In the aftermath of Roe’s glorious demise, I’ve seen many so-called Christians reacting exactly as I would expect.

As cowards.

Cowardly Christians

I used to be a coward myself, so I’m familiar with the various forms cowardice takes. Silence is one, as seen by the many prominent Christian “leaders” who wax on about whatever trendy progressive cause the media shoves in our faces but then suddenly turn very “nuanced” when it comes to the issues that will upset their liberal followers. It is socially advantageous for them to “kiss left, punch right” in our increasingly secular society, and the Roe decision was no exception.

Still, silence isn’t as appalling as the “Christians” who shrieked alongside the secular, self-worshipping world over the fact that American women won’t be automatically guaranteed the “right” to murder their unwanted children in all 50 states anymore. These same “supposed Christians” have taken to social media to slander those who of us who celebrated the end of Roe — one of the grossest injustices in human history — and call us unloving, unhelpful, and not Christlike. The deception is deep and the audacity is stunning.

These same people support the denial of personhood for an entire class of human beings simply because of their stage of development. These same people have stood by passively as sixty million infants have been slaughtered under the nonsensical banner of “healthcare.” These same people exploit the tragedies of rape, incest, and medical emergencies to justify the murder of the unborn at any time for any reason. These same people ignore the well-documented fact that Christians (far more than any other demographic) donate money and resources to mothers in need, volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers, and foster and adopt children despite the many obstacles created by the bloated federal government.

Perhaps most evil of all, these same people either intentionally or ignorantly spread lies equating ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages to abortions in an effort to scare people out of their common sense.

Dear Christian, please listen to me closely. When one of these people calls you “unloving” or “not Christlike,” take that and wear it as badge of honor. Because they clearly know nothing about the love of Christ.

What to Expect

Ever since I stopped being a coward, similar slanderous accusations have been lobbed my way. “Your tone is hurtful!” “You don’t tolerate other viewpoints!” “You’re so insensitive!” “You don’t have enough empathy!”

These are useful little deflections, but once we clear them all away, we see the real issue, which is that when the truth is delivered plainly — no postmodern “nuance” added — it strikes a sharp little chord of conviction in those who are running from God’s commands. I know because I felt it. For years, I wanted the Christian identity without the controversial ethics. I wanted the love and forgiveness without taking up my cross and enduring the loss of friendships and opportunities until it finally dawned on me that you can’t have one without the other. To love Christ is to obey Him, even when it’s not popular.

The Pharisees

One argument that always crops up during times like this is the claim that Christians who remain faithful to Scripture are somehow “like the Pharisees” while progressive Christians who by and large reject the authority of Scripture are somehow just misunderstood heroes in our current cultural moment. For those who are biblically literate, this is obviously nonsense.

Jesus criticized the Pharisees for neglecting or twisting their responsibilities as the leaders of Israel — not because they were “religious.” He actually called them to be more religious — to serve God more faithfully and wholeheartedly with their lives rather than serving the whims of the people or their own interests. The way most progressives or squishy moderates talk about the Pharisees, you would think that Jesus told them to relax God’s standards and celebrate sin when He clearly stated the opposite.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

Contrary to what antinomians claim (and most progressives are unknowingly antinomians — i.e. they believe that belief alone, without repentance or obedience, is all that’s necessary to be a Christian) Jesus’ statement that He fulfilled the Law does not mean that it no longer matters. It means that there is forgiveness for lawbreakers who repent and believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. God provided a way for us to escape the punishment of our sin by taking on that punishment Himself — but only if we humble ourselves and worship Him.

The Sadducees

There’s another religious group in the Bible that doesn’t get nearly as much airtime as the Pharisees, but they should, given that Jesus heavily criticized them as well. They were called the Sadducees, and they were Jewish leaders who were heavily influenced by the atheist, materialist Epicureans. They also embraced syncretism — blending various distinct beliefs and traditions into one relativistic worldview — and denied the idea of bodily resurrections. Most notable of all, they prided themselves on being much more tolerant than those backwards Pharisees. Perhaps they sound familiar?

In Matthew 22, the Sadducees approach Jesus with what they believe is a “gotcha” question about obeying the law — ironically, they found Jesus to be so narrow-minded and traditional that they thought He was a Pharisee and wanted to trip Him up — but He responds with such a strong and simple condemnation that they fall silent.

Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29

He goes on to reaffirm (purposefully, no doubt, given this progressive audience) that it is through one narrow, exclusive faith — the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, carried down through Christ and His followers — that people are able to reconcile with God. There is no other way.

No More Cowardice

Do you know what ultimately makes someone a coward? It’s caring for themselves more than others. When I was a cowardly Christian, it was easy to stay silent or go along with the crowd because I didn’t really care what happened to them. I cared about what happened to me — whether I would be liked, included or celebrated. When I finally stopped running from the sting of conviction and decided that I truly believed the words of Christ over the words of my secular friends and mentors, I had to start caring about other people. I also had to stop hiding the truth. Christ commands it, and it is the natural outpouring of a transformed heart.

Sadly, we know that the entire pro-abortion movement is built on lies and slander, so we should not be surprised as they continue spiraling to new depraved depths. The good news is that God is clearly at work despite the best efforts of those who hatefully reject His authority.

In these trying times, dear Christian, believe the truth, speak it plainly and make no apologies for it. It is the most loving thing you can do.

Carmen Schober is a wife, mother, the Editor-in-Chief of Staseos, host of the No Apologies Podcast, and a Christian novelist. Her debut novel, After She Falls, is available wherever books are sold, but you can support an independent Christian bookstore when you purchase it here. Follow her writing journey at www.CarmenSchober.com.