As we mark the 50th anniversary of the recently overturned Roe v Wade decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, all Christians should realize the continued urgency to prioritize the defense of the unborn. We understand that we are living in a dark, evil time, and there is an all-out war on the family; and that war is especially being waged against children. The opportunity has never been greater to protect life.
Over the past fifty years, we have legalized murder of children in most states in this country. In fact, just until last year because of Roe v. Wade, our government had legalized the murder of over 60 million innocent lives across this country. We praise God that that horrific ruling was overturned, but the reality is the war on children is still ongoing in each individual state.
Think about this.
Any mass murderer, any serial killer, has killed far, far fewer people than your typical baby-killer masquerading as a doctor. Ted Bundy can’t hold a candle to the lives that Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics have snuffed out for decades. Unfortunately, abortion receives a fraction of the outcries and outrage that follow other, more-visible mass murderers. Why have we allowed the lives of the unborn to be accounted as nothing in the grand scheme of life?
Our apathy and dereliction of duty towards the sanctity of life has permeated our political system across all jurisdictions. In this past election cycle, Arizona had a candidate for governor, Katie Hobbs, who believed you should be allowed to murder babies without limits up to the point of birth. She won her contest, which means that more than half our state either believes it’s okay to murder babies or they really don’t care either way. Governor Hobbs has promised to use her office to do whatever she can to bring back abortion on demand in our state.
This is the way it is in most states in America, not just Arizona. Our country is deeply divided on whether it should be legal to take the life of an unborn child; the candidates simply reflect the depraved morality of the masses. Many of these pro-abortion candidates win their elections – some by the cross-over votes of supposed “pro-life” voters. Across the nation, our governor’s mansions, our state legislatures, and our courts are filled with men and women who support this horrific attack on innocent children in the womb.
Contrary to many who want to justify their motivations for the voting booth, there is no third option. Professing Christians cannot vote for a baby-killing-supporting candidate just because they don’t like the personality or the endorsements of his or her opponent. You either think it should be illegal to murder children, or you don’t.
And tragically there are a vast number of people in our country, including almost everyone with a megaphone, who think murdering babies is perfectly fine. It’s not just confined to one party either. Members of both major political parties are guilty of supporting abortion on demand or making exceptions to murder babies months into the pregnancy.
Why?
Because children are often viewed as an obstacle to success, an obstacle to career advancement, an obstacle to women’s rights and equality. Children are not seen as a precious gift from God in our culture, the way Scripture describes them, but as an inconvenience that can be discarded for any and every reason if they’re not wanted.
In some ways, I think it’s correct to say that nothing pictures the war on children like abortion, and Christians have a biblical responsibility to stand up for life. Proverbs 24:11-12 tells us, "Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, 'See, we did not know this,' Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?" We can defend life by voting for candidates who promise to defend the lives of the unborn, holding officials accountable for their promises to stand for life, and praying that all of our leaders have a change of heart to protect the sanctity of God-given life.
Most importantly, we must pray for our leaders to repent, turn to Christ in faith, and be delivered from their sins. Only a supernatural change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit will bring true and lasting change both now and in eternity.