Dr. Bock - I want to thank you also for the excellent presentation Friday night at The Village Church. I, too, very much hoope there will be a sequel (or heck, even a whole long-running series!).

On the "life" issues that were much discussed, I wonder if you would be willing to comment on a couple of things that have been vexing me of late and causing me to question the rigid positions of many (if not most) Evangelicals:

1. On the issue of abortion and equating a fetus with a developed human being, what are the proper range of implications of Exodus 21:22-25?

2. What should a Christian's position on the sanctity of "life" be in the context of government-sanctioned death penalties? Most in favor of being pro-death penalty and yet pro-life (regarding abortion) distinguish between the two based on the fetus being an innocent victim (undoubtedly correct), whereas "justice" is implicated in the death penalty since the criminal has (probably) committed some heinous crime. But, would Jesus make this distinction?

In answering both of these, of course, I am mindful of the admonition in Romans 13 to be subject to the governing authorities who "wield the sword." But, as you have said, we are talking about advocating for various policy decisions within the context of a participatory democracy.

Wayne