Operation Rescue

by Wayne Rogers
Having been directly involved in
Operation Rescue at one time, and hav-
ing initially supported its actions and
tactics, I have on further thought chang-
ed my opinion as to the validity of the
methods of Operation Rescue as a Chris-
tian method to stop abortions. Many ar-
guments and reasons have been well
stated elsewhere. It is not my purpose
or intent to repeat those arguments. I
would like to add a consideration based
on the use of the sword by Peter re-
corded in John 18:10-11.
Those who are involved in Operation
Rescue believe that Proverbs 24:11-12,
"Deliver those who are being taken
away to death, and those who are
staggering to slaughter, 0 hold them
back ... ," is a command of God which
must supersede obedience to the civil
magistrate. Christians must obey the
"Higher law" of God.
In the first place, Proverbs 24:11-12
cannot be taken as an automatic right to
disobey the civil magistrate if he isn't
doing his job. Prov. 24:11-12 is almost
assuredly a quote from Psalm 82 which
is applied to the Civil Magistrate. More-
over, 24:21 tells us to "Fear the Lord
and the King ... " Which are we to do?
The point is, in order to resist the kings
in order to rescue the perishing, we
must have a Biblical basis to resist or
defy the king first of all.
Secondly, it seems to me that if
Prov. 24: 11-12 means what Operation
Rescue says that it means, the disciples
should have applied it at the time of
Jesus arrest in order to deliver Him.
Jesus, an innocent person, was about to
be dragged away to death. Even if the
disciples weren't fully aware that was
what was about to happen, they cer-
tainly were after the trial and at the
Wayne Rogers Is organlzinsr pastor
of Christ Community Presoyterlan
Church, a mission of Chalcedon
Presbyterian Church, in Lawrence-
ville, Georgia.
cross. But they did not rescue Him.
Of course, many will say, "Jesus for-
bade violence. Peter was using vio-
lence, the sword. The Scriptures do not
allow us to use violence. That's why
Operation Rescue is a peaceful non-vio-
lent protest"
It is my contention that Jesus was
not simply condemning the use of vio-
lence, but that He was telling Peter not
to use force at all. In other words, He
wasn't hoping that Peter would con-
clude that while he couldn't use the
sword, he could at least throw his body
between the soldiers and Jesus. And, at
the cross, should not the disciples have
staged a demonstration, a protest?
Shouldn't they have surrounded the
cross so that Jesus couldn't have been
nailed to it if Proverbs must
be applied to rescuing the perishing
under any and all circumstances?
Some will argue that Jesus had to
die. Jesus Himself gives that as a
reason why Peter must put up his
sword. He must drink the cup that His
Father has poured for Him. Yes, of
course, Jesus had to die. That was the
redemptive plan and purpose of God. It
would have been ironic if His disciples
had died for Him in trying to protect or
save Him from death. But, doesn't that
tell us that we cannot apply Prov.
24:11-12 across the board. Even Operap
tion Rescue proponents qualify the pas-
sage by saying that while we must
cue the perishing we cannot use wea-
pons, it must be by non-violent, peace, .
ful means. If it is qualified, then again,
we must determine before we apply it
to abortion that we do have Biblical
grounds to disobey or resist the Civil
Magistrate.
Thirdly, Christ gives the ultimate
reason why He told Peter to put up his
sword. In John 18:36 Jesus said, "My
kingdom is not of this world. If my
kingdom were of this world, then My
servants would be fighting that I might
not be delivered up to the Jews; but as
it is, My kingdom is not of this
realm."
Now, when Jesus says that His king-
dom is not of this world, He is not
saying that His kingdom is simply a
spiritual kingdom with no relation to
the kingdoms of this world. The word
"of' refers to origin, not location. His
kingdom does not owe or have its
origin from this world, or the kingdom
of this world. It does not originate from
this world, but from the heavenly or
spiritual realm. And His remarks con-
cerning the use of weapons indicate that
the kingdom of Christ does not come or
advance itself, by use of physical force,
violence, or coercion to accomplish its
goals or purposes. What is appropriate
for the kingdoms of men is not appro-
priate for the kingdom of God.
Those involved in Operation Rescue
insist that they are not using violence.
They are using the tactics of non-vio-
lent, peaceful protest as did the civil
rights movement of the 60's. I believe
that Operation Rescue is doing exactly
what Jesus forbade in John 18:36.
Jesus' point was that His kingdom
doesn't come by coercion or force. His
kingdom doesn't force itself politically
upon the societies of men. That is why
we are to make disciples of men by
pointing them to Christ without point-
ing a political sword at them.
Without regeneration all social
change is temporary at best. Unless the
hearts of men are changed we go from
one social change to another depending
upon which group can muster enough
votes or apply enough political pres-
sure. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but are spiritual, to the
casting down of thrones and dominions,
II Cor. 10:5.
Operation Rescue is trying to force,
to compel, to coerce, (even though they
are not using the sword), a non-Chris-
tian, pagan culture to conform to the
Word and will of God.
I do not mean to imply that as
Christians we should not work to bring
the social and civil law into conformity
to the law of God. Of course we should.
But, we cannot use revolutionary tactics
(Continued on page 40)
The Counsel of Chalccdon, December, 1988
-------------------------Page 19
Operation Rescue .. Rogers
Continued from page 19
or force. We do it the God-a appointed
way of preaching, teaching, evangel-
ism, education, and as we can by elec-
tion. Every kingdom has the power to
enforce its laws by means of the sword
once it has achieved power or the right
to rule. But we cannot use force to com-
pel the civil magistrate to comply with
the Word of God.
Having said this, the other arguments
for Opetatipn Rescue simply do not
justify its methods. It says that we can-
not use force to its goals.
Therefore, it cannot reaily apply Prov.
24:10-11 itself which says "Hold back
those who are staggering to death."
- -Tfief m=e- simply trying co stoP
man from entering the clinic and having
an abortion. But, if the woman goes in,
they say that they don't have the right
to literally hold her back. Therefore,
Operation Rescue is one atteinpt to get
people to voluntarily give up having an
abortion. But Operation Rescue advo-
cates are. quickly assuming the attitude
that if you aren't joining with them,
you are not following the God-ordained
program.
Ii is at this point that Operation Res-
cue's real tactics become evident. uiti-
mately, it is a tactic to apply political
and social pressure by creating social
tension in order to overwhelm and
change the system. This is the spear-
head, the cutting edge of Operation Res-
cue. If you take this away, then you
have to ask if the method would be that
successful.
. In all sincerity some are saying that .
the reason that they are doing this is as
a form of personal or corporate re-
pentance. But just as sincerely I ask,
has God commanded that we do this in
repentance? Is this a fast that God has
required? I am sure that we do need to
repent. But that doesn't mean that the
ends justify the means.
What is the responsibility of a Chris-
tian in a society which legalizes and
pennits that which God forbids, that
which is sinful? Obviously, not only
should we not exercise our "civil"
rights, but we should urge others not to
practice sin. We should preach agairist
J. Gresham Machen:
A Biographical Memoir
by Ned B. Stonehouse
it. We should proclaim God's judgment
upon those who practice it.
The O.T. condemned Molech wor-
ship, which involved sacrificing chil-
dren in the fire, Lev. 18:21, 20:2-5,
Deut. 12:31, 18:10-13. Yet, kings in
Israel practiced Molech worship, I Kgs.
11:31-33, II Kgs. 23:12-14, 16:3f. The
Prophets preached against and con
demned the practice, declaring God's
judgment against the n ation, Jer. 49:1-
3, Ezek. 16:20f, 20:26-31, 23:37, Isa.
57:5. At no time did the Prophets urge
the people to overthrow their kings. He
called them to repentance. They pro-
claimed the righteous kingdom of the
coming Messiah. It was this kingdom
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The Counsel of Chalcedon, December, 1988 --'