This month, as our nation turns its attention to the grim anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I’d like to address a troubling trend that seems to have taken hold in the pro-life movement.
If you’ve been involved in the pro-life movement for any period of time, you’ve no doubt encountered the commonly cited argument: “Before we talk about protecting unborn children, we should begin caring for children who are already born.”
As I wrote in my December 12th op-ed piece, our society now marginalizes unborn children to the extent that the prevailing viewpoint appears to be that if the unborn do not meet our utilitarian purposes or serve the greater good, then we should allow their destruction. If you doubt this is true, just read what Jonathan Gruber, a Harvard professor and the so-called architect of the Affordable Care Act, wrote about abortion back in 1997: “The legalization of abortion saved the government over $14 billion in welfare expenditures through 1994.”
It’s a disturbing trend in our society that the value of an unborn child’s life comes down to nothing more than a cost-benefit analysis. With that logic, it’s easy to understand how the culture of death has become such a stronghold in our culture.
While many agree our society has devalued life in the womb, I would go so far as to assert that our society has imposed negative value on unborn children.
Think about it this way. If you have a withering houseplant for which you care very little, you aren’t likely to take it out in your backyard and burn it. Rather, you will simply ignore its existence until one day you decide it’s an eyesore and toss it in the trash. This would be an example of devaluing something to the extent that you’re simply indifferent to its existence.
Sadly, our culture has moved far beyond simply devaluing children to assigning them negative value. We allow approximately 3,500 unborn children to be slaughtered every day at the hands of health professionals — and with the consent of the children’s parents! We have politicians who run on a platform of expanding abortion, and we have citizens who devote their careers to fighting to keep abortion legal. Think about it: people have built a multimillion dollar industry for the sole purpose of destroying something they claim has no value — the unborn child.
Most people wouldn’t openly admit to believing that unborn children have negative value. But with all the efforts supporting their destruction, the subliminal message has been woven deep into the fabric of our society. So what can the pro-life movement do to successfully combat this idea that the unborn child has a negative value?
Obviously, it begins by recognizing that abortion is first and foremost about the unborn child. At Human Coalition we often say that every life is precious and holds intrinsic value. These aren’t just words we throw around, but deeply held convictions which guide the very heart and soul of our outreach.
Some in the pro-life movement have shifted their primary focus from protecting the life of the unborn child to protecting the life and well-being of the mother. You’ve no doubt heard the arguments or seen the slogans: “Keep abortion safe,” “Protect both mother and child,” and “No abortion after 20 weeks.” While I commend activists and lawmakers for pushing regulations to protect women from unsafe abortion clinics, I’m also dismayed that in many cases, the unborn child has been all but eliminated from the equation.
Advocating for stricter abortion regulations to avoid tragic consequences like those we saw in abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s case is important and perhaps even politically expedient. But to do so without acknowledging the value of the unborn child’s life will hurt the pro-life movement in the long run.
The reality is this — in order to completely abolish abortion in America, the pro-life movement must again put the unborn child at the center of the debate. Otherwise we’ll concede decades of hard-fought ground that was won by asserting that abortion is the brutal killing of another human being, and we’ll inadvertently relegate abortion to just another healthcare issue.
But it’s not about healthcare. It’s not even about the health and well-being of the mother. Abortion is the deliberate taking of an innocent life!
So the question then becomes how do we circumvent the trendy talking points about women’s health and get back to the basics of abortion? In other words, how do we renew our compassion and passion for the unborn child? And how do we make others care about the slaughter of millions of unseen babies?
There are many ways to do this, just a few of which I’ll cover here.
- Visit AbortionMemorial.com and read the testimonies of men, women, and children who’ve been impacted by abortion. Allow yourself to be touched by the haunting reality of abortion by hearing from those who experienced it firsthand. These stories of lifelong regret remind us of the emotional, physical, and psychological toll abortion takes on our families, communities, and culture. And if you are post-abortive, add your story to the website. Sharing your pain and regret will help others reconsider before they go down the tragic road of abortion.
- Read about abortion, study diagrams of it, and, if so inclined, watch a video of the gruesome practice. Only when we come face to face with abortion’s brutality can we force ourselves beyond indifference and embrace a higher level of activism. Abortion is a grizzly business, and it’s difficult to watch. This is not an easy step to take, but we must push ourselves closer to the horror of abortion in order to recognize it as the defining social injustice of our day. Until then, we will continue to treat it as merely a political football.
- Download the Human Coalition Prayer App and join the community of warriors who are dedicated to ending abortion in America through the power of prayer. With your mobile phone or tablet, you can become intimately involved by praying for women who are contemplating having an abortion. Since the launch of our HC Prayer App, we have heard so many amazing stories about families and unborn babies who were miraculously rescued from the throes of abortion after thousands of pro-life individuals rallied around them and prayed.
These suggestions for activism are just the tip of the iceberg. Obviously, in order to make the greatest impact, you need to evaluate your own set of gifts and employ them accordingly. But why not take advantage of this brand-new year and resolve to get involved today?
May God help us.
I believe abortion procedure films should be shown in our high schools. It would give pause to the ones who think of abortion as a method of birth control. Allowing God back into our schools would be the first step in learning to respect not only ourselves and each other,… Read more »
Abortions must be stopped It has put a dark cloud over our nation and you can expect judgement from God on this matter. We have allowed God out of our schools and you can see what it is doing to our children. They are lost in criminal activity. They don’t… Read more »
Emotional appeals, such as you suggested, do not suffice, because the enemy argument is a logical one. The only way to beat it is to attack its logic at the root. “Unborn children have negative value” is a logical consequence of “Only money has positive value.” The latter statement is… Read more »
I totally agree that the Sanctity of Human Life should be wholeheartedly supported thru prayer, testimonies of those personally affected, and whatever funds can be donated! An unborn child is a life with potential possibilities, promise & purpose! We must do all that we can to help these little ones… Read more »