Rick Warren, Barack Obama and Partial Birth Abortion...the false unity of the social gospel

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." -Psalm 139:13-16The reality of partial birth abortion is shocking; it is disturbing; it is abominable; it provokes outrage; but it is necessary for us to see and ponder; for we must come to terms that it is nothing less than murder. I have taken down the graphic picture of PBA because of several who had emailed me to its disturbing nature and replaced it with this one courtesy of "littlegal." You may view the PBA photo by clicking here and be prepared for it is very graphic and disturbing..Partial Birth Abortion (PBA) is the "medical procedure" where the abortionist, guided by ultrasound, grabs the legs of a healthy, normal baby with forceps and is pulled out into the birth canal. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head and then jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed. Does this make you boil with righteous indignation as it does I? This is murder; where healthy unborn babies are being slaughtered by the abortion-mill industry.Not many politically support such a barbaric, inhuman genocide such as this. But one who does is the new darling of the Democratic Party, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). (All who are familiar with this blog know that I am not given over to drawing attention to political figures on this blog; but in this case it needed to be done).This is significant beloved, for Senator Barack Obama, who campaigned on and condones the practice of PBA, is scheduled to speak this week as a featured lecturer at Rick Warren's AIDS/HIV Conference held at Saddleback church Mr. Warren has invited several key religious, political and medical personalities participating from all sides of the political, social, and evangelical aisles. I do understand that for Christians to be well-equipped on this of AIDS that they need to have up to date information from many different sources pertinent to this issue. Not a problem. But the Rodney King school of theology approach (can't we all just get along) is not the solution here. There needs to be discernment on this issue from a biblical worldview as well. AIDS is not just a health related concern.I applaud Mr. Warren that he has stated his "one supreme passion in life is to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ"--for which we would all say, "amen." I wonder then why is it that there is such silence about the gospel when he has appeared recently in Syria and surrounding this conference? Maybe I haven't been listening carefully (though I don't think that is the case), but it seems the focus of this conference is not about the gospel. But as I understand it, this conference is a global, political, social, ecumenical approach to the HIV/AIDS issue to help better equip the church in its fight against AIDS. Time and truth walk hand in hand and we will see if this rises above the emotion of "let's all work together..." to really being "salt and light to a lost world."Some of the unanswered questions surrounding this conference and Barack's participation are:

• Why Barack Obama? He is not an AIDS/HIV expert; nor considered a key voice on this issue by anyone remotely familiar with it.
• Is it purely because Obama is "hot" in terms of media and is a good draw for the conference? To my knowledge, Obama hasn't really done anything in his brief two years in the Senate that even addresses any legislation on HIV/AIDS or any health related crisis.
• Why would Rick Warren consider a man like Barack who unequivocally supports the murder of late term healthy unborn children of the moral fiber worthy to address this gathering?
• Apart from Oprah's "Obama for President" endorsement, there is no depth of political virtue that warrants giving him a platform. Does Mr. Warren not see this tension of ideals as moral/spiritual duplicity?
• Is Mr. Warren prepared and willing to call out Mr. Obama publicly for his schizophrenic human life posturing or will he play politics with the lives of others--and all in the name of "global health unity"?
• Lastly, what are the biblical foundations and qualifiers for this kind of approach to in addressing these kinds of cultural issues?

If Mr. Warren is really interested in proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ then may he do so unashamedly, boldly, and without compromise. Senator Obama (who claims to be a Christian) needs to be held politically and morally accountable for his support of the ungodly practice of PBA. I find it terribly ironic that Senator Obama is concerned about helping dying people with AIDS, but is not for helping to insure life to all late term healthy unborn children. What this says ladies and gentlemen, is that if you are a person out of the womb, Mr. Obama will extend some aid to you; but if you are a person still in the womb, he will support your certain death--and do it with Oprah's full endorsement.Currently, there exists no medical cure for H-I-V infection; but there is for S-I-N in the gospel of Jesus Christ. THIS is what the church needs to be focusing as the nexus of this issue. Medical aid, clean water, condoms, etc. all relate to the medical issues surrounding this disease - which are important and should not be ignored. BUT, at the same time, the spiritual condition of those infected with AIDS is vitally more important... for it has eternal consequences. Treat the physical AIDS - HIV; but don't ignore the spiritual AIDS - sin. The most unloving thing a believer in Jesus Christ could do, is to only give a renewed sense of moral human dignity to those dying of HIV/AIDS, while at the same time they watch those who have never come to know the Lord Jesus, slip into eternity--into a living hell forever without Christ.May I encourage you to pray these words of the Apostle Paul for those attending this conference, for Mr. Warren that he would assume rightly his office as pastor and abandon his role as politician, for Barack Obama to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the many suffering from this disease that they would meet Jesus who alone can heal them, restore them, and gift to them eternal life.

Col. 1:9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Col. 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Col. 1:11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously Col. 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Col. 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Col. 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."