Rest Peacefully, George Tiller
Posted on 4 June, 2009
Shot last Sunday at his place of worship, the murder of George Tiller has brought in a wave of reactions and was a shock to both the pro-choice and pro-life camps.
George was no stranger to violence against him. He was shot twice, had his clinic vandalized and bombed, and those who opposed his practice of performing late-term abortions made his life a living hell. But he didn’t give up. He pressed on. He continued to perform abortions for women who needed it. His practice was one of three in the entirety of the United States that performs late-term abortions.
Some called him a baby murderer. Others would call him a savior. See, these late-term abortions typically were performed on women whose pregnancies became life threatening – women who suffered extreme physical and genetic complications. They were also performed on young rape victims where pregnancies are typically never detected till later stages. He provided a much needed service that many do not understand.
The murder of George Tiller, who was an usher last Sunday for his church, stirred both pro-choice and pro-life sides with mixed emotions. President Obama made a statement saying that he was “shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller.” The National Right to Life Executive Director sent out a statement on Tiller’s death.
National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller’s family over this loss of life.
Further, the National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.
Not surprisingly, however, Wiley Drake, former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, called Tiller’s murder “an answer to prayer.” But he doesn’t stop there.
Would you have rejoiced when Adolf Hitler died during the war? Or would you have said, ‘Oh that is terrible for him to be killed’? No, I would have said, ‘Amen, praise the Lord, hallelujah, I’m glad he’s dead.’
This man, George Tiller, was far greater in his atrocities than Adolf Hitler. So I am happy. I am glad that he is dead. Now I am sad that he went to hell, because he had a choice just like everybody else did. He could have chosen Jesus Christ and when he died went to heaven. But he chose the devil. He chose to neglect, he chose to reject Jesus Christ. And therefore on Sunday morning when he breathed his last breath there in the Lutheran church, he breathed his last breath, and he slipped into the presence of the devil. And I have a strange hunch and a strange feeling that there is a special, superheated, super-hot place in hell for people like George Tiller.
Far greater in his atrocities than Adolf Hitler? Very insensitive words. Insensitive to those who knew and loved him.
One of my friends posted a lovely piece called On Demand. Without Apology. Mississippi has only one abortion clinic, the Jackson Women’s Health Organization. She tells of last weekend when the new director decided that the clinic, opened in 1995, needed some renovations. She and several others volunteered to help repaint the walls and redecorate the clinic. Halfway through the renovation, the news of George Tiller’s death reached Mississippi. The director of the clinic was a good friend of Tiller.
Instead of halting work, the president of the Mississippi chapter of the National Organization of Women worked on getting a press conference ready with the local media while the volunteers continued to finish work. Just before the press conference, the volunteers were gathered in the waiting room and were told about George Tiller.
The one thing that stood out in the story was about the banner he hung in front of his clinic when protesters surrounded it. “Women need abortions. I’m going to do them. -Dr. Tiller”
The man who murdered Tiller was no hero. The true hero here is Dr. George Tiller. Despite the objections of those around him, he continued to provide a service he believed that women needed. He continued to be a hero for countless women who needed these abortions. May he rest in peace.
