This weekend has brought more questions than answers.

My friends are all taking amazing journeys, boosting their resume, and tasting a bit of what life has to offer them. I turned down a dream for convenience. I accepted a position at a ministry  near my home. I had prayed that God would make it abundantly clear where I was supposed to be refining my writing this summer. I applied at this ministry online, and within two hours I was practically offered the position. I felt at peace when I accepted the writing internship, and turned down Clear Channel.

Clear Channel on my resume would have raised the eyebrows of every future employer, and guaranteed me a job. Why would God call me elsewhere? What good can I do at a tiny little ministry down the street? How can I change the world while surrounded by people who think the same way I do? Why did I have to turn down other paid opportunities for an unpaid position? 

I’m not sure what tomorrow brings when I begin work. I’m excited to meet new people, and discover what God has in store. I wonder what the future holds…

On January 13, Planned Parenthood tweeted “[Retweet] if you think #prochoice is #sexy!” Planned Parenthood is, according to their website, “the leading advocate for reproductive health care in the United States today.” Merle Hoffman, the founder of Choices, a major abortion center in New York City, said recently that “Abortion is as American as apple-pie,” The Christian Post released statistics that stated one out of three women will have at least one abortion. Even more, “in some American neighborhoods, the number of abortions far exceeds the number of live births,”
    My first reaction to this implementation of normalcy towards abortion, was horror. In fact, I was determined to write a strongly worded article that reflected my rage, to create a bandwagon of pro-life supporters, and to bring awareness to the idea that things like murder, should never become okay. However, as I sat down at my laptop to write this article, I am honest in saying, my opinion changed.
    To be clear, I am strongly pro-life. God values all life, and therefore so should I. However, I don’t believe in this case, whether abortion is taking the life of a child is the issue. Where the issue lies, in my opinion, is the trend of blacklisted sins, suddenly becoming “American as apple pie.” Where did we slip up? Did we blink, and open our eyes to a whole new society? When did it become cool to have an abortion?
    This question also applies to other actions and lifestyles that used to be unaccepted in society. Now, former blacklisters are becoming widely accepted. Gay marriage, for instance, is now more widely accepted. Pollingreport.com reveals that in an AP-National Constitution Center Poll for adults nationwide, 58% believed that gay couples were entitled to the same rights as a heterosexual married couple. 38% believed that the government should distinguish between couples, and 3% were unsure. When did our majority turn so quickly?
    Although, while writing this article, I couldn’t help but ask myself, is this me? Am I numb to the things Christ is so explicitly clear on in the Bible? Am I not only numb, but accepting of actions and lifestyles so unlike those of Jesus? Are we as the Church getting so caught up in loving others, that we have forgotten to hate the sin?
    As Christians, we are called to love as Christ loved us. God is also a forgiving God, and no sin causes one to lose a chance at redemption. Therefore, it is very important that we do not hate those who have had abortions, struggle with homosexuality, and like us, commit sins everyday. However, last time I checked, loving on someone did not mean accepting their sins as favorable. Isaiah 5:20 warns “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
    Therefore, what are we to do? We need to find the fine line of loving the sinner, and hating the sin. After all, we are all sinners. Although this may be difficult, it is necessary. The Bible says to not fall into the trap of fools, but to be wise and follow the commands of Christ. This is entirely possible to love others, and still stand for what we believe in. Abortion should not be as “American as apple pie”, but rather, should love.

**Opinion Piece from January 2012

by: Katy Backode