresents Southern Baptists as uneducated, ignorant and foolish people who would endanger the life of a mother over an unviable, unconceived, ectopic pregnancy.
All Christians oppose the killing of pre-born children in the womb. If you favor abortion, you are not a follower of Jesus. We are all supposed to be on the same side here. Removing an unconceived, non-viable embryo outside of the womb to save the mother's life is not murder--though certain medical personnel might refer to it as an "abortive measure"--this terminology is unhelpful and confusing on their part. We should not consider such a procedure to be an abortion. Legally it is NOT considered an abortion in any state. Ethically it is immoral and reprehensible to call it an abortion as we have seen many liberal, secular, pro-abortion activists doing. It would be sinful, dishonest and outrageous to tell a woman who had an ectopic pregnancy removed that she committed an abortion.
Their graceless resolution also called for harsh criminal punishment for women who have abortions, while opposing other incremental measures to prevent them from having abortions in the first place and hindering the pregnancy centers that are trying to help them. That is nonsensical. It is either:
A) Completely and Totally Irrational
or
B) A calculated and deliberately deceitful political power play.
It is ridiculous that folks in that camp and those who agree with their position, are now publicly shaming, baiting and attacking SBC President Bart Barber and others for not supporting such punitive measures because they claim they are legal deterrents to abortion, when their own resolution opposed multiple other forms of deterrence and education that would prevent abortions. What a steaming green pile of rancid manure.
While many individuals have piled on to these attacks begun by Tom Ascol and Founder's Ministries, there are two who have been the most aggressive of late and seem to receive the most attention. In 2022, I first witnessed Megan Basham, a reporter for the Daily Wire and SBC church member, unleash multiple posts against Bart Barber over this issue. Now, in 2023, not only has her fixation grown more concerning, but another influencer, whose online behavior is deeply troubling to me, William Wolfe, who refers to himself as a former Senior Trump administration official, has himself lauched a series of attacks against this humble pastor. I can only assume, given their hawk-eyed observance of Baptist figures, their aggressive entry into this debate, their proclivity for weighing in on Baptist issues and their eagerness to lend their considerable platforms to this conversation, that they are fully aware and supportive of the above-mentioned resolution and the debate over its original wording and if not, I invite them to publicly denounce it if they feel the need to do so. This time around, they are relentlessly attacking Mr. Barber for supporting a conservative political candidate that is pro-life, but does not ascribe to their so-called "abolitionist" agenda to imprison post-abortive mothers.
I wonder if they realize that even Abby Johnson, one of the most outspoken and effective pro-life Christian women in the world, would be in jail if the laws they are proposing had been in place when she had abortions? She is a living picture of what happens when a mind is renewed and no longer conforms to the world because of the Holy Spirit's changing work in the lives of believers. We cannot rely on the government to accomplish what only the Holy Spirit is capable of, changing hearts.
Christians ought to be about our Father's business. The appropriate action for Christians is to make every effort to prevent abortion and to love, serve, provide for and minister to expectant mothers. It is our calling to offer hope, help, support and love to mothers in crisis and to bring them to Jesus. It is also our responsibility to be ministers of grace as we share the Gospel and the good news of repentance, forgiveness and redemption through Jesus to post-abortive mothers. You are not their judge, so stop trying to be.
We live in a world that has fed women full of lies since their sex education classes in school. I once had a student come into my classroom declaring that she would NEVER have a baby after being made to wear a pregnancy simulation belly in child development class. From a very young age, school children are indoctrinated to believe that getting pregnant is the worst “consequence,” that could possibly come from having sex---as opposed to being taught about God’s good design for marriage and family. They have been manipulated, pressured, lied to, and otherwise deceived about the nature of what an abortion is since they were minors. And they have grown up in a culture where abortion is celebrated and a country where it is legal. They have been brainwashed. We should make it our business to educate, not incarcerate. Planned Parenthood (Moloch Incorporated) is lying to women, taking advantage of them, deceiving them, pressuring them, enticing them into having abortions and championing its cause and all for money and power. Let's not be like them.
I believe that the onslaught of deceptive statements over the difference between the pro-life movement and the so-called abolitionists issued over the past few years have been deliberately designed to malign good people who spoke out in wisdom. Those mentioned above, along with many others associated with Founder's Ministries and the Conservative Baptist Network, are slandering godly, theologically conservative Baptists, painting them to look like apostatizing liberals, vilifying them in order to manufacture a crisis, then presenting themselves and their preferred candidates for SBC leadership as the solution. They are deliberately misleading Baptist church members and potential convention messengers. These sinful and dishonest tactics have been used to create and perpetuate the misperception that many theologians and ethicists in the SBC support abortion. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe that Mr. Ascol, Mr. Wolfe, Mrs. Basham, Founder's Ministries, The Conservative Baptist Network and many others have violated the 9th Commandment which admonishes us:
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Sadly, over the past few years, I have observed that this type of falsehood is par for the course from these groups on this issue, and others, as they attempt to gaslight their congregants and social media followers in order to discredit, defame and undermine Christian brothers and sisters through a steady disinformation campaign of half-truths, deliberate deceptions and politically charged social media posts--all for clicks, attention and power. And I call for it to stop, Now.
BUT, as Paul Harvey used to say, HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY:
At that 2021 meeting, Southern Baptists had ALREADY passed a strong Resolution on the subject of Abortion BEFORE the so-called abolitionist resolution was put forward. Tom Ascol and members of Founder’s Ministries baited people into responding and then attacked them for doing so—not the first time they have employed this particular tactic. They have outrageously misrepresented ministers, deliberately causing damage to their ministries and the mission to which they have been called in order to draw attention to themselves.
The first Resolution, which the committee DID present to the messengers, and which was passed prior to the Founder's shenanigan, is wise, pro-life and Biblical. It is a strong statement, yet full of grace and redemption toward post abortive mothers. It shows the true heart of the people they have tried to defame and more appropriately and accurately reflects the perspective of Southern Baptists as a whole. Here is a summary of that Resolution:
On Taxpayer Complicity in Abortion and the Hyde Amendment
This resolution states
that the messengers:
- Condemn any effort to repeal the Hyde Amendment as
morally abhorrent, a violation of Biblical ethics, contrary to the natural
law, and a moral stain on our nation;
- Call on Congress and the President to uphold the
Hyde Amendment and all pro-life Amendments, to protect life, and to
prevent taxpayers from being complicit in the moral evil of
abortion;
- Call on Southern Baptists to work through ALL available
cultural and legislative means to end the moral scourge of abortion as we
also seek to love, care for, and minister to women who are victimized by
the unjust abortion industry.
Notice the pro-life call to use ALL
means to end abortion (including incremental and legislative means). Notice the
compassionate tone toward vulnerable women.
While I would like to think that these deceptively named abortion "abolitionists," are acting out of a good conscience and a fire burning within their bellies to protect pre-born children in the womb, their opposition to so many successful methods of saving lives and their continued demonization of those who defend such methods, indicates to me that they have other motives.
One of the most common ways that people grow their follower count, increase their online interactions and garner influence is to use clickbait statements to bully others into responding to them by purposefully misconstruing their positions, selectively withholding information, telling half-truths that are intentionally misleading, or just outright slandering them. I have witnessed these techniques being used with such frequency by the so-called "abolitionist" camp that it cannot be construed as anything other than deliberate. This is shameful. This is sinful. All of these methods are a form of lying. Satan is the father of ALL lies.
If you are truly Christians, then start acting more like God's children than Satan’s and stop demonstrating such hatred toward your brothers and sisters, but rather show love. I oppose your worldly tactics, ulterior motives, and deception.
Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Is your heart filled with the Holy Spirit, or are you full of something else...? Is your goal on social media to share the good news of Jesus Christ, or something else? To those of you who have publicly dishonored my brothers and sisters, I now publicly call upon you to repent of your sin of bearing false witness. The world is watching. Shut down the
manure spreader.
