Inequity is Iniquity—The Problem of Regulationism

Some may wonder why abolitionists are so opposed to the regulation of abortion.  

As Christians, we unashamedly call for repentance and abolition of government permission and protection for the murder of the weakest of our neighbors.

We call out the wrongness of making bills that dictate that:
—abortion mills must be clean, have wider halls, etc.
—abortive mothers must wait 24 hours, have parental permission if minors, etc.
—abortionists must be licensed, cannot kill after some arbitrary age of the child, etc.

Some think that we are against it because it is JUST NOT ENOUGH.

The reality is that we are against it because it IS NOT JUST.

The incremental and regulatory treatment of this horrific holocaust fails to establish equity for the preborn.

Some abolitionists have coined the expression, "Inequity is Iniquity."

This is a true statement!  

We live in a culture of great iniquity, in which even Christians who are seeking to oppose the evil of abortion are doing so using inequity.

I hope this post may shed some light and awaken my brothers and sisters who may not have thought it through.

FIRST and (I hope) obvious.  Not only is abortion iniquity, but unjustly opposing abortion is also iniquity.

For instance, if someone says that the baby in the womb is not a human or we should regulate their murder (treating homicide as healthcare) rather than call for immediate repentance and abolition, they are in favor of allowing for a child to be murdered at ANY arbitrary point, or IN CERTAIN EXCEPTIONAL CASES. 

They are, in word and deed, bearing false witness against their neighbor. They are sinning. 

Iniquity is a word we generally use for sin.

SECOND, the definition of equity is "justice, right, having impartiality, being equal." To be equitous is to be impartial when distributing justice.  

Demanding equity is calling for equal protection and justice for all human beings, without respect of persons.

Please consider seriously...

That the LORD Himself is equitous: "Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: in righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity" (Psalm 98:9).

And that God commands that we not support any perversion of justice and equity, (i.e. even if the pro-life movement tells us it is a good idea):  "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause...Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.  Keep thou far from a false matter; and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked" (Exodus 23:2-3,6-7).

We should never be partial in dealing with people—giving favor because of their station or financial status, or based on their ethnicity, age, level of development, present location, state of dependency, or whether they look like us yet.  We are to live with equity.  

When we stray from what is just, from that which establishes equity, no matter what we say in rationale, our actions become a deviation from true righteous judgment—it becomes a judgment of appearance, rather than reality.

Jesus said: "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).

It displeases the Judge of all the earth when men do not act according to truth, justice, and equity:

"And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter...and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment" (Isaiah 59:14-15).

In James, we find the following exhortation concerning treating people with inequity: "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons...Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?...if ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself', ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (James 2:1-9).

The word avon, often translated as iniquity in the Old Testament, means "perversity, to crook away, to turn from righteousness.  This carries the concept found in Isaiah 53 of "going one's way."

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every on to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).

The root of sin is selfishness.  Choosing our own way over God's.  Thus iniquity can be used to describe that which may be REPULSIVE to society like rape or slavery, or that which may be RESPECTABLE to society, such as cleaving to Mormonism, Islam, Catholicism, etc. for salvation rather than in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Iniquity can be ascribed to whenever one departs from God's commandment to do what is right in their own eyes.  People who seek to "heal the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace" are NOT doing righteously according to God (Jeremiah 8:11).

Even if we FEEL that we are doing some good, 
following the experts, 
being pragmatic, 
or obeying God and trusting Him, 
it is UNJUST, thus INEQUITY.

As one young abolitionist said recently,

"Christians shouldn't support regulating murder.  They should support ending it.  The movement needs to be to end it, not celebrate with compromises.  Continual compromising has been going on for 40 and won't end it.  Pro-life laws value one age and circumstance or another.  Pro-life laws, while they do save a few lives, are unjust laws."

Inequity is Iniquity.  

To promote any pro-life regulatory law is iniquity—and it should never be celebrated.  We are to have charity (agape love) towards our neighbors, and according to the "love chapter", charity "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth" (I Corinthians 13:6).

THIRD and finally, consider the etymology of both words.

Equity: L. oequitas, from oequus, equal, even, level.

Iniquity: L. iniquitas; in and oequitas (which is THE SAME WORD AS ABOVE).

"Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal.  Hear now, O house of Israel; Is my way equal? are not your ways unequal?" (Ezekiel 18:25).

Iniquity, at its root, means not equal—not just—not lining up with God's word, His character, and His way.

Inequity IS Iniquity.

Equity and Justice must be established.  

We need to:
1. Treat the preborn like who they are (image bearers of God).
2. Treat abortion like what it is (murder).
3. Treat Roe v. Wade like what it is (a perverted opinion). 

Abortion must be abolished.