Hope National

Secular & Religious Humanitarianism vs. Christianity*

Jesus ministered to the whole person, both body and soul.

 Why is it important to understand the difference between humanitarianism and what we do at our Biblically dedicated pregnancy centers? It is important to understand this difference because there are those in the prolife movement who are confused on this issue. Many see the humanitarian aspect of our centers, which is a good thing, as the main focus. Because Christianity contains similar aspects of humanitarianism, Humanitarianism and Christianity are easily confused. However, we must not confuse humanitarianism with the focus of a truly biblical center, which is to share the Gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ.

 So, what is humanitarianism? Humanitarianism “is a liberal form of religion emphasizing service to humanity above all other concerns.” It seeks to build the happiness of man, ease the conscience when social wrongs are present, achieve social improvement which in turn improves the world, and achieves a sense of human brotherhood. A humanist is concerned with love, which is based on a righteousness that can be achieved through their own efforts. “Humanists tend to be nice people who want to bring the less fortunate up to a higher level of living. They cherish the thought of being enlightened”.

 Christians, on the other hand, incorporate work similar to the humanist as directed by the Scriptural passage of the Good Samaritan, have a greater call to heed. Christianity has an ethical mandate but it must not be reduced to just doing good works. Good works are an outpouring of gratitude to our loving God for His grace and mercy to us. It is fruit of the work that Christ has worked in us. It is a demonstration of faith in a practical way. Because we understand and appreciate God’s love, we reach out to those who are steeped in misery because of their lost state.

 History is full of Christian examples like William Carey, George Whitfield, John Wesley and William Wilberforce who dedicated their lives to bring relief to poor souls who were suffering throughout the world. But their motivation was for a higher goal. The ultimate goal was to glorify God and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to those who were dying and going to hell.  Whether you agree with Mother Teresa's theology or not, she is noted worldwide for her work among the poor. She states, “our work would just be social work, very good and helpful, but it would not be the work of Jesus Christ.” She understood and has declared publicly that the purpose of her work was to bring poor people to God. Mother Teresa had it right. The goal is to bring people to Christ. The overriding point of our work is to lead people to the Savior.

 Our main purpose in the pregnancy center ministry is to bring the good news, the message of salvation through the atoning blood of Christ to a lost and dying people. “Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news.” (Rom.10:15)

 The distinction between a secular humanitarian organization, as good as it maybe, and a Christian ministry, is the Gospel. If the organization does not give the Gospel it is not a Christian ministry. The gospel was central to the ministry of Christ and the apostles and it is to be the same for us. If you are not giving the Gospel, you are not a Christian ministry but only practicing secular or religious humanitarianism.

 At the very heart of missionary work, is to tell everyone the kingdom of God has come. We are sent to our communities, to the women and men who enter the pregnancy center doors and to those unborn children, all who are made in the image of God.

* Pg 24 Focus on the Heart Volunteer Training Manual, Hope National

Beyond Abortion*

Being prolife carries a much deeper and broader meaning than just being for life and against the destruction of human beings. Behind the word prolife lie the doctrines of Creation and the Incarnation. Because we are made in the image of God, we have value and possess equal dignity at every stage of life. The issues of life not only include abortion but also include euthanasia, the reshaping of human nature through cloning and other immoral uses of biotechnology. This is not to say that being prolife automatically makes us against biotechnology. As with all such progress there is always a mix of good and bad. The good is found in the advances in medicine and healing. But there also exists an ominous and sinister possibility that human cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research, genetic alternation, germline intervention, nanotechnology and other such advances will lead to the eventual reshaping and alteration of human nature hoping to create an improved and more perfect human race. This biotechnical evolutionary view hopes to move us into a post-human future. 

This future portrays a race that will have the ability to manufacture people according to their own wishes and designs leading to a race that could become controllers of future generations. This makes it possible to turn human beings into commodities and disposing of the vulnerable and unwanted according to the whims and will of those with the power and influence to do so. It appears that Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and C. S. Lewis’ “The Abolition of Man” have proven both men to be modern day prophets. Abortion as birth control, designer babies, stem cell research and mind controlling drugs are just the beginning! 

Man, who is made in the image of God, reflects and displays a particular and exclusive beauty of its own that only a creature made in His image could exhibit. Such a beauty is unequaled in any other creature and transcends all discussions of appearance, quality and usefulness. Even a seriously deformed child or one with a limiting illness is made in God’s image and more beautiful to Him than any of us could possibly imagine. The aged, the sick, the financially and productively limited are no less special and beautiful to God than any other person in any stage of life. To be prolife is to be prolife in all stages of development, health and life. This beauty of man points us to and reminds us of the awesome beauty of God Himself. 

Further examination of the dignity of humanity, as we now know it, is to consider the Incarnation. At the point of conception, Christ took on our flesh and human nature for His own. This was not only pleasing and acceptable to God then, but it will be for all eternity. Christ was both perfect God and perfect man and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in his divine and human form in eternal possession of our flesh and nature. We must not destroy the body or alter human nature. 

The issue boils down to this question: “What does it mean to be human?” Christ in His ascended, fully human state represents the perfection of human nature and humanness. This is what is being challenged and tampered with in the modern world. It is this loss of respect for human life, as we now know it, and its sacredness and dignity that must be addressed by all biblically minded Christians. 

The Church’s call is to be a faithful Gospel witness in the world through the proclamation of the grace of God in the Gospel and to be a living community of love, compassion and mercy in the world. We have been given a Biblical mandate of truth, righteousness and justice. We are commanded by God Himself to care for and protect the innocent and helpless. This is the biblical basis for being actively prolife.

 * Pg 69 Focus on the Heart Volunteer Training Manual, Hope National