8 Tenets of Smashmouth Incrementalism | Toby Sumpter

In this episode of Having Two Legs, Pastor Toby Sumpter details 8 tenets of "smash mouth incrementalism" as an approach to ending abortion.

Check out more from Toby on Canon Plus:

This video is presented by Canon Press.

[JustinBarnes]

I have great respect and appreciation for both the ministries in Moscow and Apologia. I'm very grateful this dialogue is being had publicly. It's beneficial for people like myself who are trying to think through these issues. Thank you for the video!

[lostson]

I would love to hear you and Doug discuss this topic with the guys at Apologia since they are very hard abolitionists who think you're wrong about your incrementalism. I love both ministries, and would like to see what the bible says about this issue come to the surface through debate/discussion.

[jackuber]

Reason, coupled with love AND justice...you guys up in Moscow really are weird...in a good and godly way. Maranatha!

[jbnntt]

Thanks Pastor Toby! That was really helpful.

[nando]

When it comes to our faithful brothers in Moscow, Idaho there is so little that I disagree with. This would be one of them. Press on brothers. Good response.

[fahmiahmed]

I agree fully, the only issue for me is if the lesser restriction laws would make full abolition harder to accomplish, I’m not sure how the law works in that aspect but I’ll research it

[mamimalista]

Does incrementalism apply to laws that show partiality? I can agree that we should be patient in waiting for Jesus to destroy abortion, but do you think that parts of Jesus’ incremental destruction would include partiality? Should the incremental laws that Christians support be laws that reflect the personhood of all babies or should we also support laws that remove personhood for certain types of babies? What is righteous incrementalism?

[jamesandhannahmanderino]

Thank you for sharing. Can you provide a reference to where scripture praises a king who exiles sodomites? I'm not familiar with that portion of scripture and I don't know where to find it.

[thundergrace]

Must listen to again. Very good. Praying Lord end abortion in our land whether it be incrementally or completely. ...to be completely outlawed..

[doraashby]

Thanks for saying at the end that not everyone is given the ability to go picketing at clinics. There are men and women who are called to do that.

But, there’s also people like me who know that that’s not their gift. My gift is instructing young children in the things of God.

I would like to expand that to include young women at some point. If God allows me to expand my reach to include young women, I would have to deal with post-abortion counseling at some point as a part of expanding my reach to young women.

[josephdavis]

My brain hurts. This is like when daddy hits mommy at the dinner table then expects everyone to be calm and act normal.

[awilson]

I don't mind the approach, as long as abolition is the final goal. Also, Apologia church has a point: there is a problem with politicians acting like they're making progress with the passing of legislation to lock-in votes, when the state already protected life at conception, and so the legislation is actually an incremental step backwards.

[IronFire]

You are not using the term, "incrementalist, " as it is understood by most. Abolitionists are fine with "incremental" laws that are just.

[sledteamcapt]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I wonder if on point 4 and 5 you're conflating personal Holiness/sanctification with just laws. The son who does his father's will even though he does not want to is not the same as a good law and a bad law. People are sanctified incrementally I agree. And we cannot expect a perfect law to be enacted immediately, but I also don't think we need to settle for laws that are obviously partial and therefore unjust. We can incrementally enact just laws (one at a time) and stay Faithful to the justice of God's law. How would you defend laws that are partial as biblical without conflating it with personal sanctification? Or how would you defend that it's not conflation? Again, love your stuff and your church.

[Yela]

Does Isaiah 10:1 not speak to this issue and demand that the incrementalist approach has its limitations as to where you can be incremental on this issue of murder inside the womb?

[matthewmanucci]

I love your stuff. This is bad though. All of this has been addressed, and addressed well and in detail by multiple brothers who love you guys. None of it had been replied to on your end. Love you guys, but you need to fix this.

[jloading]

I really thought you guys understood the abolitionist position?

Why are you continuously misrepresenting us?

It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

[michaelmannucci]

I LOVE the guys down at Christ Church... but this was a very weak response.

[anthonyburrell]

Sorry. But God does support polygyny. Stop allowing culture and tradition to corrupt straightforward biblical teaching. Doing so actually undermines the kingdom of God.

[tinroof]

Dang.... this wasn't very good. I think you could have done better. You just handed the abolitionists a box of ammo with this.