Recently I saw a “Rights at Risk” episode on Stossel. John Stossel was debating with Democratic consultant Jessica Tarlov on a segment called “The Rights of Entrepreneurs.”1 First, Tarlov was defending “anti-discrimination” laws which are to force Christian bakers to cater same-sex “weddings.” Next, Tarlov was defending laws that are to force Christian employers to provide birth control (that would include abortifacients). Tarlov stated: “It is a right now to have that!” while pointing at birth control pills that John Stossel was holding up. Stossel was making the point that the pills cost $10 and people can buy them with their own money.
What I find really interesting is in saying why birth control should be covered by employers; Tarlov compared birth control to tests that she needs stating “I have to go annually for a pap smear.” I say that this is interesting because a pap smear is a test for cervical cancer which is generally caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted.2 So a woman is at risk for HPV by having sex outside of a monogamous marital relationship or marrying someone who has had sex outside of a monogamous marital relationship. Many women who use birth control are not married. Tarlov believes employers should be forced to provide birth control (including abortificients) for these women. Then these women need pap smears because they were having sex outside of marriage and she expects employers to cover that as well. Of course the Bible calls sex outside of marriage fornication and declares it a sin.3
I could go on and on about why her positions on both of those issues discussed are wrong. But you could discuss these issues with Tarlov, and people like her, and they are never going to get it; because they do not have a biblical worldview. Tarlov revealed this when at the end of the segment, she stated “At the end of the day, you know, the Supreme Court is there as the national referee. And it is important the Supreme Court has the ability to set a stand of civility for the nation. We need to make life as easy as possible for people. And that is the job of government to alleviate our anxieties and make sure that every person has the rights that we are constitutionally guaranteed.”
I do agree with her that the government has the responsibility of protecting people’s constitutional rights. But Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison, who was the “father of the Constitution” would say that these “anti-discrimination” laws are wrong. We know this from reading the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom which Jefferson authored and Madison pushed through the Virginia Assembly.4
The idea that “the job of government to alleviate our anxieties” goes against the ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence which uses the phrase “pursuit of Happiness”5 as opposed to just “Happiness.” But it also goes totally against the Bible. According to the Bible, the law has two purposes. The first purpose is to protect us from each other. We know that from reading the Ten Commandments which tell us not to murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony, or covet what the other guy has.6
The second purpose of the law is to show us that we are all sinners who need a savior. Paul states this explicitly in Romans 3:20 – “The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”7 Just to make sure we get it, Paul restates this in Romans 5:20 – “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were.”8 In Galatians 3:19 Paul states “Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins.”9 Then James says in James 1:22-24 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”10
So when we discuss these issues with people, we need to understand that if they do not have a biblical worldview, they cannot get it and will never get it until their worldview changes to a biblical one. As I keep pointing out, you cannot expect people to have biblical values if they do not believe the Bible. And if you do not believe the Bible starting with Genesis, you do not believe the Bible.
Terry Read
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QqLd51frVU
- http://www.healthline.com/health/pap-smear#Candidates3
- https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Fornication/
- http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1357
- http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20&version=NIV
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5&version=NLT
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+3
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1&version=NIV
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