No one really thinks this

They just pretend that they do

There’s a video that is making its rounds on social media that caught my eye as I was scrolling the news. By the way, I’m not ignorant of the fact that such a phrase – “scrolling the news” – might be a bit of an odd description for those who aren’t living on and by their smart phones. One of the most shocking sociological changes that has rocked American culture in the last couple decades is the manner in which we get our news.

I remember when I was growing up, there were three networks that we could get on our TV, and the evening newscasts were our window to the world. By the time I hit college, the internet was coming of age and I was quick to transition to news websites as my major source of information. My first year out of college, I learned about 9/11 by checking MSNBC’s website, not by turning on the TV.

Now, I can’t tell you the last time I watched the news. It’s Twitter. I follow news organizations and keep up with the happenings of the world in real time. Standing in line at the grocery, I’m checking it. Sitting on the toilet, I’m checking it. Waiting for my kid to get done with practice, I’m checking it. I’m not saying it’s healthy, but it is the life many of us live now – “scrolling the news.”

ANYWAY, back to what I was saying, this video of a pro-life speaker addressing a group of…well, quite honestly, I don’t even know how to describe these folks. Protesters? Militants? Demonstrators? Agitators? I don’t know. But I do know that they once again demonstrate the intellectual malaise of those who hold such deranged contempt for innocent babies in the womb.

Watch this exchange if you have a minute.

Gina Bontempo @FlorioGina

Oftentimes you can crumble a lib’s argument by simply asking questions that they immediately realize they can’t answer.

A few takeaways from this uncomfortable and sad little scene. Let’s begin with the vapidity of the arguments that were being made. Bumper sticker slogans, printed on poster boards, pretending that the contempt they expressed forcefully against their opponents was a worthy substitute for rational thought. It was not.

The being conceived in the womb isn’t living? That’s willful ignorance. Something can be living and not be human. It’s one thing to say the baby in the womb isn’t human, but living? The creature in the womb sleeps, she plays, she’ll suck her thumb, and if there’s another child in there at the same time, the twins will play with each other. The being in the womb grows and develops. To say she’s not living is not even a respectable tactic. It’s just ignorance.

But that brings me to my second observation about all this. These activists don’t care that they exhibited breathtaking ignorance on science, fetal development, and rudimentary ethics. They are content to yell, paint posters and point to them awkwardly in a ham-fisted effort to avoid dealing with actual dialogue about the issue.

Which brings me to my third and final point, which is really more of a question. Is it now just futile and foolish to engage these conversations with those committed to this macabre obsession with abortion on demand?

I’ve read Greg Koukl’s book “Tactics,” and I greatly appreciate the approach of asking questions rather than lobbing declarative statements. It’s a great strategy, and that’s clearly what the pro-life woman addressing the hostile crowd seemed to be attempting. But these people weren’t interested in good faith discussion. And, if I can be honest, I think that’s increasingly true everywhere.

The advent of the “scroll through the news” dynamic has made it insanely simple to surround ourselves with like-minded voices and opinion-makers who will reiterate what we already believe. The inability of the young activist to answer some of the basic questions being asked was intended to, and should have, provoked some soul-searching and introspection.

But it doesn’t. Not anymore. It seems to only increase the hostility, lead to indignation, further division and anger. So, is it worth it? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting those of us who are right about the issue shrink and hide from proclaiming the truth. I’m simply saying that now more than ever, I’m not sure minds are likely to change in any significant number or in any lasting way without an established, trustworthy relationship.

As much as I used to dream about being in big debates, televised, arguing somebody under the table with my piercing logic and fiery intellect, these days I usually dream about having the chance to forge a relationship with those somebodies first.

It’s almost as though Jesus knew what He was talking about when He told us that changing the world happens through His local, interpersonal, relational church.

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ICYMI…

I spoke yesterday about worship. Real worship. I think this might be a blessing to you…

Also, here’s an article I think might interest you:

• In a single decade, trans “feel this way” has triumphed over gay “born this way”