Schenk’s Sloppy Doctrine

CACN, Spring, 1999 Schenk’s Sloppy Doctrine

I enjoyed some fellowship with Rob Schenk on a Christian talk radio show in St. Louis. The subject was the use of force to stop abortionist from committing murder. Rob Schenk is the pastor who helped organize the Buffalo “Spring of Life Campaign” in the mid 80s under the auspices of OR at which he encouraged folks to break laws and block abortuary doors. Mr. Schenk was in the news following the [un?]timely demise of Abortionist Barnett Slepian. His comments went something in the direction of regret that Slepian did not get the opportunity to repent and get saved before being rudely taken from among the living.

Rob (I shall regard him with brotherly appellation) was in the difficult position of trying to maintain the humanity of the womb child while rejecting the means of defending him. He lunged manfully at the task averring that Paul Hill’s means of arresting childslaughter were “grossly excessive and irresponsible” and offered: “A large ax taken to the power supply would have worked.”

I did not have the opportunity on this show to explore the limits that Rob would have placed on the use of force; it would have been an intriguing inquiry. The ax theme holds potential for lively imaginings. There come immediately to mind the sordid uses of the ax – the “ax murderer.” But quickly flashes the motif of the battle ax and its promiscuous use in that wonderful blood-ridden movie Brave Heart. The ax, like the gun, can be used for good or evil, by winners and losers. But the wielder of an ax is arguably braver than the one who inflicts harm upon the wicked from a safe distance. The axeman puts himself in considerable risk of personal harm.

He must be admired for his bravery and perhaps even the concern he shows for the decreasing of the possibility of injuring neighbors (although such a concern, it must be conceded, increases the possibility of painful death for the devalued others).

It is not fun to be unpopular. And that very statement, should I publish it, might jeopardize Mr. Schenk’s spot on the platform at the annual March for Life. His popularity in prolife circles would likely be reduced if he were to continue to develop statements consistent with the one about the use of the ax. How far up the ladder of success will he go? Smashing the abortionists car with the ax? Severing a foot? A Hand? Or would he go all the way for the head?

Is the child of the human womb a human child or is he not? Let the difficult questions fall in line after this one is answered definitively.