THlRDTlME AROUND AROUND A History ofthe Pro-Life Movement /rom the First Century to thePresent GEORGE GRANT Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. Brentwood, Tennessee The mISSIOn of Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. is to publish and distribute books that lead individuals toward: •A personal faith in the one true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; •A lifestyle ofpractical discipleship; and •A worldview that is consistent with the historic, Christian faith. Moreover, the Company endeavors to accomplish this mission at a reasonable profit and in a manner which glorifies God and serves His Kingdom. © 1991 by George Grant. All rights reserved. Published January 1991. First Edition. Printed in the United States of America. 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechani­ cal, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written per­ mission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the author's own translation. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Ver­ sion of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee and are used by permission. Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. 1749 Mallory Lane, Suite 110 Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Grant, George, 1954- Third time around: a history of the pro-life movement from the first century to the present / George Grant. - 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-943497-65-5 1. Abortion-Religious aspects-Christianity. 2. Pro-life movement-History. 1. Title. HQ767.25.G73 1991 261.8'36667'09-dc20 90-20838 eIP To All the Faithful Through the Ages: Who Have Had toGo Round and Round In the Struggle for Life Not Once, Not Twice, But Three Times And To My Own Beloved Children: Who Will Have to Take Up the Cause The Next Time Around Dabit qui dedit CONTENTS Acknowledgments / lX Introduction / 1 Part 1: The First Time Around 1. In the Valley of the Shadow of Death: An Anthropology / 9 The Thanatos Factor. The Life ofthe World. Conclusion 2. How Firm a Foundation: The Apostolic Church / 17 The Biblical Mandate. The Consensus ofthe Church. Word and Deed. Conclusion 3. A New Consensus: The Medieval Church / 33 The Dark Ages. Courtly Noblesse. Vision and Service. Conclusion Part 2: The Second Time Around 4. Castles in the Air: The Renaissance and the Enlightenment / 51 The Renaissance Relapse. The Reformation and Counter-Reforma­ tion • Action and Truth. Conclusion 5. To the Uttermost: The Great Missions Movement / 69 Colonizing the Globe. The Great Commission. To the Uttermost. Conclusion vzz viii CONTENTS 6. Life and Liberty: The American Experience / 91 How the West Was Won. Law and Life. Protecting Rights. Conclusion Part 3: The Third Time Around 7. Abominations and Admonitions: The Making of Modernism / 115 Progressivism. Turning a DeafEar. Standing Against the Tide. Conclusion 8. Rescue the Perishing: The New Pro-Life Emergence / 139 Whatever Happened to Evangelicals? • Reinventing the Wheel. Seizing the Day. Conclusion Part 4: The Next Time Around 9. May the Circle Be Unbroken: The Lessons of History / 159 A Covenantal Legacy. Orthodoxy. The Church. Servanthood. Ur­ gency • Patience. Conclusion 10. Eternal Vigilance: Handing on the Legacy / 177 Our Sense ofHistory. Conclusion Notes / 185 Bibliographic Resources / 195 Subject Index / 217 About the Author / 223 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ost writers can truthfully say, "I hate to write, but 1 love having written." I know at least that this writer can truthfully say that. This wasn't a book that 1 wanted to write. It wasn't even a book that 1 wanted to have written. Not only was my schedule already overcrowded and my calendar overcom­ mitted, but my mind, will, and emotions were overex­ tended. 1 certainly believed that the message of the book needed to be told, but 1 didn't see how I could possibly be the one to tell it. But, like Ananias, the reluctant witness of the book of Acts, 1 was pressed into service. The spiritual responsibility was inescapable, no matter how I squirmed or rationalized. Thankfully, in His good providence, God provided a number of dear friends, colleagues, and yokefellows, who encouraged me along the way so that my indentured ser­ vice might be joyous and not burdensome. My friend and colleague, Mark Horne, labored faith­ fully with me on this project. Of all the books that 1 have written, this is the first one that God has afforded me the privilege of having someone help me with the research-to check facts, to dig up odd out-of-print details, and to share the vision for the work with me from start to finish. Mark did all these things and more-particularly in the "needle­ in-a-haystack" research for chapter 5. Mere thanks cannot begin to convey the gratefulness I feel for his ministry in my life. ix x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My selfless administrative assistant, Mary Jane Morris, did more than anyone-besides my wife and children, of course-to keep my life and work on an even keel during the months of writing. She managed my schedule, handled the phone, organized my library, and pumped me full of vitamins. I don't know what I would have done without her. My pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, and the entire minis­ try staff of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and Knox Theological Seminary graciously supported all my efforts and endeavors both directly and indirectly by faithfully pro­ claiming the eternal message of our Sovereign King in word and deed. Bill Breslin, Gladys Israels, Addison Soltau, Marilyn King, Ron Kilpatrick, Gary Fallon, Wiley Stinnett, Alan Harkey, Bonnie Bunce, Rhoeda Beardsley, George Knight, Kathy Israels, and Bob Allen have been especially used by God as a provocation in my life "toward love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24-25). My colaborers with the poor and the homeless-Bar­ bara Gibson, Manny Sebastian, Val Parr, and Elsie D'Angelis-carried the extra burdens of ministry while I was cloistered away reading, researching, and writing. My immediate staff at Coral Ridge Ministries, Carole Sue Quarquesso, Jennifer Burkett, Charles Wolfe, Nancy Britt, and Susan Allen, worked remarkably hard in terribly unre­ warding tasks-counseling clients, answering calls, scroung­ ing details, and gofering odd tasks-while I hunkered over a keyboard. In addition, John Cochrane, Kevin Loy, Jerry and Ande Stapella, Wayne Morris, Roger Israels, Jim Brown, Vic Brudenel, Leslie Kidd, Matt and Nancy Roberts, Don and Suzanne Martin, Larry Pratt, James B. Jordan, Craig Markva, Peter Leithart, and Mac N. Tosh enabled me to do what I do by being what they are. My dear friends in the pro-life movement all across the world have helped me immensely by checking facts, provid­ ing additional research, and making cogent criticisms. I am especially thankful to Joe Schiedler, Mercedes Wilson, Jo­ seph Doblehoff, Roy and Sandy McKasson, Marvin and Acknowledgments xi Susan Olasky, Bishop Austin Vaughn, Janos and Wilma Foldenyi, Paul deParrie, Jack Willke, Father Paul Marx, David, Shepherd, Father Gordon Walker, Angela de Malherbe, Marijo Zivkovic, Robert Whelan, Randy Terry, . Jerome Lejeune, Pat Mahoney, Art Tomlinson, and Franky Schaeffer for their sacrificial efforts for the unwanted and unloved, the despised and rejected. Despite the fact that we are living in a time and a cul­ ture where Martha Quinn's "Closet Classics" on MTV very nearly represent the limits of our historical interest, my publishers-and my dear friends-Robert Wolgemuth, Mike Hyatt, Dan Wolgemuth, and David Dunham believed in this project. Not only did they believe in it, but they also waited patiently for it past four deadlines and three cata­ logs. That's commitment. My midnight serenaders-Kemper Crabb, Felix Men­ delssohn, Bob Bennett, Johann Sebastian Bach, Craig Smith, Robert Schumann, Michael Card, Frederic Chopin, Dennis Welch, Franz Peter Schubert, and Ted Sandquist­ soothed my soul and smoothed my path. It is amazing how Christian koinonia can transform duty into joy. Now that this project is behind me-and what needed to be said is actually said-I can affirm that I'm glad that I had to write it. But, in all honesty, I'm even gladder to have written it. Feast ofWenceslas Fort Lauderdale, Florida j' j j j j / j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j INTRODUCTION: ROUND AND ROUND facta non verba 1 Oh, to lay the bridle on the neck ofPegasus and let him go forward while in the saddle meanwhile sitting well back, gripping with the knee, taking the race, and on the energy of that steed visit the wheel­ ing stars. Hilaire Belloc The fairy tale can be more sane about a seven-headed dragon than the Duchess ofSomerset can be about a School Board. G. K. Chesterton he hot Kelvin lights bore down on us. Cameras whirred. Production personnel bustled. The host prddded and cajoled. Nervous tension filled the air like the saccharined stench of freshly machined steel. What had already been an unpleasant enough conver­ sation was charged with even more tension as we raced to­ ward a conclusion. The local director of Planned Parent­ hood looked fiercely across the impeccable set and sallied a few final cliches and nixons. I rhetorically riposted. In desperation as the seconds slipped away, he made one last lunging stab: ''What I don't understand about you pro-lifers is where you've been all these years." The camera moved in to capture the high drama.