I’m about ten thousand feet over Virginia at the moment, watching Washington D.C. disappear in the distance as my plane ascends to make the trip back home to Dallas. I’m always glad to come to Washington. I’m always glad to leave.
I come to D.C. often due to my role at Human Coalition. Though we rarely engage in the political realm, we’ve realized we have to keep track of political events at the federal and state levels. Our work cooperatively rescuing babies and families from abortion is still influenced by politicians and bureaucrats, and we need to keep our ears to the ground.
Thursday was the annual March for Life, commemorating the worst Supreme Court decision in history, Roe v. Wade, back in 1973. That ill-conceived decision, combined with its equally woeful companion case, Doe v. Bolton, has resulted in the legal killing of over 57 million American unborn children. Genocide by judicial decree.
I came up with a few other HC team members on Tuesday and it was a non-stop, whirlwind trip filled with forums, visits, meetings, media interviews, the march, and private strategy sessions.
The highlight of my trip? Several meals shared with friends of all colors, races, ages, and backgrounds, all committed to seeing the abortion holocaust end in America. And I ran into my college roommate, now a deeply committed pro-life pastor ministering outside of Chicago, whom I hadn’t seen in about 20 years. He came to D.C. with his 14-year-old daughter for their first March for Life, and I got the sense this young lady was going to grow into a pro-life warrior. And I don’t think that day is too far off. Like father, like daughter.
The lowlight of my trip? Watching Congress work.
Or, more accurately, not work. For the weeks leading into the March for Life, we kept hearing about the Pain Capable Unborn Protection Act, a piece of legislation generated in the House designed to make abortion illegal after 20 weeks gestation. Since the United States abortion laws rank among the most permissive in the world (in line with communist China and despotic North Korea), the House courageously prepared a bill that would have protected children in the womb who can feel the horrific pain of their limbs being ripped from their bodies and their heads being decapitated during an abortion.
It most likely would have passed the House and had a chance of passing the new Senate. It would have been vetoed by the most pro-abortion President in history (“God bless Planned Parenthood!”), but it would have made a profound and important statement to our country and very likely led to even more aggressive anti-abortion laws in various states.
The bill was supposed to go to the House on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a clear shot over the bow to pro-abortion politicians. But, as often happens in Congress, late night meetings on Wednesday resulted in the bill being pulled because of internal bickering between pro-life politicians. The bill had rape and incest provisions in it and there was apparently disagreement over details of those exceptions.
So that bill was dropped and a hastily prepared substitute (disallowing taxpayer funding of abortion) was introduced and passed on Thursday. That bill had been passed twice before and doesn’t have near the teeth the Pain Capable bill does.
I was in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday for an Human Coalition forum. Congressman Andy Harris opened our time and Senator Ted Cruz gave a powerful and moving opening address. I then moderated a frank discussion with Congressman Diane Black and Congressman Mark Meadows. All four of these politicians are pro-life heroes and genuinely committed to ending abortion in America. And they sacrifice their time, energy, and privacy to work in the most difficult of circumstances to protect all American life. Pray for these friends. They take painful arrows on behalf of the rest of us. And we need more friends like them.
The failure of the Pain Capable bill to make it to the floor is certainly not out of the ordinary and we’ve been assured it will be reworked and reintroduced. Things like this happen in Congress every day. But as I left the Capitol building in the cold late last night, I was reminded of an essential fact: abortion is not a political issue.
Though pro-lifers have good reason to be disappointed in the pro-life caucus in Congress for the events of this week, do we really expect abortion to be ended because the government says so? Since when does Congress lead? No, laws follow culture, not the other way around.
I was speaking on the same platform as Sen. Rick Santorum last November and he said something that has stuck with me. “Don’t expect the federal government to fix your problems. Congress doesn’t lead. It follows. Congress is a reflection of our culture. If you want a problem fixed, start with the culture.”
As pro-life warriors, we CANNOT lean on the government to stop abortion in America. As I have argued time and again, abortion is primarily a spiritual issue. It is a decision to kill a human made in the image of a Creator God. Even my pro-life atheist friends agree that killing another human being cannot be categorized as simply “political.” They would argue it is deeper than that; abortion is a moral, deeply personal, deadly, horrific decision.
When we say abortion is political, we give ourselves an out. We can wash our hands of our responsibility to care for mothers in crisis pregnancy situations. That’s the government’s job. We can refuse to talk about it in public or in private, citing the oft-repeated “we don’t talk about religion or politics.” When we say abortion is political, we cheapen it, relegating it into the same dustbin of taxes, foreign policy, and deficit spending. Churches who claim abortion is political have an excuse to avoid it, claiming the obscenely misunderstood so-called “separation of church and state.”
Abortion is the unjust killing an innocent human being. Though abortion has strong political ramifications, it is not a political issue. It is a spiritual decision, a moral decision, a deadly act that kills a child, rips apart a mother, and destroys the family.
I’m halfway home to Dallas now. And I’m more convinced than ever that the work Human Coalition does, specifically reaching out to women in crisis and connecting them with genuine compassion and tangible help, is the tip of the spear. The more babies and families we help rescue from abortion, the more hearts and minds are changed to honor the sacredness of life, the more people who throw off American narcissism and join together to rescue human life from destruction, the more pressure Washington will feel to follow US.
Did you catch that? Washington will follow us. Abortion will be illegal when we, the American people, say enough is enough. Congress will pass laws when the culture finds abortion reprehensible. Ending abortion is not the responsibility of Washington D.C. It’s our responsibility.
Time to land. Time to lead.
(images credit: ROC Studios)
This forum is horrifying and people like yourselves disgust me.
Lo, if you are going to comment do so with an intelligent and informed response. Thanks.
Good points that should be exploited. Many Americans might be revolted to know how Planned Parenthood was founded & its background, even if they are not pro-life.
Why do we not confront the president on his support of planned parenthood since it was founded by a racist, Margaret Sanger. This lady, a prominent leader in eugenics, believed the human race could be improved if certain people did not reproduce. She supported The Negro Project conceived by Dr.… Read more »
Morally, abortion is a spiritual issue. But, thanks to “Jane Roe” and her handlers, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court morphed it into not only a political issue as well, but, sadly overlooked, a scientific, technological issue to. When Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority Roe v. Wade Opinion, some… Read more »
Hi Brian, I have been on both sides of the abortion issue and I agree with Ambrosia Joy. Planned Parenthood is a fine tuned machine and is the face of the abortion industry. Their purpose is singular…destroy life. On the pro- life side there are many groups doing wonderful things… Read more »
I certainly agree that a unified front will have greater impact and I think things are moving in that direction. Planned Parenthood is around a century old and therefore has almost 60 years of longer history than most of the pro-life movement. They have had the upper hand because of… Read more »
Brian, first I want to say thank you for your hard work. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. The Government will not fix the problem and that is the indifference of good people. As a society we have become blinded to the truth. So often now people will go the… Read more »
Amanda – I’m deeply grateful you chose life for your son! A mother’s decision to give life to her children is the most powerful statement in the pro-life movement. I hope you have numerous chances to share your story (and I would encourage you to do so on one of… Read more »
What is the first step to take to unify the various organizations working to end the abortion rights thinking? Every week I receive some survey or request for money to help different groups proceed with their ideas to end this abortion mentality. I can’t donate to all. Consolidating the monies… Read more »
Theresa: That is a very fair question. I can understand why people are inundated and perhaps baffled by the large number of groups out there. We encourage you to carefully pray through which groups to support and get to know them well first. Ask good questions, see how they determine… Read more »
It’s true, abortion is not a political issue. BUT, it is SO disappointing that Congresswomen especially, who were elected by pro-lifers and who ran on a pro-life platform, had to sabotage this bill that would have passed.
Carol – the mood in the Capitol on Thursday when I moderated the forum was still upbeat. Congressman Black assured us that bill would return to the floor and be voted on. The proof is in the pudding, of course, but these types of delays happen all the time. Don’t… Read more »
Hello Brian, I was home sick and was able to watch EWTN coverage and tried to see my granddaughter 16, from Tampa. I also saw you and others I admire. My comment (as pro-life as long as it’s been legal and a sidewalk counselor for several years) is my opinion… Read more »
Mary – your very unfortunate and sad story is fairly common I’m afraid. Just last week I released on new book on this very topic (you can download an e-book version for free here: http://www.prolife.org/deliver-us-from-abortion/), as I tried to explore why so many in the church are silent on abortion.… Read more »
Hello Brian, My wife, daughter, and I joined my 22-yr-old son in DC for the March. This is my third March, and the first for my wife and daughter (a sophomore in college). My son was at the end of an internship that started just before Christmas with LiveAction, the… Read more »
EXACTLY!! The root cause is contraception & devaluation of children for sure. Talk about changing the culture. We would have to have a Catholic culture to overcome this culture of death.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth, I know way too many Catholics who support abortion.
Carol, these people you know are “Catholic in name only”. In my part of the country (upstate NY) there are many CINO’s (even priests and religious). Simply claiming one confession or another is not enough. Jesus makes it perfectly clear – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will… Read more »
You are exactly right, Chris. I love your analogy… “Catholic in name only (CINO)”.
Hello Brian, You’re message is clear, accurate and very motivating; and it has reminded me of something God has been nudging me about over and over again and I think you are the right person to help, especially based on the above article. You said “this is just the tip… Read more »
Hi Ambrosia Joy – excellent comments and thoughts. Your analysis of the abortion industry and the pro-life movement is very good. We certainly pray that God continues to unify the pro-life work through the many excellent efforts that exist. Human Coalition is certainly honored to be a part of this… Read more »
I totally agree that abortion is primarily a spiritual and not a political issue. May the Lord God Almighty touch the consciences of the people of this nation so that we may care about and welcome the unborn children among us and stop pushing them out of our communities. The… Read more »
Brian I agree that the culture must be changed to understand the humanity of the unborn and the shocking violence of abortion until abortion is unthinkable. God bless the work you have begun. Meanwhile back in Washington… I got some insight this week on why the pro-lifers in congress might… Read more »
Tom – I think you’ve correctly identified some of the differences of opinion in various politically-minded pro-life groups. My understanding on this particular bill was that it was pulled due to some disagreement on the reporting requirements related to the rape exception, not on the presence of the rape/incest exception… Read more »
from your statement, it would seem that the rape and incest exceptions were inconsequential to you, Brian. That must mean that it is not a child when conceived oter than at these times?
Gramma: On the contrary, every life is precious and should be protected from conception onward, regardless of the circumstances of conception. I was simply relating what the bill was about and the included exceptions.
So what can we do to bring this about?? I have very little money and am now, in fact, on Workman’s Comp for falling. I many not have a job when I finally am better, so financially I am not able to help. It would have been wonderful to be… Read more »
Cheryl – because I maintain abortion is primarily a spiritual issue, the primary tool to end abortion is prayer and the Word. Forming dedicated, committed, prayer groups who regularly intercede for the unborn and their families is a wonderful and effective way to get involved. And the Human Coalition prayer… Read more »
Splendid article, Brian. Perhaps a broader issue arises from your logical argument. It is this: should Christians, followers of Christ, be involved in worldly politics? It must be accepted that democracy trumps Godliness, or more correctly, democratic rule trumps the rule of God. Christians, then, find themselves having to compromise… Read more »
Hi Richard – you’ve raised an excellent point and I don’t think anyone can argue that a deep desire for personal holiness is in order for every Christian. Indeed the church would be more effective if all Christians loved God and neighbor alike. Psalm 24:1 says “The earth is the… Read more »
I couldn’t agree more. Over the course of 20+ years working in a pro-life ministry I have come to the same conclusion. Part of the reason is just plain giving up on politicians to ever get anything significant done, but more just realizing what you say is true – politics… Read more »
I agree wholeheartedly that we need to change how our culture views abortion. We have let our opponent define abortion in terms of a womens right to choose. Ultrasound has been a very powerful tool in helping women to see that it is a very precious life they carry and… Read more »
Mark – amen and amen! Human Coalition cooperatively works with 30 pregnancies centers in 15 states and we own and operate 2 of our own. They are, indeed, on the front lines. 2,615 children and families have been rescued from abortion so far because of our collective efforts, and that… Read more »
I am so happy to read the number of babies saved. Because even though many more have been killed, you are showing how much you care for EACH and EVERY child! A creation of God!
Sandy- the good news is the pace of babies being rescued is accelerating! So we are making great progress. Thanks for the kind words!
A very thoughtful and well stated piece. I could not agree more. Our pastor preached a message on this recently reminding us not to get hateful and angry, but to respond with the weapons God has given us – beginning with prayer. Including that abortinists, pro-choice advocates and politicians would… Read more »
David – amen and amen. Thanks for the kind words and encouragement.
Absolutely!! When I used to go to the rally (my knees cannot make it anymore) the last few times it weighed on my spirit that a silent witness with no talking or flag waving would have been more ‘loud’. It would have been more of a witness.
Good article, but needs proofread for typos, including headline.
Yes, we just saw that. We fixed it on the blog but, unfortunately, can’t fix it on the email. Sorry for the error – our team was pushing to get it out before the weekend.
Not saying that I am against the no-pain bill, BUT it bothers me that unborn babies who are less than 20 weeks old would not be thereby protected. I fear that with the no-pain bill we could jubilate and just forget them.
That is a concern of a number of pro-life people. However the folks we’ve interacted with see this type of a bill as a step towards our ultimate goal, which is to end abortion, and would not see any reason to slow down that push even if the bill was… Read more »
Yes, I too was concerned about ending abortion only after 20 weeks & then forgetting about those before 20 weeks. But if it takes incremental steps to end abortion, I’ll take the incremental step now, save some unborn babies from painful deaths, & then push on for the rest.
Mr. Fisher, I am 88 yo, grew up in a time when abortion was rare. I believe that if the few women who had abortions back then had been punished according to the law for murder which usually required the death penalty, we would have much less of a problem… Read more »
All babies are created by the Lord God Almighty! He knows us before we are born, knows the number of hairs on our heads, and yes He knows the day when our life comes to an end. He is in control inspite or despite of what man thinks about babies… Read more »