GOP senate candidate suggests rape pregnancies are a gift from God

[Guest LadyC]

ed, very good point, and you're right.

nebula, sure, you would tell a child of rape that his life IS a gift. that doesn't mean that his conception was a gift, though! every day any of us continue to breathe, it's because God allows it, and that allowance is a gift of God.

but it's wrong to imply, even to a child of rape, that his conception was God's will, because it wasn't. it was the biological consequence to a violent act. then you tell that child that God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, freely rains down blessings on those who love Him, and he's not stingy when it comes to those (both mother and child) who were victims of such brutality. (because yes, the child was also a victim... an unintended one, but a victim nevertheless.) God has this way of taking something tragic and making a thing of beauty out of it.

but you never, ever, EVER say anything to that child that could be misconstrued as saying that his mother's rape was God's will.

ever.

now, as for the specific passage in psalm 139, it doesn't say the conception was God's will. if you're talking to a child of rape about this subject, and ps 139 is brought up, it would be an injustice not to explain clearly that the two are separate events. the conception was the will of an evil man. the construction was by the hand of God. and again, since you're giving bible lessons, isaiah is important here. sure, it's about the israelites, but it can, and should, be extrapolated to include any 'ashes' of any believer, no matter what they are. GOD heals the broken hearted, (the mother and the fatherless child), HE proclaims freedom for captives (and if you're talking to the child about this, he's obviously still a captive of the evil that happened to his mother), HE offers release from that darkness (providing the child puts his trust in God), and will avenge the wrong that was committed.

HE will clothe them in garments of praise instead of a spirit of despair. HE will annoint them with the oil of joy instead of mourning, and HE will turn the ashes of their life into something beautiful. If he chooses to accept and follow Christ as his Lord and Savior, God will display His splendor through them, because in spite of his physical roots being planted from seeds of brutality, he will be born again with spiritual roots planted in grace and mercy.

sure, it takes a lot more effort to say this to someone, but God will give the words when the time comes. and those words are so much more full of hope than the empty words they've heard all their lives from people who don't know what else to say... the empty platitudes that have been handed to them forever about how it was God's will that they were conceived, even in rape. by taking the extra time and explaining it in light of isaiah AND psalms, it draws the focus of the child back to God and away from the rape. it gives the child hope. it gives the child comfort. it gives the child the assurance that God will avenge the terrible wrong that was committed. it gives them purpose, if they will turn their ashes over to God for beautification.

and it works just as well for the mother.

[Guest LadyC]

thanks. i'm just glad the discussion came up, because i'd never before given much thought to what i'd say to someone in that situation!

[Cajunluvie]

First question - why was the candidate asked THIS question? Is there pending legislation? (I suspect no, since with a 16 trillion dollar debt I would hope the Senate has bigger fish to fry.)

No, I suspect the candidate was asked THIS question because it's a GOTCHA question. Whoever asked the question has an agenda. And the agenda is to fire another volley in the democrat so-called "war on women" mantra.

I urge everyone - and the ladies in particular - to try to see what the Left is doing. Obama and the democrats have nothing - repeat, NOTHING. So the only way they can prevail is by appealing to emotions, dividing, playing class warfare, and subterfuge.

Please - don't fall for it.

Since I already responded in a similar thread, I won't repeat my comments on the subject of rape and pregnancy but I quoted which I think is also germane to the controversy.