Why Are So Many Pro-Life Groups Opposing Strong Anti-Abortion Legislation?
The recent wave of opposition from so-called "pro-life" factions towards stricter anti-abortion legislation unveils a discord that is nothing short of bewildering. How can these so-called “pro-life” groups, professing a pro-life worldview, stand so strongly against legislation aimed at preserving the sanctity of life from its earliest stage? The answer lies in pragmatism, a willingness to compromise on basic objective morality for fleeting, worldly gains.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a well-known pro-life group. This organization advocates for a 15-week federal ban while opposing legislation that would criminalize abortion after six weeks, complaining that it was too “harsh.” But this reveals a tragic compromise on a real, life-or-death issue.
One has to deny the Scriptures as the objective and foundational authority on all matters of truth and morality in order to conclude that abortion, under any circumstance, should be allowable. The Scripture unequivocally affirms the inherent value of human life from the moment of conception—every life is valuable, every life is known by God from the very beginning. You either affirm this or you deny it, it’s all or nothing. When one denies this, one has no foundation to affirm any ban on abortion, whether it be six weeks, fifteen weeks, or 45 years.
Brent Leatherwood and the ERLC have emerged as unexpected opponents to stringent anti-abortion legislation. Their opposition, rooted in pragmatism and cultural appeasement, advocates for less restrictive abortion laws to potentially garner wider societal acceptance by painting mothers who seek abortions as “victims” rather than perpetrators of abortion.
Painting mothers who have abortions as "victims" is opposed to the gospel—instead of teaching responsibility and consequences for sin, it removes guilt and the subsequent need for a savior. While compassion is a virtue, it should never obfuscate the reality of sin and its consequences. The true victim of abortion is the unborn child, whose life is snuffed out before having a chance to breathe the breath of life.
The fear lurking behind this opposition is telling. It suggests a concern among these elitist groups that if the abortion industry is defeated, their raison d'être vanishes. But this fear reveals a lack of faith in God's sovereign plan and a misplaced identity in a worldly cause rather than a heavenly mandate.
In addressing the aberrant pragmatism among certain pro-life groups, the question beckons—where does our allegiance lie? Do we serve and appease the pagan culture or do we worship and serve the unchanging God of Ages? Our answer to this question not only defines our stance on life but our very identity as followers of Christ.
The reluctance to support stricter anti-abortion laws among some professing pro-life factions is a cautionary tale for all believers. It beckons a return to the unyielding truth of Scripture, abandoning worldly pragmatism for a robust, unwavering stand for life. It's in such a stand that the light of Christ shines brightest, illuminating the dark recesses of a culture in desperate need of His truth.