Religion and politics collide in an ugly brew again with the shooting death of Dr George Tiller in the lobby of his Wichita church this morning. Tiller’s long been protest target for anti-abortion activists and has been shot at before. My prayers go out to his family and church. I’m also sending some prayers for the the principled nonviolent activists on both sides of the abortion debate who’s sincerity is sudden up for grabs (FWIW, Operation Rescue has denounced the killing). Both sides have their judgmental wing-nuts, fringes that polarize debate and have held effective policy hostage.
What this shooting “means” in the larger cultural sense will likely shift when we find the identity of the man who pulled the trigger. Was it someone who knew Dr. Tiller or who had a family member who was seen by him? A violent half-crazed individual who wanted to do something violent and high profile and wasn’t particularly motivated by politics? Was he active in any anti-abortion group? Was he acting alone? Is he an active church-goer himself and if so, what kind of church and what kind of preacher delievering what kind of message? Let’s hope this doesn’t get all get any uglier than it already is.
