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- đŁď¸ Last Week's OTHER Debate, Rolle's Role, and that Rope
đŁď¸ Last Week's OTHER Debate, Rolle's Role, and that Rope
Last weekâs historic debateâno, not that one, but a different one! Plus, more news, the role of Richard Rolle, and what the Bible says about that rope around the high priestâs ankle.
It's Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Todayâs late (fashionably late?) edition covers last weekâs historic debateâno, not that one, but a different one! Plus, more news, the role of Richard Rolle, and what the Bible says about that rope around the high priestâs ankle.
âBecause the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.â (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
Of Christian Concern
LAST WEEKâS OTHER DEBATE: AN HISTORIC PUBLIC SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SMASHMOUTH INCREMENTALISM AND ABORTION ABOLITIONISM

Cover image of the debate between Doug Wilson and T. Russell Hunter. (Bibledingers / YouTube)
Much has been said and written, as should be, about the Trump-Harris debate this past Tuesday. But the presidential debate was not this past weekâs only debate of interest for socially engaged Christians. Thursday saw a YouTube debate between Pastor Doug Wilson and activist T. Russell Hunter over the proper Christian approach to fighting abortion. These two popular figures, both reputed for their hard-hitting hot takes and wit, are leading representatives of their respective views: Wilsonâs âsmashmouth incrementalismâ and Hunterâs abortion abolitionism.
Opening Statements
Hosted by Bibledingers, the discussion began with Hunterâs opening statement, in which he characterized abolitionism as pushing for repentance from the ânational sinâ of abortion by âestablishing justice and justice aloneâ via âcriminal sanctionsâ for anyone involved in an abortionâand nothing less than that. He underscored that abolitionists, in contrast to âincrementalists,â do not try âto save the most babies, the most quickly,â but instead to âseek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Godâ by establishing justice (biblically defined) âin law and policy.â
Wilson, on the other hand, described his a particular brand of incrementalism (a tactic of fighting abortion by increments rather than immediately pushing for full abolition). While Wilson agreed that âthe only consistent goal of any anti-abortion activist has to be the complete eradication of all human abortion,â he said he would sign bills that did not achieve that goal if he believed they would save some lives. He explained that his âsmashmouth incrementalismâ is distinguished by its emphasis on including, alongside any incremental pro-life law, a âsigning statementâ that (1) identifies how the law in question is deficient and (2) promises to return the following year to gain more ground towards abolition.
Faithful to Scripture?
Over the course of the debate, Hunter repeatedly challenged Wilson on whether he was being faithful to Scripture, which condemns writing âiniquitous decreesâ (Isaiah 10:1-2) and forbids âpervert[ing] justiceâ or âshow[ing] partialityâ in legal matters (Deuteronomy 16:19), which both interlocutors agreed incremental laws do. Instead, God commands we follow âjustice, and only justiceâ (16:20). That is, we should âput to deathâ anyone who sacrifices his child (Leviticus 20:1). Hunter argued, referring to Ecclesiastes 8:11, that any law other than a law of abolition âtutor[s] the cultureâ to believe that murder is morally acceptable. He also pointed to Isaiah 30:1-3, in which the LORD condemns âcarry[ing] out a planâ that is ânot mineâ and âmak[ing] an allianceâ that is ânot of my Spiritâ; to do so is to âadd sin to sin.â
Wilson maintained that, despite supporting such bills and despite the tutoring role of the law, the inclusion of a signing statement would ensure he is not guilty of compromise: âif you keep the telos, the goal, that we're after always in front of you and you're clearly and manifestly going for that, I don't see any compromise.â
At one point, Hunter quipped, âIt doesn't make it OK to do evil if, while you're doing evil, you add a blog post saying, âBut I don't want to do evil in the future.â Like, that just undermines it.â
A Page From the Progressive Playbook
Elsewhere during the interaction, Wilson likened his approach to what leftists in Idaho do: â[When] they say, âWe want 10 million acres to be set aside for wilderness,â everybody within the sound of their voice knows they're gonna ask for more. They're going to be back next year asking for 10 million more. âŚSoâŚit's not just what you say in the text of the law. Itâs how you frame the whole thing and what you say when you pass it, how far youâre willing to push.â Wilson referred to this approach as âborrow[ing] a page from the progressive left playbook.â
Hunterâs reply: âI will give you all the pages of all the books of all the progressive left, but I just want this one pageâI just want this one, this one little page from Deuteronomy, where it's like, âDon't pervert justiceâ [Deuteronomy 16:19].â He continued:
If I can make the whole debate just about, like, âCan we pervert justice in the pursuit of justice?â I would say, âOh, we can, and we do, but it's wrong. Let's stop doing that. If we stop doing that, I think we will have the blessings of God.â Like, I actually don't think that any of the evil that's going on in the world is going on purely because of the power of the progressive left. I think that the evil that we see in our world comes as a judgment of God.
Wilson agreed, and Hunter added, âSo, I fear God and God alone. I don't fear the progressive left. When I look at crossdressers reading stories to kids at the library, I think, âYou know what brought that about? People signing laws that Doug Wilson says he will sign.ââ
Wilson chuckled uncomfortably and said, âBut not the way. But not the way he says he would sign them.â Hunter suggested that was a âtechnicalâ example of âspeaking out of both sides of your mouth.â Wilson, of course, disagreed.
Much More
Other significant moments included Wilson challenging Hunter on whether Godâs gradual phasing out of polygamy set a precedent for dealing with societal sins incrementally, Hunter rejecting the suggestion that âgeographical incrementalismâ has any relevance to the discussion, and both agreeing that debate among Christians on this issue is necessary âfor the purpose of getting unity on the Scriptures.â
Watch the full interaction here.
Also Noteworthy

Not an actual quote. But see John 18:38.
â Australian preacher Dave Pellowe was brought before a rights commission for not opening his Christian conferences with an Indigenous Aboriginal smoking ceremony, which he said would conflict with his religious belief: âYou canât mix Christianity, a true religion, with something that is made up.â Involving traditional Aboriginal people is now required in any âwelcome to the country ceremonyâ according to the National Indigenous Australians Agency, reports International Christian Concern. When Pellowe opted to read from Psalm 24 instead, an attendee complained to the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) and threatened legal action.
â 630 Ukrainian churches have been âdamaged or wholly destroyedâ in the war with Russia according to new data published by The Institute for Religious Freedom, reports Kyiv Post.
â Colorado parents will sue their daughterâs school district for allegedly grouping students by gender identity instead of biological sex for sleep accomodations during an overnight trip. The eleven-year-old girl was reportedly assigned to sleep in the same bed as a male student who identified as female. Other similar cases have been alleged, including a woman who identifies as transgender being assigned as chaperone to a group of middle school boys, âwhich reportedly included monitoring their showers,â Fox News reports.
â Americans are becoming more progressive in their morality AND âincreasingly wary of the countryâs morality,â Lifeway Research reports. In a new Gallup poll, 54 percent of Americans say abortion is morally acceptable, 22 percent say suicide is, and 23 percent say polygamy isâall increases from previous figures. At the same time, an overwhelming majority (81%) says âthe state of moral values is getting worse.â
â Pope Francis, in a recent address, denounced the claim that one religion is true over others, saying that
if you start arguing, âMy religion is more important than yoursâŚ,â or âMine is the true one, yours is not trueâŚ.,â where does this lead? Somebody answer. [A young person answers, âDestructionâ.] That is correct. All religions are paths to God. I will use an analogy, they are like different languages that express the divine. But God is for everyone, and therefore, we are all Godâs children. âBut my God is more important than yours!â. Is this true? There is only one God, and religions are like languages, paths to reach God. Some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian.
Church History Tidbit
The Role of Richard Rolle

Richard Rolle, detail from âReligious Poems,â early 15th century (Public Domain)
Converted during his time as a student in Oxford, Richard Rolle De Hampole (c. 1300-1349) left the university and became a âhermit and mystic who was one of the most widely-read English writers of the late Middle Ages.â He moved from place to place but maintained contact with several religious communities, becoming a spiritual guide to a group of nuns at Hampole in South Yorkshire.
According to Britannica, âRolleâs importance lies in the devotional prose he composed in the vernacular for women readers,â and his writings emphasize âa rapturous mystical union with God.â Author Steven Rozenski argues that Rolleâs work was a manifestation of a âcommon devotional cultureâ in his time, and a display at the Museum of the Bible notes, âParticularly popular were his English translation of the Psalms and commentary on the Song of Solomon.â
Thanks in part to Rolleâs chief disciple, an anchorite named Margaret Kirkby, who received most of his works, his influence spread even after his deathâlasting at least until the Protestant Reformation.
The Bible, Briefly
The Rope Around the High Priestâs Ankle

Have you ever heard of how a rope was tied around the high priestâs ankle when he went in to the Holy of Holies to intercede for Israel on the Day of Atonement? The idea is that the priest was at risk of God striking him dead during his duty if he hadnât properly sanctified himself, and, in that case, the other priests needed a way to pull his body out from behind the curtain without themselves violating the sacred space.
Itâs a detail seemingly beloved among preachers. So, what exactly does the Bible say about that rope?
Nothing.
Burst some bubbles though it may, the rope isnât biblical. The earliest known reference to the supposed practice is the Zohar, the thirteenth century text of Kabbalah, a Jewish mystery cultânot the most illustrious source.
âIn fact,â author Todd Bolen of BiblePlaces.com writes, âwearing such a rope would probably be a violation of Leviticus 16:3-4, which gives clear directions on what the high priest is to wear on Yom Kippur [the Day of Atonement]â:
But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. (Leviticus 16:3-4)
So, following in Aaronâs footsteps, a high priest was expected to enter the place behind the veil with specific items only, none of which included a rope around his ankle. But there was a real concern about the High Priest dying, as the same passage indicates one verse earlier:
âand the Lord said to Moses, âTell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die.ââ (Leviticus 16:2)
So, the high priest couldnât come whenever or however he wanted; he had to carefully follow Godâs law. Itâs ironic (isnât it?) that a rope around the ankle for the potential incidence of his death could theoretically have been the cause of it!
But, again, thereâs no good reason to think there was a rope.
For further reading on this topic, see Rabbi Dr. Ari Z. Zivotofskyâs essayâbut even in this source, remember to parse Jewish tradition from biblical fact.
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