11 Comments
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Maccamorphis's avatar

Top defense! I cam across articles condemning you and Tom before I was even aware of the recent episode. I found them to be so snarky and sneering as though they had finally caught old Tom out for what they suspected he always was. As you say disagreeing is different and perhaps some extra words could have been said. People need to exercise a hermeneutic of trust (a Tom Wright phrase) sometimes.

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Michael F. Bird's avatar

Thanks, I felt like this week as seen Tom and I get a barrage of criticism, most of it very unfair.

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James Shelton's avatar

I thought Dr. Wright's words were nuanced, pastoral, and demonstrated a deep love and concern for both the mother and the unborn. Thank you for writing this.

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Chris Roodenrys's avatar

Was very harsh and unwarranted criticism of both and Tom and Mike.

There is nothing quite like this issue (and same sex attraction) to make a particular kind of believer truly apoplectic!

Curiously, I often find this sort of person capable of being outraged by abortion yet able to insist that God commanded the killing of Canaanite babies!

Go figure......

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Brad C. Shockley's avatar

Thanks so much for this. I quote Wright regularly in my sermons, and some of my colleagues were quick to inform me that he is suspect because of this episode. I watched and, of course, found the attacks to be unjustified.

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Ruth Sutcliffe's avatar

Thank you, very well put.

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Kenneth Delay's avatar

The same folks who would roll Tom on this issue will point to Resurrection of the Son of God as a brilliant discourse backing a historical resurrection. There should be much more room for civil in house Christian debate. But as you point out, its as much about power as it is life

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Heni's avatar

I do not understand why a certain type of Christian thinks that abortion, and maybe other sexually-based issues, are all that matter. It is almost as though selfishness, greed, cruelty, injustice and lies don't count.

Personally, I found the podcast to be as good as it always is, but I did wonder if something like this was going to happen. It seems to be an occupational hazard of running a podcast or blog these days.

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Vicki Goyen's avatar

We've been looking forward to a response and we're not disappointed! Well done.

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Moyer Hubbard's avatar

I am sympathetic to Tom's position and frustrated that American Christians seem fixated on only a couple issues--this from an American Christian! On the other hand, framing this as an issue of "bodily autonomy" assumes the issue at stake: that there is only one body involved in an abortion. If a person (as opposed to a "life," or an "embryo") is the product of conception, there are two bodies involved and abortion is the termination of a person.

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Paul D. Adams's avatar

Very glad to see this, Mike. Especially happy to see you reference Beckwith as well; a solid and sane defense of pro-life.

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