George Tiller's murder is an atrocity

Infamous late-term abortionist George Tiller was gunned down outside his church this morning. CNN reports:

Dr. George Tiller, whose Kansas women's clinic was the epicenter of the state's battles over abortion for nearly two decades, was shot and killed at his church Sunday morning, his family said.
Tiller, 67, was one of the few U.S. physicians who still performed late-term abortions. He survived a 1993 shooting outside his Wichita clinic.
He was fatally shot shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday at Reformation Lutheran Church, Wichita police said.

He was a lightning-rod for pro-life protests because he unapologetically championed the right to kill viable pre-born babies -- including through the use of the barbaric and medically unnecessary partial-birth abortion procedure.

The shooter apparently has been caught, but little information about him has been released yet. I'm sure we'll hear in the coming days about his motivations, but I don't really care to hear them, because I seriously doubt he could ever persuade me that his vigilantism was the right thing to do.

The shooter, whatever his motivation, did no service to God or to the pro-life movement. Rather, he has provided months or years of propaganda to the opponents of both. "Tiller the Martyr" will be beatified soon by the adherents of the culture of death, and I expect that we won't have to wait for long to see a major Hollywood motion picture done as a tribute to Tiller's life.

We can see in the CNN article that Tiller's family is already providing the template for his tribute:

Tiller "dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality heath care despite frequent threats and violence," his family said in a written statement.

"We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere," the family said.

Tiller's devoted his professional life in the service of a great evil, and make no mistake -- he will answer to God for it. BUT -- God has reserved vengeance (i.e. justice) for Himself, and I seriously doubt that He delegated this prerogative to some middle-aged guy from Kansas.

The shooter is guilty of premeditated murder, and he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

He does not deserve the admiration of any who abhor the practice of abortion.

If you accept the premise that individuals can take criminal justice into their own hands, you have to be prepared to take that reasoning to its logical conclusion. And trust me, you don't want to go there.


UPDATE: As predictable as the sun rising each day...