When
have you fallen into the trap of “offering sacrifice” but
“neglecting mercy”? How can you work to reverse that this week?
(Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition,
page 1355).
Now
there is a great outcry against people who feel they have
entitlements or who feel some sort of innate condition of being
deserving. Frequently it is heard that no one is entitled to or
deserves anything. This comes in part from Christian ideas. We say
that we don’t deserve anything for all that we have (in this
universe and in this world) is a gift of God. Likewise, we are
fallible sinners with no spiritual entitlements earned or otherwise.
Thus Christianity and conservative politics are joined at the hip.
Unfortunately various unintended consequences can result from this
line of thought. For example, it follows that unborn infants bereft
of any social status or power whatever (by category “the
oppressed”) are found to be exceptionally underserving by a large
segment of American society. Unborn infants are meat to be excised.
They deserve nothing—or so it would seem.
Actually
we find it repugnant to say that infants are not deserving. Newborns
in a hospital—are these children not deserving of love and respect
even though they in no way have proven themselves to be responsible?
The simple fact that they represent life (especially human life)
indicates a need of exceptional consideration. And if a child should
be born with a serious medical condition, we are confronted with what
to do? Toss him out in the trash or give him the best medical care
possible? And as we always choose the latter, such feeling of
unearned due deserts (which can in some cases last a lifetime) has
substantial inevitable budgetary consequences for individuals and
institutions. In addition to these considerations, we add to that as
American citizens these children with no portfolio of proven
responsibility have the eventual umbrella protection of the Bill of
Rights along with other amendments. Like other Americans we must
conclude that they are deserving of certain rights—why? Not
because of some proven track record of excellence, but simply because
they are American citizens. From our nation’s beginning we have
stood naked before the world with one explanation for this apparent
excess—we are guided to find all deserving of guaranteed
inalienable rights by the will of Providence.
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