For those of us who are ProLife and find some candidates who purport to be “ProLife” but behave in ways contrary to our Biblical values, let me suggest a way out of the voting conundrum we now face. As a conservative and a Republican for over 40 years, instead of voting for an incumbent whose conduct we find appalling, let me suggest we withhold supporting them and focus on living out our faith by providing additional support to programs that have been successful at reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
If you believe as I do that abortion of a viable fetus is tragic, we can take some consolation knowing that efforts to reduce abortions have been meaningfully effective. According to the CDC, the number of abortions in the US peaked in 1990 at 1,429,247. In 2016, that number was down to 623,471.
Given that efforts from education and birth control, promoting adoptions, helping pregnant women, and limiting the speed at which an abortion can be undertaken, have reduced abortions by more than 50%, why not put our time, prayers and resources into providing additional support of these programs? Overturning Roe might seem like the best way to bring an end to abortions, but we must understand that a single sweeping legal victory won’t put an end to abortions. Outlawing abortions would likely drive them underground, across borders and into self-induced home abortions. In 1972, prior to Roe, 586,760 abortions occurred in the US. That’s similar to the number of abortions in 2016. Sometimes change is best brought about as much by the hard work of changing the hearts and minds of people as it is by changing laws.
So, what constructive things can we do? We can chip away at unwanted pregnancies by doubling down our support of programs that positively influence the lives of young women, such as religious youth programs and camps, as well as Campus Crusade for Christ, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and other programs that create a healthy coed community. We can also double down on supporting local crisis pregnancy centers where women can find good counsel, resources and viable options for carrying their pregnancy to term.
Given that many women often live to regret abortions, as evidenced by several thousand abortion recovery groups and retreats every year, another means of reducing abortions is to slow down decisions to terminate a pregnancy. While some may say that hinders a women’s right to choose, I submit that significant, irreversible decisions made in haste, and under stress, are the ones we often live to regret. Currently only 25 states require any waiting period between counseling and an abortion, and only 37 states require a minor gain the permission of a parent or judge. In 2014, while only 3.2% abortions were by women under the age of 18, I submit that one of the best ways to express our concern over abortions is to provide additional resources to programs that can help these young women.
For those of us who have been lifelong conservatives, let me suggest that it is a far better thing to stay true to our core values than stand with those that have acted abhorrently. Let us live out the loving kindness planted in us, and abandon those that have misled the people, refused to put the health of the people ahead of their re-election, taken from the poor and given to the rich, refused to take care of the good earth God gave us, and abused the power of their office. I assure you, we will never regret mustering the courage to turn away from those that have perpetrated evil and turn towards further supporting programs that have been a blessing to young women and women with unwanted pregnancies. Let us abandon those who conveniently call themselves “ProLife” but behave antithetically to our Biblical values, and pour our heart, time and resources into caring for women and children.