The death of George Tiller

George Tiller, 67, was shot dead at a church in Wichita, Kansas, on Sunday, May 31.
Tiller had been performing late-term abortions for decades, and it is believed that the man who killed him this week considered these abortions murder. In fact, the anti-abortion protesters who have staked out the entrance to his clinic for years referred to him as "Tiller the Killer."
Many Christians have conflicted feelings about this man's death. On the one hand, no one I know condones murder. But on the other hand, was this murder? Or was it the forcible removal of a monster who slaughtered thousands of infants?
No matter whether you believe a woman has a right to choose abortion or that abortion is murder, Tiller was in a class all his own... He did not even make a pretense of "destroying a non-viable fetus," but rather confessed with his own lips that he aborted more than 2,600 viable fetuses... just since 1998. What this means is that he killed babies who would have likely been born healthy if delivered, and made a fortune each year doing it.
According to recent trial proceedings concerning possible illegal actions by Tiller, in 2003 Tiller charged an estimated $2 million for the 318 viable abortions that required a second opinion, in addition to income from the reported "non-viable" late-term abortions and other, early-term abortions. He was making a lot of money from killing babies.
And the procedures normally used in late-term abortions are brutal to the child:
"There are three general procedures of late-term abortions and partial birth abortions. The first and most popular is called D&E (Dilation and evacuation). Once the cervix is dilated, the fetus is removed by inserting forceps into the uterus. The fetus is then separated into pieces. These 'pieces' of your baby will be removed one at a time...
"The second procedure is early induction of labor. This is very painful and intense for the woman and is rarely used as an abortion procedure.
"The third procedure is called Intact D&X surgery. This procedure includes a 2-3 day process to gradually dilate the cervix using sticks of seaweed which absorb fluid and swell. Once this process is finished, the doctor uses forceps and grasps the baby’s leg to turn it to breech position. The baby is then pulled out of the birth canal, leaving the head inside the canal. An incision is then made at the base of the baby’s skull and the brain tissue is removed, causing the skull to collapse. The entire baby is then removed." (from All About Life Challenges, http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/late-term-abortion.htm)
This man has been dicing up healthy infants -- murdering them -- for years. Just because it is legal, does that make it right? Does that make it okay?
If Mr. Tiller had been going into the nursery of a hospital, and chopping up little babies with a butcher knife, anyone would have considered the man that shot him down a hero.
Until Roe v. Wade, anyone becoming a doctor used to recite the Hippocratic Oath. In it, the doctor would promise to do no harm, and to never give a woman an abortion. Swearing to such things has become inconvenient for most doctors in our present-day society.
It's interesting though, how the old Oath ends:
"If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
I will not rejoice in George Tiller's death, because there is one more soul lost in Hell today, but I won't grieve his passing, or even refer to it as "untimely." Perhaps with him gone a few more children will not suffer untimely death.