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There are some people who believe that it is morally
righteous, in respect of God, to kill an abortion doctor.
Their reasoning is that the murder of unborn babies
has been prevented; therefore, the "end justifies the
means."
Unfortunately, this reasoning is frequently used concerning
religion and morality. But the fact is that the "end"
never justifies or authorizes anything!
This lesson is readily evident in the life of King
Saul. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul became nervous because the
Philistines had gathered a large army against Israel;
and Samuel had not shown up to offer the sacrifice.
So, Saul ordered a sacrifice to be brought to him and
he offered it before the Lord. Immediately afterwards,
Samuel appeared and inquire of Saul as to what he had
done. Saul said: "When I saw that the people were scattered
from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed,
and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on
me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the
Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt
offering" (1 Sam. 13:11-12).
Notice Saul's justification:
- the people were scattered because of fear - Saul
did it for the people.
- it looked like Samuel was not coming at the appointed
time - it was Samuel's fault.
- the Philistines had gather together for battle -
it was the Philistines' fault.
- Samuel felt compelled - it was his "feelings" fault.
- the "end justified the means" - the situation demanded
my action.
Samuel, in response to Saul's justification says: "You
have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment
of the Lord your God, which He commanded you" (1 Sam.
13:13).
The second lesson we learn from Samuel is that "two
wrongs do not make a right." It was wrong for the Philistines
to attack God's people; and it was wrong for Saul to
offer the sacrifice; but the Philistines' wrong did
not make Saul's sin righteous - two negatives do not
make a positive. We cannot moralize something by the
sin of another person. We must obey the Lord apart from
the actions of other people.
And so this principle is applicable concerning the
murder of abortion doctors. It is a sin for a doctor
to murder the unborn. But the doctor's sin does not
authorize or justify anyone else to murder the murderer.
Nor can we justify murdering a doctor simply because
our opinion is that the "end justifies the means." We
must obey God!
Now it may be easy to apply these principles to a wild-crazed-fanatic
that goes out and kills an abortion doctor. But let
us examine our life and "religion" to be sure that we
are not rationalizing lawlessness by opinions and feelings.
Saul was punished for dismissing the commandments of
the Lord. And for us, "we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the
things done in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
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