At what point does a life become worthy of protection? This is the question behind the pro-life movement. We believe human life deserves protection from the moment of conception.
Since Roe v. Wade, states have decided when this protection begins in various ways. Some states allow a woman to recover civil damages if someone kills her baby in the womb no matter the stage of the pregnancy, recognizing the humanity of the preborn life inside her. Some states heighten punishment for a person convicted of killing a pregnant woman, which recognizes that two lives were taken.
States have also regulated when abortions can occur. Some states are passing “Heartbeat” bills. The laws ban abortions after a doctor detects a heartbeat, recognizing the scientific fact that a heartbeat is a sign of life. Typically, a heartbeat can be detected around the sixth week of a pregnancy.
Though these laws are typically immediately struck down by federal and state judges because of the so-called “right to abortion” in Roe v. Wade precedent, they do serve the important purpose of reminding everyone what we all know: There is a baby worthy of protection in the womb. There are other important legal and strategic implications of these bills, but no one can deny that there is a separate beating heart inside the woman.
Other laws protect babies from certain forms of abortion, such as dismemberment laws, which ban an abortionist from tearing a baby apart limb-by-limb in the womb while the child is still alive. Courts have struck down these laws, even judges we’d consider “conservative judges,” because it is the most commonly used abortion procedure after 15 weeks into the pregnancy. Courts say that this violates the “woman’s right to choose to have an abortion” up until the baby is viable outside the womb, at around 24 weeks.
Even as we are seeing progress in the court of public opinion and as legislators in many states are beginning to recognize this as an issue they can no longer ignore, Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion followers recognize the progress we are making and are fighting back. I’m sure you wept with us as New York passed a law allowing a preborn child to be killed even up until the moment before birth—and stripping any requirement that an infant who survives a botched abortion receive proper medical care. But New York isn’t alone. At least four other states – Vermont, Virginia, Rhode Island, and New Mexico –are considering bills similar to New York’s.
Even more shocking—some state lawmakers want to permit abortion procedures to occur without a doctor’s oversight. They also want to require doctors to perform abortions—regardless of their professional judgment or religious beliefs. Clearly, the pro-abortion movement will stop at nothing.
As John 1:5 says, “A light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” We know the truth – the baby in the womb is a life worthy protecting. In fact, the Bible tells us that it was a preborn baby who first rejoiced at the coming of Jesus! (John 1:41) Today’s Christ-followers are called to shine a light in the darkness of our culture of death.
Along with our state allies, we are engaged in the fight for every child in state capitols across the country. Will you make sure you are ready to fight against the pro-abortion bills coming in your state—as well as the good prolife bills that need your support?
Please check our ACTION CENTER to see if there are any bills in your state or in D.C. that need your voice?
Please also make sure that you are signed up with our state ally in your state—CHECK HERE to find your ally!
For Life,
Brittany Jones, Esq.
Policy Manager
P.S. Do you not have an allied state family policy group in your state? Email info@FamilyPolicyAlliance.com if you’re interested in helping get one started!
Part 3 in a 4-part series called “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion”
The Supreme Court Doesn’t Get the Final Say in Roe v. Wade, as we talked about in Part 2 of our four-part series on “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion.” Since the Roe decision in 1973, states have been passing laws that protect the lives of both mothers and babies, chipping away at Roe, bit by bit.
It’s not surprising that the states needed to pass laws that recognize the humanity of the unborn and regulate the abortion industry. But what many probably didn’t expect in the wake of Roe was the need for laws to protect the right to give meaningful consent to abortion by being given accurate information about the procedure and its impact—or the need for laws to protect medical professionals from being forced to participate in an abortion.
In this Part 3 of our series, we’ll discuss the importance of these laws. Do you know whether doctors and nurses in your state are protected from being forced to participate in abortions?
Laws Protecting the Right to Know & Consent
After Roe, many women were choosing abortion because abortion facilities never provided the mother with information about what the procedure would entail, the reality of post-abortion depression for many women, or the option to see an ultrasound of their baby. Most states today have laws that require abortion facilities to provide this basic information to women.
And many states are now taking those informed consent laws to the next level—requiring states to let women know that if they have a chemical abortion, there is the opportunity to reverse it without killing the baby if intervening medication is taken within a period of time. These types of laws clearly have the potential to save lives! So far, the following states have enacted laws requiring information about chemical-abortion reversal: Utah, Arkansas and North Dakota.
Another critical aspect of real consent to an abortion are laws that require that a parent give consent when a minor goes in for an abortion. These laws are especially important because traffickers frequently take young girls to abortion clinics to “get rid of the evidence,” and adults have been caught taking minors across state lines to avoid parental notification or consent requirements. Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and North Dakota are some of the states with the best parental involvement laws when it comes to minors and abortion because they require both parents to give their consent or require notification and consent.
Laws Protecting Freedom of Religion & Conscience
Even after a heavy-handed ruling like Roe, it made sense to most people in America to allow for disagreement—in other words, even if a woman chose to have an abortion and had the right to abortion under Roe, that didn’t mean others would be forced to enable or facilitate her decision.
Now, 45 states protect the right of healthcare professionals to decline to participate in an abortion based on their religious or moral beliefs.
Why Does It Matter if the Court Didn’t Have the Final Say in Roe v. Wade?
Family Policy Alliance cares deeply about helping the Body of Christ engage with their own governments, both state and local. We believe that the people of God have an amazing privilege and responsibility to impact the laws of the country and states in which we live.
And, it’s been largely believers who indeed did build the grassroots pressure that persuaded state lawmakers to pass all these laws that chip away at Roe v. Wade.
But to what end? We don’t care about passing more laws to defeat Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. We don’t care about passing more laws just because we live in a country where we have the opportunity to be a part of the law-making process.
We care about passing these laws because of the lives saved—and because each of those lives is an individual loved by and made in the image of our God.
And indeed, the evidence is overwhelming that pro-life laws – particularly consent laws – save lives. For example, a rigorous analysis of parental involvement laws (notification and/or consent) found that such laws generally reduced minors’ abortion rates by 15 to 20 percent!
We hope you’ll commit to partnering with Family Policy Alliance as we work together to make sure every state puts key laws into place that save lives & protect doctors and other medical professionals from being forced to participate in abortions.
Stay tuned next week for the final piece in our series “Protecting Life & Ending Abortion” where we’ll cover how we can see even more prolife progress in our country and states…even more quickly!
READ PART 1 – 45 Years Since Roe v. Wade
READ PART 2 – The Supreme Court Doesn’t Get the Final Say
READ PART 4 – After 45 Years, It’s Time to End Roe v. Wade!
New York Court of Appeals Rejects ‘Right’ to Assisted Suicide
New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is one of our 40 state-based allies.
Today, the New York Court of Appeals released its decision in the case of Myers v. Schneiderman. In this case, the plaintiffs sought to establish a “right” to physician-assisted suicide under the Constitution of the State of New York.
In a 5-0 decision, the Court of Appeals has rejected the plaintiffs’ claims and has affirmed that the state’s existing laws against physician-assisted suicide are constitutional.
Read more at New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom.
A Christian business owner in Kentucky is rejoicing today after the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that says he did nothing wrong when he declined to print T-shirts requested by the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization.
Blaine Adamson, owner of Hands on Originals, told said that his Christian faith kept him from printing shirts for an event.
“Specifically, it’s the ‘Lexington Pride Festival’, the name and that it’s advocating pride in being gay and being homosexual,” he said at the time. “I can’t promote that message. It’s something that goes against my belief system.”
The activist group, which has since changed its name to the Pride Community Services Organization, reported Adamson to the Human Rights Commission, which ruled against Adamson. From there, the case wound its way through the courts. Pride Community Services is now weighing whether it will appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Adamson was relieved when the ruling was announced Friday.
“I don’t leave my faith at the door when I walk into my business,” Adamson told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “In my case, fortunately, the legal system worked.”
Cases like Adamson’s demonstrate why believers in every state need to call on their lawmakers to pass strong religious freedom protections. Business owners should be free to live out their faith in the way they do their business—without fear of being punished for their beliefs by their own government.
When you cast your ballot, your vote is for more than just a president.
As Stuart Shepard explains in his Stoplight® commentary, your vote will also be toward a Supreme Court nominee. That selection will impact decisions regarding life, marriage and religious freedom for the rest of your life.
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Check out our voter guide page.