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Christianity Today, January (Web-only), 2008 |

Theology in the News

Obama's Social Contract

Abortion and the candidate's commitment to freedom and equality.

Collin Hansen | posted 1/25/2008 09:00AM

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Freedom and equality sound beautiful to the Christian's ears. After all, Christ proclaimed freedom for the captives (, quoted from ). The apostle Paul tells us, "For freedom Christ has set you free" (). Jesus elevated the downtrodden in his parables and actions. Paul taught the good news that in Christ, all — slave and free, Greek and Jew, male and female — may be justified before God, if they believe ().

Yet it seems America's national creed, as understood by many today, stops here. The gospel goes much further. More than equality, the gospel means self-sacrifice. Consistent with Jesus' message, Paul warns believers not to, "use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" ().

This Christian gospel is implicit in the very social contract that Obama references. In return for order and protection, citizens cede some liberties, especially if exercising these liberties will infringe on fellow citizens.

Abortion reveals the failure of the social contract when we abandon desperate people to tragic choices — as Obama states — but also when we tolerate the destruction of innocent children

Verse for the Fortnight

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners."

Collin Hansen is a CT editor-at-large. He is the author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists (Crossway, 2008).

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Previous Theology in the News columns are available on our site.

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January (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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David

Posted: February 08, 2008 8:59 AM


Liz: It IS "notorious" because that language has been twisted to mean even the trivialest inconvenience. To be effective, it needs to be re-phrased as "physical life of the mother" (so the question becomes: Is THAT what Senator Obama means?).

Dave	Posted: February 07, 2008 2:57 PM


If your only basis for a vote is what the candidates stand on the killing of children is then you can not support any candidate that supports war. Over 81,000 civilian non combatants dead in the last 3 years of war. Half are women and children. So the same argurement prohibits you from voting for any Republican candidate either.

Cami G

Posted: February 06, 2008 3:54 PM


I totally agree, with what it was said above. I wished people will research more than to believe what the media says. He would say anything to win this campain. I hope people will realize that. He will be sworn in to the office on the Koran!!! That's what he said!!! HELLO!!!!!!!!!

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