Roe v. Wade is Overturned…Now What?
Finally, Roe v. Wade has been overturned. However, at least 63,459,781 babies have been aborted since the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision.[1] Today, one of every five pregnancies in the United States ends in an abortion,[2] and it appears there is strong support for abortion. Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.[3] It appears abortion will remain legal in at least 16 states.[4] Many companies are pledging to help employees have access to abortions in these states.[5] In one recent poll, 56% of 18 to 28-year-old women said they would seek an abortion for an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy, even if it were illegal. Another 10% said they would attempt the abortion at home.[6] Much work remains to do, but what?
Educate
Let us continue to educate people about the value of human life. (See People Matter) Every person is special as an image bearer of God (Genesis 1:27). When we fail to value life, the result is curses from the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Today, we have a shortage of workers in every area.[7] Everywhere we turn, our lives are impacted by this shortage. We need construction workers [8], hospitality workers [9], pilots [10] and flight attendants [11], nurses [12] and doctors [13], teachers, and even pastors.[14] I believe this is a consequence, a curse for abortion. The workforce would look different with another 63,459,781 people. (See Choose Life).
I encourage you to look at Dr. Paul Harrison’s podcast on Untold Consequences [15] or read his article, “Untold Consequences,” from the August-September 2020 issue of ONE Magazine.
Evangelize
When a person becomes a Christian, everything changes (2 Corinthians 5:17). We prevent abortion by taking the gospel to more people, but especially women between the ages of 20 and 34. Nearly one in four women will have an abortion by age 45.[16] Between 1973 and 2017, there were 20 abortions per thousand women ages 20-34. This is significantly higher than any other age group (7.6 per thousand for ages 15-19). Reaching this demographic with the gospel and a biblical worldview about life would significantly decrease abortions. (See As I Go).
Minister
It is believed 75% of abortions are for women in poverty.[17] At any rate, lack of resources is a top reason given for having an abortion. What can we do to alleviate this? Many churches have partnered with local public schools to provide backpacks, school resources, even meals for needy children. (See this podcast from Dr. Taheera Blount about partnering with schools). Over the years, our churches have held regular Vacation Bible Schools. This type of outreach can provide another opportunity to minister to children and families struggling financially. We encourage churches to consider hosting VBS in neighborhoods. For more, see this podcast with CEF of Tennessee President Jeff Nichols.
Model
May we also emphasize the importance of caring for children with special needs. Abortion has been devastating for those with special needs. Some time ago, the Atlantic published, “The Last Children of Down Syndrome: Prenatal testing is changing who get born and who doesn’t. This is just the beginning.” The writer noted that since the implementation of Down syndrome testing in 2004, that 95% of parents chose to abort their down syndrome child after a positive test. In 2019, only 18 down syndrome children were born in the entire country of Denmark.
The church can demonstrate the value of special needs children by ministering to them. We encourage churches to create opportunities for them to participate in worship. Check out Amos Dillard’s podcast, “How to Reach Children (and Their Parents) With Special Needs.”
(See Meeting the Mosaic of Needs)
Promote
Currently, 424,000 young people are in foster care nationwide.[18] These children face many challenges.[19] We all have parents in our churches or communities who foster children. They are truly heroes. Let’s do everything we can to support them and encourage them to share their stories with others. This truly an example of pure and undefiled religion (James 1:27). Check out this podcast with Mindy Cariker Wiggins.[20]
Another set of heroes are those who work in pregnancy support centers, and children’s homes like Free Will Baptist Family Ministries, Alabama Free Will Baptist Children’s Home, Harvest Free Will Baptist Childcare Ministries, and so many others. Let us celebrate these workers and support their ministries monetarily and invite them to come to our churches.
Check out podcasts with Jim McComas (FWBFM) and Mandy Mitchell (AL Children’s Home).
Protect
Though it has not gotten that much media attention many attacks have been carried out on pregnancy support centers.[21] We expect more violence toward churches and prolife groups in the future. This is to be expected (2 Timothy 3:12). We must take the opportunity now to prepare for disruptions we may face in the future. In general, it is always best to handle these issues lovingly, prayerfully, calmly and without fear, and as an opportunity to advance the gospel.
Check out the podcast with Rob Conley about security.
The National Center for Life and Liberty has produced a comprehensive safety and security frequently asked questions that would be good to review: Church Safety & Security FAQ
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance also has produced an article on handling protests at your church that should be of help:
Should your church encounter difficulties, please call us at 877-767-7659 or email us at questions@nafwb.org and we will do our best to assist you. We have a lot of work to do but hopefully this past Friday was a turning point for the United States where life will be valued more in the future.
[1] NRLC. Abortion statistics: United States Data and Trends. Accessed at http://nrlc.org/uploads/factsheets/FS01AbortionintheUS.pdf.
[2] U.S. News and World Report, June 15, 2022. US Abortions Rise: 1 in 5 Pregnancies Terminated in 2020. Accessed at https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-06-15/us-abortions-rise-1-in-5-pregnancies-terminated-in-2020
[3] H. Hartig, June 13, 2022. About six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Pew Research Center, accessed athttps://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/13/about-six-in-ten-americans-say-abortion-should-be-legal-in-all-or-most-cases-2/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioscloser&stream=top
[4] Oriana Gonzalez. The abortion trigger laws that have gone into effect now that Roe v. Wade is overturned. Axios. Accessed at https://www.axios.com/2021/10/31/roe-v-wade-repeal-supreme-court-texas-mississippi
[5] H. Scribner, These companies are helping employees access abortions. Axios, accessed at https://www.axios.com/2022/05/05/abortion-travel-benefit-uber-apple-amazon-lyft
[6] May 10, 2022, Axios, accessed at https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/abortion-roe-illegal-poll
[7] U.S. Chamber of Commerce, June 3, 2022. Accessed at https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage-the-most-impacted-industries
[8] J. Bykowicz, June 20, 2022. Labor Shortage Stymies Construction Work as $1 Trillion Infrastructure Spending Kicks In. Wall Street Journal, accessed at https://www.wsj.com/articles/labor-shortage-stymies-construction-work-as-1-trillion-infrastructure-spending-kicks-in-11655722801
[9] R. Molla, November 1, 2021. Service workers are getting paid more than ever. It’s not enough. Vox, accessed at https://www.vox.com/recode/22748448/service-food-hotel-workers-pay-raise-resignation-jobs-wages-benefits
[10] Z. Wichter, June 6, 2022. Don’t blame the ones who showed up: Pilot shortage driving airline reliability struggles this summer. USA TODAY, accessed at https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/06/24/pilot-shortage-summer-travel-headaches/7715978001/?gnt-cfr=1
[11] J. Muller, June 19, 2022. Airline staff shortages expected to last into 2023. Axios What’s Next accessed at https://www.axios.com/2022/06/19/airlines-flights-staff-shortages-delays-summer-vacation
[12] V. Bailey, June 8, 2022. 200K to 450K Nursing Shortage Expected by 2025 Without Action. Practice Management News, accessed at https://revcycleintelligence.com/news/200k-to-450k-nursing-shortage-expected-by-2025-without-action
[13] A. Robeznieks, April 13, 2022. Doctor shortages are here—and they’ll get worse if we don’t act fast. American Medical Association. Accessed at https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/doctor-shortages-are-here-and-they-ll-get-worse-if-we-don-t-act
[14] I. Lovett, February 21, 2022. Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic. The Wall Street Journal, Accessed at https://www.wsj.com/articles/houses-of-worship-face-clergy-shortage-as-many-resign-during-pandemic-11645452000
[15] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihU59bfuPuw&t=610s
[16] R. Wind, October 19, 2017. Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Dramatic Declines in Rates. Guttmacher Institute, Accessed at https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/abortion-common-experience-us-women-despite-dramatic-declines-rates
[17] Chae S, Desai S, Crowell M, Sedgh G. Reasons why women have induced abortions: a synthesis of findings from 14 countries. Contraception. 2017; 96:233-24
[18] iFoster, November 9, 2020. 6 Quick Statistics On The Current State of Foster Care. Accessed at https://www.ifoster.org/blogs/6-quick-statistics-on-the-current-state-of-foster-care/
[19] Annie E. Casey Foundation, May 16, 2022. Child Welfare and Foster Care Statistics. Accessed at https://www.aecf.org/blog/child-welfare-and-foster-care-statistics.
[20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyrflgsRWro
[21] A. Downey, June 26, 2022. Pro-Abortion Extremists Set Colorado Pregnancy Center on Fire following Roe Reversal. National Review, accessed at https://www.nationalreview.com/news/pro-abortion-extremists-set-colorado-pregnancy-center-on-fire-following-roe-reversal/