The Republican Party recently released its 2024 platform, outlining its goals and priorities should the November elections go its way. While the document comprises a list of twenty promises and ten chapters that go in depth on a variety of subjects, the changes to the party’s official stance on abortion have received the most attention.

In 2016—the last time the GOP released an official platform since they chose not to do so in 2020—the issue of abortion featured prominently, with more than 700 words devoted to the topic and mentioning abortion specifically thirty-five times. By contrast, the 2024 version uses the term once and gives the subject less than 100 words of attention, stating simply:

“We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights. After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments).”

In understanding the changes, it’s worth noting that in 2016 Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land, whereas now the issue of abortion has been rightly returned to the states. Moreover, in the vast majority of elections since that shift occurred, the pro-life position has lost. We’ll discuss one of the primary reasons why that’s the case—and how it impacted the changes to the GOP platform—in a bit, but those losses have created a good bit of angst among Republicans running for office this fall.

As a result, many Republicans—former president Donald Trump chief among them—have sought to reframe the GOP’s stance on this issue to appeal to a wider range of voters. However, doing so risks losing the pro-life part of a base they’ve come to rely upon in the process.

For example, Clint Pressley—a megachurch pastor in North Carolina and the recently elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention—spoke for many when he tweeted, “I am disheartened by what’s happened in the GOP. The GOP platform may be subject to change, but God’s word is not. Southern Baptists ‘contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death’ and will insist that elected officials do the same.”

But is that the right approach?

The answer is perhaps more complicated than it would first appear.

When is it right to compromise?

In a recent article for the Gospel Coalition, Joe Carter does an excellent job of outlining the argument for why pro-life supporters should remain uncompromising on the issue of abortion. As he notes, “Central to the pro-life ethos is the belief in the inherent value and dignity of human life. The acknowledgment that life is sacred from conception until natural death undergirds the entire movement.”

He goes on to describe how the pro-life and pro-choice positions “are binary,” arguing that “Just as you cannot be a ‘little bit pregnant,’ you cannot be a little bit pro-choice. Once you support abortion in any form, you lose the right to the label of pro-life.”

Is he correct?

When it comes to personal convictions, I believe he is.

If life truly does begin at conception—and the biblical position is that it does—then abortion at any stage of pregnancy is killing a human created in the image of God and cherished by our heavenly Father. And while abortion becomes increasingly barbaric in the second and third trimesters, it is equally tragic no matter when it occurs.

At the same time, being uncompromising in our convictions does not necessarily mean that we should be uncompromising when it comes to the practicalities of fighting for life in a culture that is predominately pro-choice.

When faced with the binary decision of either supporting a woman’s right to abortion or rejecting it, 63 percent of Americans support it. However, when you parse the question by trimesters, the majority of Americans do not think abortion should be legal after thirteen weeks.

In short, when given only two options, Americans have repeatedly been pro-choice, and there is little evidence of that changing anytime soon. Recognizing that fact and adjusting accordingly is not cowardice or giving up on the unborn’s right to life. It’s political prudence.

And the reality of that situation reminds us of an even more important fact that’s become all too easy to overlook in recent decades.

The best way to be pro-life

At the end of the day, politicians aren’t going to advocate for a pro-life position until we can convince more people to be pro-life. That doesn’t happen in the rooms of party conventions or by yelling and bemoaning the state of abortion on social media. It happens by talking with the people God brings along our path and helping them to understand why life is valuable from conception to natural death. It happens by helping the moms and dads considering abortion to see that there’s another way. And it happens by being pro-life in every facet of our lives to the point that we earn the right to be heard on this subject.

And to the extent that we can see political change with abortion, the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the issue back to the states was a win primarily because it shrinks the number of people we have to convince in order to see that change take place.

Would it be great if the federal government decided to ban abortion? Absolutely. Is that likely to happen? Probably not.

The choice left to us is to decide whether we want to spend our time, energy, and resources bemoaning that fact or shift our attention to more practical ways that we can make a real difference and save lives. And while that’s not necessarily an either/or choice, far too many have placed their hopes in politicians when politicians have repeatedly shown that they don’t deserve it in this area.

So instead of wasting our time wishing our political leaders were different, ask God to help you make a difference.

Partner with a local crisis pregnancy center. Prayerfully consider adoption or support those who are called to adopt. There are a host of ways you can make a practical difference in this area, and doing so is the easiest path to seeing true change when it comes to the defense of unborn life.

How can you make a difference today?

Quote of the Day:

“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.” — D.L. Moody

Denison Forum

Amidst all the bad news in the news this week, let’s focus today on some good news.

A new study of gratitude and mortality among older adults (in this case, older US female nurses) found that those who more frequently noticed and felt grateful for positive experiences tended to live longer. This report is by no means an outlier.

For example, psychologists recruited a group of participants and asked one third to write up to five things for which they were grateful that week. A second group was asked to record hassles or irritations; a third was told to record events that affected them over the week. After doing this for ten weeks, those in the gratitude group:

• Rated their life more favorably than those in the other two groups, both with regard to life as a whole and in relation to the upcoming week.
• Experienced fewer symptoms of physical illness.
• Spent significantly more time exercising.

In another study, participants who wrote letters of gratitude to other people were happier and more satisfied with life. They also experienced decreased symptoms of depression.

Cicero would not have been surprised, calling gratitude “not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Plato likewise claimed, “A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things.”

Scripture similarly commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and to give thanks “always and for everything to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20).

Why?

How?

And how does this discussion relate to the massive cultural issues we face today?

The great grief of my life

Gratitude in challenging times does not require naivety or minimize the suffering we face. Nor would I suggest that we will always find reasons for gratitude that outweigh the pain to which we are responding.

I am grateful for the wonderful support our family received when our oldest son was diagnosed with cancer, but I would much rather he not have experienced that ordeal. The same with our grandson who is continuing his leukemia treatments; we are very grateful that he is doing well, but we would much rather he and his family not have to fight this battle.

I am grateful for the ways I learned to trust God more deeply when my father died at the age of fifty-five, but I wish he had lived many more years. The great grief of my life is that my father never met my sons.

My purpose is not to commend gratitude as an end in itself. Rather, my principle reason for encouraging gratitude to God in the midst of adversity is that it can turn adversity into greater reliance on him.

Paul testified that he had “learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Philippians 4:12). “Plenty” and “abundance” bring their own temptations to self-reliance. Moses was grieved that when the Israelites “grew fat, stout, and sleek,” they “forsook God” and “were unmindful of the Rock that bore you” (Deuteronomy 32:15, 18).

By contrast, looking for ways God is at work in challenging times encourages us to trust his omnipotence and grace. David could testify regarding his past experience with God: “I know that the LORD saves his anointed” (Psalm 20:6a). As a result, he could trust him with the future: “He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand” (v. 6b). And with the present: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (v. 7).

As J. Warner Wallace noted on a recent Denison Forum Podcast, this hope should fill us with gratitude that only believers can share.

“Viewing a movie after you’ve read the book”

How does this work in practice?

• As a native Houstonian, I am grieving for the millions in the city who are still without power in the midst of dangerous heat and humidity. But I am grateful for the thousands who are mobilizing to restore electricity and for the many churches and ministries who are serving those in need.
• As Russia’s horrific offensive against children and other innocent victims continues, I am grateful for the Ukrainians’ incredible resolve and courage.
• As controversy regarding President Biden’s future escalates, I am grateful to live in a nation where we are free to vote as we wish and to speak our minds regarding even the most powerful among us.

And as I continue to speak biblical truth to the issues of our day, I am deeply grateful for the providential hand of God in our ministry. I take heart from Oswald Chambers’ observation:

“The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.”

Max Lucado wrote:

God is using your struggle to toughen you up. It’s like viewing a movie after you’ve read the book. When something bad happens, everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. But not you. Why? You’ve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot.

God views your life with the same confidence. He’s not only read your story, he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear. One of God’s cures for weak faith? A good, healthy struggle.

Lucado therefore encourages us to “join with Isaiah who resolved, ‘I will trust in him and not be afraid!’” (Isaiah 12:2 NLT).

Why do you need such “trust” today?

NOTE: Today is the last day to give! Denison Forum’s Summer Campaign ends tomorrow, and we need your support to end it strong. Please help reach the $550,000 Summer Campaign goal — and be a part of transforming lives with Christ-centered content. GIVE NOW.

Thursday news to know:

• Alec Baldwin’s trial starts nearly three years after “Rust” shooting
• American workers have quit quitting, for now
• US intel chief says Iran is attempting to stoke Gaza protests
• 250-year-old musket balls from “Shot Heard Round the World” found in Concord, Massachusetts
• On this day in 1804: Aaron Burr slays Alexander Hamilton in duel

Quote for the day:

“God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless he has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.” —Peter Marshall

Denison Forum

When Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College—a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas—on May 11^th, he understood that his speech would be controversial. In fact, he essentially led off by acknowledging “These are the sorts of things we are told in polite society not to bring up.” However, I doubt even he thought he’d still be making headlines nearly two weeks later.

So what is it about Butker’s speech that has caused such a stir? And is the criticism he’s received warranted, or is it another example of modern society’s penchant toward free speech for me but not for thee?

As you might expect, the answer to both questions is complicated.

Using the right lens

Let’s start by looking at what Butker actually said.

The part of his address that has received the greatest amount of attention is when he spoke specifically to the women in the audience:

For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I think it is you—the women—who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles that you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

While those thoughts would not have been terribly controversial fifty years ago, they understandably caused quite a stir today. The problem, however, is that much of the criticism he’s received has been levied by people who took his words and interpreted them through a lens that did not necessarily fit the context of his speech.

AJ Willingham, for example, claimed “Butker suggested that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals.” It’s easy to see how Willingham would reach that conclusion, particularly since Butker proceeded to spend the next few minutes of his address thanking his wife for making the choice to stay home with their kids and detailing the joy she feels as a result.

Yet, his statement about women was one example within a larger message encouraging people to find peace and contentment by accepting God’s plans for their lives. If he truly thought that the only path God could have for a woman would be as a wife and mother, he would not have surrounded that statement by congratulating the women graduates for earning their degrees or for the “successful careers in the world” that some of them will surely go on to achieve.

Now, it’s probable that, given the larger worldview he espoused within his speech, he would agree with the idea that the most fulfilling life a woman could lead would be as a mother and wife. And it’s all right to disagree with that assessment.

WHO DEFINES SEXUALITY?

In our book, Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design, we look at God’s intentions for our flourishing.

However, it’s important to note that he did not say—as Sam McDowell surmised—that such a life was “their duty as a husband’s servant.”

Fortunately, there were some—including from some surprising sources—who saw Butker’s comments differently.

“Can’t that just be a choice too?”

On last Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host addressed both Butker’s speech and the response it received.

He started by saying, “I can’t express how much this guy is not like me. He’s religious. He loves marriage. He loves kids.” He then went on to state, “I don’t see what the big crime is. I really don’t.” Speaking specifically of Butker’s comments about being a wife and stay-at-home mom, Maher added, “Can’t that just be a choice too?”

And I think that final thought was at the heart of Butker’s address.

Is motherhood and homemaking the only acceptable vocation for women? Absolutely not. Is it God’s calling for some? Yes, and in such cases it is every bit as valuable and worthy of praise as those who are called to pursue a career outside the home.

You see, what ultimately defines the value of a person’s vocation is that it comes from the Lord. Everything else is secondary, and that is true for men and women alike.

Unfortunately, that part of Butker’s message has been largely lost amidst the controversy over his thoughts on the role of women.

The admonition to find our sense of peace and purpose in God’s call for our lives rather than the expectations of the world—or even ourselves—is something our culture desperately needs to hear.

Learn to be content in your calling

One of the primary sources of the stress and anxiety permeating every facet of the population today is the result of our lives failing to live up to the expectations we’ve placed on them. And when those expectations come from someone or something other than the Lord, we should not be surprised when they prove unsatisfying.

After all, why would God bless a path that differs from the one he has called you to take?

Ultimately, you don’t have to agree with Butker’s views on women, Catholicism, or any number of the other topics he addressed in his speech to see the wisdom in finding contentment within the vocation God has called you to uniquely pursue.

And while, as the Apostle Paul notes, contentment in the Lord is something we have to learn rather than a state that will come naturally to us, it is by far the best way to go through this life and the only way to experience the peace and strength God longs to give (Philippians 4:11–13).

Quote of the Day:

“A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is enter into it.”  — D.L. Moody

Denison Forum