Tiller murder suspect taken into custody

George Tiller, a notorious Kansas abortion doctor, was shot and killed yesterday in his church foyer. The suspect in his killing, Scott Roeder, was picked up about three hours later according to the Wichita Eagle.

Christian and pro-life groups were out immediately yesterday with condemnations of the shooting.

If readers have new information on Roeder or any pro-life connections, feel free to post a comment. This is a tragic turn of events and one that all pro-life groups should join in condemning.

More details emerging…

11 thoughts on “Tiller murder suspect taken into custody”

  1. The Tiller story is disturbing on several levels. Not only was he one of the very few doctors to perform late-term abortions, but he also actively promoted his grisly business around the country. And I cannot imagine how any church could welcome him as a longtime active member. A sinner in search of redemption and compassion, yes. An usher, greeting a pregnant woman in the name of the Lord one day, and then possibly murdering her child on another? No.

    One blogger has referred to Tiller as “the Sweeney Todd” of his community. He apparently thought himself above God’s law and sought acceptance in his community through his church ruse. That’s about as despicable as his crimes were.

    Such a vigilante act only serves as justification for pointing fingers at “fundamentalists” — as if preserving life were not a fundamental responsibility for us all — and calling them haters. I do feel sorry for Tiller’s family, but I felt that long ago. I feel the deepest sorrow for the many babies who were tortured in the womb at his hands and their mothers who will always grieve for them.

  2. Fair enough; I’ll accept my definition as faulty, then. Though I get your point, I’m not sure it’s out of bounds to refer to mass murderers, say, as “monsters”, though you’re right, fringe nutjobs can find such words to perhaps be excuses to commit atrocities. How about “extremely evil people” such as Tiller and his murderer? Probably better, I guess, but it lacks the ‘zing’…

  3. Byron,

    Demonizing isn’t the same as condemning some action. Demonizing is the method by which one seeks to diminish and objectify another and make them seem less human and less worthy of empathy.

    When the object of your condempt is a “monster” rather than a person, it justifies treating them sub-human.

    To those on the edge, it justifies murdering them.

  4. OK, so “condemn(ing) the actions of” someone “in the strongest possible terms” (my definition of “demonize”) is an incitement to murder? Hmmm…so you’re against ever strongly condemning anyone’s actions, I take it, Timothy? Is it reasonable for me to assume that?

  5. I think it is reasonable to assume that the “demonization” of one of these “monsters” is precisely why the other one shot him. I doubt this was random.

  6. Mary,

    I suppose that might depend on your definition of “demonize”, but if it means something like “condemn the actions of in the strongest possible terms”, I’d readily demonize both of these monsters.

  7. I don’t like the actions of either. No one here is to be praised or demonized. A good example of two wrongs don’t make a right.

  8. It frosts me that every media outlet–including Fox News–will use the term “anti-abortion”, instead of “pro-life”, to describe people like me, and the murder of George Tiller illustrates why: from what I’ve read, the nutcase who murdered Tiller hated abortion (as do I). He could be called “anti-abortion”–but he is categorically not on my team. Period, end of story. I am “pro-life”–and no pro-life person has ever, or will ever, take life in the name of stopping abortion. By definition.

    There are those in the “pro-choice” camp who are not interested in making this distinction, though honest people will. But the bottom line is that regardless of what we think of George Tiller, the man who shot him is a cold-blooded assassin, whose actions are despicable and, ironically, “anti-life”.

  9. Tiller has been shot several times in the past. Late term abortions (after 20+ weeks). Attended a Reformed Lutheran Church.

    Articles say only a handful of doctors perform such abortions…how can that be if it is legally allowed and medically necessary? Did second trimester mothers fly to Tiller to have the procedure?

    I don’t understand the press.

Comments are closed.