Rethinking Abortion Wars: KevinH
I have written here before on these pages that I believe abortion is the greatest evil that is accepted and advocated for in current day America, and I still do believe that.
While I am not and never have been a single issue voter, and find disturbing many other evils that are accepted and supported in our country across political lines, I still think abortion is the worst, as it snuffs out close to a million or more lives every year – lives that the more we advance scientifically and technologically, the more we can see just how human they are in the womb at younger and younger ages, and lives that we have no standing before God to make an arbitrary decision as to at how many weeks or months they actually start to count as human or when we feel they may be endowed with a soul by our Creator.
However, I am also especially distraught at the way many aspects of the political movement to protect life in the womb have played out and the results they have received. Such as, while on one hand I rejoice that Roe v. Wade is no longer the rule of the land and no longer is it a requirement that states must allow for abortion, on the other hand I mourn that report after report are indicating that abortion levels have actually risen since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. All the more, after thirty years of the abortion rate consistently trending downward almost every year after year, I dismay that rates actually began to rise during the Trump presidency, even as Donald Trump was trumpeted by many as “the most pro-life president of our lifetime”.
I submit that for far too many Christians, the abortion issue has become far too much a political and cultural war to be won, rather than a holistic issue to be cared for. Many have chiefly sought to win battles and wars Instead of seeking to persuade and win hearts. The result has been some battle victories, including a big one with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, but a losing of the war, as we now see the number of infants killed in the womb has actually increased during these past eight years when the political and cultural wars over abortion have been really ramped up.
I also submit that just about no mother ever wants to kill their baby, even in the womb. However, because of various cultural and circumstantial pressures, difficulties, and deceptions, many tragically end up making that choice as they come to see no better option. Many times they have great fears of not being able to support the baby financially or familially… and/or fears that they don’t have what it takes to be a parent… and/or fears of the environment into which they would be bringing the baby… and/or feelings of shame, embarrassment, and ostracization from others for being pregnant… and/or fears of not having sufficient health care, including they themselves are experiencing troubling conditions from the pregnancy… and/or confusion and uncertainty about what or who is really growing inside them as much of society has told them that it’s only a fetus not yet worthy of personhood… and/or pressures from segments of society telling them they ought to exercise their right as a woman over their own body… etc., etc., etc.
Sadly, especially in recent years, many Christians have become consumed with focusing primarily on only one avenue to fix abortion, and that is to do whatever it takes politically, to hopefully outlaw abortion in the end. They have given little mind or understanding to all these other factors and circumstances that many times drive a woman to have an abortion. Now, there are some wonderful Christian ministries and charities out there that work with women in troubled pregnancies and provide counseling, health-related services, and other services and aid, and they are to be commended. Additionally, there are many other Christians who support such ministries or personally support women in need or adopt or foster children. These people are doing good work as they are not ignoring the women and children in need or the circumstances and pressures they are facing. So these are not the Christians that I am addressing.
However, as many other Christians have approached this issue as primarily a political and cultural war, they are losing the battle to influence and change hearts, and ultimately in the end, to save lives in the womb. As there is little to no empathy or even consideration expressed for the difficulties that these women are facing, hearts are lost. As all political and legal action is largely, if not only set about making abortion illegal, and very little about possible political action and programs to address the needs of the women and children (health care, paid maternity leave, child tax credits, etc.), hearts are lost. As no consideration is given to extreme circumstances such as the life of the mother being at real risk or gross deformation of the baby which would likely result in no chance of survival outside the womb or a very short, painful one at that, hearts are lost. As rank hypocrisy is on display as other evils and troubling circumstances in political leaders and parties are whitewashed, if not even celebrated, all in the name of ending abortion, hearts are lost.
In the end, it has only caused those who support abortion rights to dig their heels in even deeper and for their hearts to be even less open to considering the truly precious and God-created life in the womb. It has caused abortion levels to actually rise after many years of dropping, even as supposed political and legal battles have been won. And in the end, it will be only that much harder to now pass or maintain legislation across the country as a whole to outlaw abortion, as people’s hearts have been turned against the pro-life cause.
Eight years ago, many Christians hitched themselves to one train in order to defeat abortion. Even though that train contained many other bad rail cars and now even the good rail cars that opposed abortion are starting to derail, they have continued to stay hitched to it, in many cases even far more enthusiastically now as when they first made the attachment. They made the transaction to overlook a bunch of other wrongful and troubling stuff for the promise of pro-life Supreme Court Justices. They got their Justices and they got the abolishment of Roe v. Wade, but now they are left with even higher abortion rates and devotion to a morally bankrupt presidential candidate who now says it should be up to the states to decide for themselves what to do about abortion and criticizes states for doing “terrible” things when they put abortion bans or tight restrictions in place. Even as the Political Left have nominated a vice president who signed into law in his state a law which allows for the abhorent practice of infanticide, the man deemed by many of these Christians as the “most pro-life president ever”, says that’s all just alright and the way things should be allowed to be.
May we as Christians never lose sight of the hearts and souls of people involved in the issue of abortion, or any issue for that matter. As we seek to save lives in the womb, may we be considerate and compassionate to the women who are carrying those lives, and may we see those who support a woman’s right to choose not as enemies to be destroyed, but as those who hearts need to be persuaded towards the good and beauty and worth of God-given life in the womb and the justice and righteousness to protect it.
Partisan politics are poison to the soul.
Jesus is the cure.
Kevin, I am certain you spent substantial time writing such profound insights. Nothing to add other than you have a Godly mindset with an ability to express in words.
Politics are directly mentioned 13 times and culture 5. So where was the emphasis and whose heart and mind did you effect?
Did you consider the reason for the increase in abortions is because the culture has changed the hearts and minds of women? Things like, woman’s rights, health care, gender confirming care and all that. They have succeeded!
If you want to actually do and recommend a change then here is one avenue – Preborn.
https://preborn.com
One heart and mind at a time.
Thank you, prodinov. I don’t know how profound my insights really are, but I appreciate the encouragement.
TMD,
As typical, you come and provide an adversarial or contentious opinion, stirring up drama, even as your moniker complains that there is Too Much Drama here.
Changing hearts and minds – I already praised those who are doing work serving women in crisis pregnancies and caring about children in need. Your recommendation of Preborn is just fine, just don’t act like I hadn’t already referred to such types of activities.
And yes, I also referred to deceptions in the culture as a factor for why women have abortions. But what you miss is the entire tenor of the article which lays out how the excessive emphasis on and harmful execution of politics has actually worked against the very cause that it sets out to do – save lives.
The deceptions in the culture have long been there, yet abortion rates were consistently going down for thirty years. Yet eight years ago they leveled out and then started going back up, and haven’t stopped going up. This same eight year time period coincides with when many Christians started placing an extreme emphasis on the political process, and making all kinds of ethical compromises, in order to win the “war” on abortion. I submit that the evidence is strong (and long enough by now) that this is not a coincidence and that the two things are strongly related.
“But what you miss is the entire tenor of the article which lays out how the excessive emphasis on and harmful execution of politics has actually worked against the very cause that it sets out to do – save lives.”
“This same eight year time period coincides with when many Christians started placing an extreme emphasis on the political process, and making all kinds of ethical compromises, in order to win the “war” on abortion. I submit that the evidence is strong (and long enough by now) that this is not a coincidence and that the two things are strongly related.”
Go back and read your own articles, The emphasis is almost always political. Stop it and start preaching solutions and alternatives.
Where are the solutions to your “analysis” of political incorrectness?
In case you forgot – “What so ever is pure…”
You need an “adversarial or contentious opinion,” a gadfly!
TMD,
“The emphasis is almost always political.” – And once more you display the missing of the point. My articles ADDRESS harmful political activity and are a call to turn from it. They are NOT a call for any political ideal, position, or candidate. About the only way my articles are “political” are to call out the bad part of politics and to tell people to avoid the bad parts.
Solutions or alternatives? – I almost always give the ultimate solution as following after Jesus and His ways. A little more practical in this case, I exhort Christians to focus on hearts and souls and minds, rather than conducting wars and defeating enemies. Even more practical, I give praise to crisis pregnancy centers and those who personally help women and children in need, thus indicating that these are good “solutions and alternatives” to take up.
I will not continue to go around in ridiculous circles with you and will be the last time I address these things.
TMD – Where are your solutions ?
So far your only solution is to harass Kevin every time he posts. Is that productive?
For me, I am against abortion, but it must be legal and safe. There are times when it is unfortunately necessary and those women’s lives shouldn’t be made harder because they need a medical procedure. Attacking this from the legal POV was always the wrong strategy. Hearts and minds is the only way to overcome this, and so far we’ve just made more enemies and haven’t saved any babies.
Thank you, Josh.
Kevin,
Good article! When I came home on my first missionary furlough, I wasn’t always sure if I was at the First Baptist Church or the First Anti-Abortion/Homosexual/Anything Else That Makes a Christian Angry Church. I am passionately opposed to abortion (talked two friends out of having one, actually), but the militancy and the hatred among some groups has always bothered me. I think the abortion bombings made it clear how far off some had gone.
I don’t have an answer, but I think love in a practical way (we have a wonderful home for moms in a crisis pregnancy run by a Christian group in my city) and easier adoptions could help a lot. I don’t know. But, as much as I abhor abortion, I won’t be voting on that ticket this fall. I see too many other things at stake.
Thanks, Linn.
Many barrels of ink have been used to call out abortion in our society, and rightly so, abortion is sickening.
What I haven’t heard is one word about contraception as a viable solution to the problem.
Churches should be at the forefront in educating their young people about the responsibility of contraception.
Muff,
Contraception can help, but it is far from a cure-all solution as it doesn’t always work, some can have side effects to consider, some of the more effective types can be more cost prohibitive to poorer people, and then there are cases of rape.
I don’t agree that churches should be at the forefront educating about contraception as the large, large majority of abortions result from sex that took place outside of marriage. So to promote contraception as a way to avoid abortions, they would in essence be giving the okay to sex outside of marriage, which would violate what should be their own teachings on the subject. It would be like the church teaching not to steal, but then teaching people how to steal in a manner that brings about the least amount of harm to others.
Thank you for this article; it is one if the best I’ve ever read on this subject. You obviously have considered the welfare of women, their already born children, and the unborn. TMD should see David French’s latest article in the New York Times. French reaffirms his pro life position, but he says that due to all of the reasons you mentioned in your article, he will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in November. French hopes that Trump’s Republican MAGA party will fail, and that a new, better Republican Party will rise from its ashes.
Thank you, Janet Linn.
Someone posted: “I am against abortion, but it must be legal and safe. There are times when it is unfortunately necessary and those women’s lives shouldn’t be made harder because they need a medical procedure. “. I am wondering what that means. Does that mean a woman who is going to die if she doesn’t have an immediate procedure? If so, I completely agree!! When a woman’s life is in danger, take the baby. If the baby and mother can be saved, wonderful, but if the baby is not viable, save the mother’s life . Is that what was meant, or was it that there are times when it is inconvenient for a woman to have a baby, therefore necessary to get rid of the baby? I’m asking for some clarification, please.
Re: “French reaffirms his pro life position, but he says that due to all of the reasons you mentioned in your article, he will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in November.”
I would rather people not vote for anyone than vote for Harris as a protest vote against the Republican party. The policies that a very progressive president like Harris will be might make the electorate turn against the Democrats in 2028, but that’s a heck of a political gamble to make.
As far as abortion, the right made a huge mistake in not reading the room after Roe v. Wade was overturned in their efforts to outright ban abortion. That gave the left the inspiration they needed to rally around abortion and ended up making it even more legal and available then it was before. In California, we now have a state constitutional amendment that allows abortion for any reason up to the moment of birth, much like the law that Walz signed.
Kevin, if I follow your train of thought through the “political” posts you’ve made, I don’t think any Christian can vote for either party and claim any sort of morality.
Nonnie,
Abortion is the killing of an innocent person, therefore immoral. So, if it’s an inconvience to have a baby, or because of gender, or lots of other reasons, it is immoral to have an abortion.
I think there can be a moral argument to be made in the rare case of the life of the mother being in danger. Sacrificing one innocent life for another may be moral and ethical.
I would hate to have to be in that position and can’t even fathom the decision making in that situation.
Josh
“ TMD – Where are your solutions ?”
I gave one, it’s called PreBorn” that helps pregnant woman who are afraid and without hope by showing them the life within them.
What’s yours? More political hatred?
You help by preaching life and caring about others in a culture which supports death.
Stop the politics and hatred of those you politically disagree with! That’s the start of a solution.
Stop being so myopic!
I was asking for clarification from the person who said” “I am against abortion, but it must be legal and safe. There are times when it is unfortunately necessary and those women’s lives shouldn’t be made harder because they need a medical procedure.” I am wondering when abortion is “necessary “? Life and death or inconvenience???
Kevin
“ Solutions or alternatives? – I almost always give the ultimate solution as following after Jesus and His ways. A little more practical in this case”
So what are these ways Jesus gives those who follow Him? All I read from you is your political bias, division and even despise for those you disagree with.
And what are the practical ways to follow Jesus in a culture of death that is propagated by who we call the left, liberal, socialist, secular and more?
Haven’t seen one practical way for your readers to live a life of following Jesus when faced with these issues from you.
I gave you one out of many to start with, people who use technology, science and love to change hearts for life.
Everstudy
“ Kevin, if I follow your train of thought through the “political” posts you’ve made, I don’t think any Christian can vote for either party and claim any sort of morality.”
In a way you are stating the position of the Amish. Which now opens the door and rabbit trail of how far modern luxury and technology goes towards immortality?
Here’s the simplest answer, we live in a Nation which gives all its citizens the right to vote for representatives, therefore vote your conscience. Be a part of the Nation by voting or separate yourself from it and enjoy, like the Amish, they let you exist.
Everstudy,
Yes, in regards to this national presidential election and many other races, I do not think a Christian can claim a vote for either party or either candidate as any kind of significantly moral choice.
That is not to say that they shouldn’t ever vote for any of them, but they can’t make the claim that whoever they end up voting for is because of their supposed great moral superiority.
TMD,
I told you I will not continue to engage in your ridiculous circles, and I will stand by that as you try to continue them.
All the more, your response to Josh was equally, if not even greater in ridiculousness as you accuse him of or insinuate he is preaching political hatred when he did nothing of the sort. You are not right of mind, and I suspect that as my tagline goes, your intake of partisan politics poison may play a significant part in that.
I don’t have much to contribute here, as I am not really within the spectrum of Christian thinking on this matter, except to say that abortion is used as contraception, and that’s an issue.
However, and I feel strongly about this, you cant legislate morality. Just don’t do it. It’s filthy. The tendency to do that is only increasing while those that do it cry they are the oppressed. If “Christians” want to see an example of what legislating morality does, look to Islam. Enough said. if that is not enough, I don’t know how people can be reasoned with.
Kevin
“ You are not right of mind, and I suspect that as my tagline goes, your intake of partisan politics poison may play a significant part in that.”
This is called projection and like all those who take a side, yes you do, you are blinded.
You preach Jesus is the solution, and yet there is a void in any practical solution for those afflicted with the worries of this daily life.
Stop being the “chapter and verse” Pharisee type of Christian, go and do. Drop the political hatred and decisiveness.
Nonnie – yes, you gave one instance when abortion would be necessary. You could get into the weeds of IVF sometimes producing multiples, say quintuplets, and say for some reason not all of them can survive. If you try to carry all five to term, you lose them all, but if you abort 4, that 1 has a really good chance.
So there are ethical considerations like that and others. But even if you discounted all that and just went with the case of the mother’s life being in danger, that is enough reason to keep it legal and safe.
What if abortion was completely legal, easily available, held no negative stigma, but it was almost never used? To me, that’s the best case scenario. I have asked that same question in past years on this site and was told it wasn’t good enough until all abortion was outlawed and eradicated. I don’t think that mindset has saved any babies.
Reuben,
I would differ with you about legislating morality. I do so because I believe we already have lots of morality already legislated. We have plenty of laws saying that you can’t murder, rape, steal, etc. Those are all moral standards which have been codified into law. Without some level of legislated morality there will be anarchy.
The fundamental part, however, at legislating morality, is that it needs to be an agreed upon standard by a solid majority of society before it can be successfully put into and sustained in law.
As for abortion, I emphasize the tending to hearts and minds over any political or legal movement as it is the right thing to do – to first care for the mothers and children in need. But also by taking this approach, it may also help change the minds of society as a whole to the point where a majority of people come to see it as moral to not only protect the baby in the womb but also to provide help to the pregnant woman in need, including her existing children, and also the woman and baby after birth. Once there is a solid majority that believe this way, then that is when morality can be constructively and successfully legislated and capably implemented and sustained.
I also note that passing laws that favor or give privilege to Christianity or any other religion are not moral in a pluralistic society, as some would claim. Thus, it is not moral to require Bible teaching in schools or the hanging of the Ten Commandments on school walls or other public places.
An interesting view of abortion from a conservative Jewish perspective…
https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/halakhah/teshuvot/19861990/feldman_abortion.pdf
Wonder what all these prolifers who insisted that they (and Christians) support Trump because they wanted to stop the murder of babies will say now:
1) Trump will not enforce the Comstock Act to stop interstate sales of abortion pills.
2) Trump will veto any national abortion ban passed by Congress.
3) Trump insists (and always has) that abortion should be left up to the states.
4) Opposed and decried the abortion restrictions in Florida and elsewhere.
5) Trumps wants the government and/or private insurance to pay for IVF (resulting in more IVF and discarded embryos)
6) Plus many more.
To all those Christian prolifers that made abortion the one big hill they want to die in order to justify their support for Trump I ask this question:
Now that Trump has no longer need of your services and support, did he at least give each you $2 for your trouble?