Senate Bill 13, if passed, would end abortion in Oklahoma. On February 21st the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma released a letter listing three concerns, among unstated others, which they have with the bill. They then conclude that they cannot in good conscience get behind SB 13 as it is proposed.
In a series of posts this week I want explain why I think each of these concerns fall flat. Because they are baseless, unless better reasons are provided, I believe our consciences should be bound in the other direction. Normally you lead with your best arguments. If this is the best they’ve got, I fear the worst.
Even so, I believe these men to be brothers in Christ. But as Paul’s rebuke of Peter demonstrates, a brother can be seriously wrong (Galatians 2:11). When a brother is in sin we should neither pull our punches nor flail wildly without reserve. We should call it both as it is and as we hope it to be. We should allow neither our love to eclipse the truth, nor the truth to eclipse our love. So again, I believe these men are brothers and I believe they are dead wrong.
I don’t doubt that these brothers have faced as much slander and vitriol as they have loving rebuke. That ain’t me. I hate that sin too. Nevertheless, being the victim of injustice does not guarantee that your stance is just. Victimhood is no marker of virtue.
I also believe the men who wrote this letter, and many who support their sentiments, hate abortion. I doubt not their love for the unborn and their desire to save lives. What I want to address are the lame concerns they use to prop up what I believe is a dreadful conclusion.
I could be wrong. Of these things I am certain: abortion is an abomination and abortion should be abolished. Of this I am also certain, I am a fallible human being reading a fallible piece of human legislation. There could be legit reasons not to support SB 13, but I’m unaware of any. I am open to correction and instruction. I pray I take as well as I give. When seeking to do justice, we must also love kindness and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
If you are a member or a pastor of an Oklahoma Southern Baptist Church and disagree with the BGCO, consider signing this letter and requesting to join the Facebook group Oklahoma Baptists for SB 13.
- Part 2: When Justices Opens an Eye
- Part 3: The Wisdom of Replacing Three-Sided Fences
- Part 4: The Cheese Puff Argument
- Part 5: Using the Hammer of a Co-belligerent
- Part 6: Let Jezebel Fall, Let Justice Flow
No Other Boast 
I should have added that I met with Senator Smalley on Tuesday. He is my senator. He was very defensive and stated that the ONLY reason he was holding up the bill was because of the nullification language. When I pointed out that Oklahoma has already nullified law, he had no answer and he accused me of being with a group that was attacking him with door hangers and billboards. I told him that I was there as a sister in Christ from the Baptist church. He still accused me of being with a group. I am not with any group at all and found that offensive. I felt that he was either not being honest with me on the nullification issue or he really is ignorant of the history of nullification in our state.
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