Answering Even More Fools (And Their Ungrounded Premise)

“Suppose a woman is carrying triplets and one of the fetuses is so malformed that it will kill its prospective siblings and the mother unless it is aborted. Is it right to force the mother to try and carry all three to term, thus killing three other innocent lives? I’d call that ‘murder’. What would you call it – God’s will?”

That is a quote which someone wrote to me, in an online conversation we were having, attempting to justify the practice of abortion. It is common for the “pro-choice” adherent to defend the practice due to the potential of “moral dilemmas,” such as the one offered. It suggests the (ungrounded) premise that special cases justify the keeping of abortion legal. The tempting thing for us (Christians) is to entertain compromise and agree with the challenger that abortion is not absolutely or completely wrong. Due to settling because of such scenarios, we are then caught ourselves, derailing the absoluteness of what we are defending, the Biblical perspective. In other words, our emotional appeals to “moral dilemmas” cause us to offer alternatives to what is right. When we do this, according to scripture, we become also “like him” (a fool), because we are then answering “according to his folly.”

Proverbs 26:4 (NASB)
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.”

So, how do we handle this instead?

Well, what does the next verse say?

Proverbs 26:5 (NASB)
“Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes.”

We are to answer a fool as his folly deserves.

Why?

So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.

Here’s how I replied…

“We can all come up with “moral dilemmas.” The problem is thinking that such justifies the elimination of the prohibition of the practice in view.”

See?

It’s ok to admit to that there exists tough situations, because they do in fact exist. No one denies that. But, that’s when we are to exercise wisdom (when confronted with folly), because wisdom excels folly, just as light excels darkness…

Ecclesiastes 2:13 (NASB)
“And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.”

However, it is not ok to give in to our challengers and dilute what is right, just because complicated situations might arise. Instead, we must do the Lord’s will…

Ephesians 5:6-17 (NASB)
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says,

‘Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.’

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Godspeed, to the brethren!

(For some other examples of how to answer a fool, click here, here, and here)

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