The Demise of Abortion?
by Mike James
In early May, a draft of a Supreme Court opinion was released that stated the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion would be overturned when the Supreme Court rules on a Mississippi case (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization) dealing with abortion in June or July. The Mississippi case was looking to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The draft opinion also rejects the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision in 1992, which reaffirmed the Roe ruling.
If this plays out as it seems, the decision will move the decision-making about abortion to the states. This will likely lead to a mish-mash of rulings throughout the country on the legality of abortion. Abortion will probably be illegal under most circumstances in about half the states and legal in most situations in the other half. If all goes as expected, this will not end abortion in the United States (U.S.).
Twenty-six states are certain or likely to restrict abortion if the draft opinion holds, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based pro-choice think tank. Of those, 22 states already have total or near-total abortion restrictions that would begin as soon as Roe v. Wade ends: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have protected access to abortion in their state law.
I'm all for any ruling that decreases the number of abortions in the U.S. According to CDC data from 49 states, 629,898 abortions were performed in the U.S. in 2019. From 2018 to 2019, the total number of abortions increased by two percent, but overall, there were fewer abortions being performed at the end of the decade than at the beginning.
But what else might this ruling lead to? If we look at polling data on abortion, we see consistency over the almost 50 years since the Roe decision was made. The Roe decision made abortion legal in the U.S. up until the fetus was about 24 weeks old.
According to Gallup polling data, 21 percent of Americans thought abortion should be illegal in all circumstances in 1975, compared with 19 percent in 2021. Twenty-two percent thought abortion should be legal in any circumstance in 1975, compared with 32 percent in 2021. Fifty-four percent said abortion should be legal in certain circumstances in 1975, while 48 percent agreed with that in 2021.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late April of this year found that 54 percent of Americans think the 1973 Roe decision should be upheld, while 28 percent believe it should be overturned. Other polls seem to agree with this recent poll.
So getting back to my question – if most Americans believe abortion should be legal in certain circumstances (rape, incest, first trimester, etc.), what might this ruling lead to? I believe a more heated debate between extreme forces on the right and left on this issue.
Change is difficult to bring about, but when change does come there is a period of instability as those opposed to change digest it. We are already seeing evidence of this in street protests outside Church buildings, the Supreme Court building, and Supreme Court Justice's homes. The media is also churning out numerous stories on both sides of the issue.
If our country is not already divided enough, this issue could lead to more division and rancor over time.
Despite good intentions, the abortion problem is not going away. It is rooted in the false conception that there is no God. How else could you kill a child and not expect consequences from this action? The root of the problem is sex. Sex leads to fetuses in wombs. Without a belief in God, you don't understand the primary purpose of sex. That is to be "fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28) and increase God's family. You would also not understand that sex is for marriage. Without an understanding of God, you don't know the profound purpose of marriage. To nurture and raise children and learn what love is all about.
Let's not forget the reason people are protesting for abortion rights is that they don't know what they are doing. They don't know the Bible, and they don't know God. Don't forget what Christ said in Luke 23:34, "…Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Someday everyone will know the Bible and God, and that is when they will be judged (Revelation 20:5; John 12:32; Matthew 11:20-24).
The only answer to the lack of knowledge about abortion, sex, marriage, and family is the kingdom of God on earth. Let us pray that it comes sooner rather than later.
Sources: "In Draft Abortion Ruling Democrats See Minority Rule," by Michael Scherer, The Washington Post, May 5, 2022.
"What Supreme Court's Leaked Decision on Roe v. Wade Means For Abortion Rights," by Emily Crane, The New York Post, May 3, 2022.