AATX is always working to change how people think and talk about preborn people and, more than that, how we act toward them.
If we believe that a fetus is a person…
(and we do)
…then we need to act like it.
We have been saying that for a while now. And you know what? People are starting to listen.
What did Abby say?
In a recent interview, prominent Pro-Life figure Abby Johnson dropped the unexpected bombshell that she thinks that, in at least some cases, women should be prosecuted for abortion. Watch her interview and my comments in the video above.
If a mother of her own free will knowingly kills her child AFTER birth, the law should make it at least POSSIBLE that she could be prosecuted for something, right?
Of course it should. In fact, that’s already the law that protects born people.
Well, if we’re providing equal protection…
(which the Constitution and God require)
…then if a mother of her own free will knowingly kills her child BEFORE birth, shouldn’t it be at least possible that she could be prosecuted for something?
If we believe that a fetus is a person and therefore abortion is murder, this should be obvious, right? But as Pro-Life legislation shows, it hasn’t been so obvious to Pro-Life leaders over the last 49 years.
Abby even said, “When I first became Pro-Life I was very much against prosecution of women in all cases.”
What changed her mind?
She explained, “I think our culture is changing … I don’t think abortion is as delicate an issue as it used to be. I don’t think women are agonizing over this decision as maybe they used to be … you’ve got women proudly proclaiming that they’re having five, six, seven abortions…”
Why is the culture changing?
Abby is right about the culture changing; and for a while now abolitionists have been pointing out why this is the case.
The Bible says that, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” (Ecc. 8:11).
God’s Word tells us exactly why people are becoming more and more brazen about abortion as the years roll past. It is because the law is a tutor that trains the hearts of men and women and informs their consciences.
The last 49 years of Pro-Life legislation governing when and where and how parents may “legally” murder their children has tutored the hearts of Americans, and not in a good way.
And as the Bible says, hearts are becoming fully set to do evil.
Abby went on to say that, “If we really believe that the unborn are human beings, then I think we have to act like it. I think that there has to be a penalty under the law for taking the life.”
Amen to that!
This is a bold statement to make when nearly every piece of abortion legislation put forward by Pro-Life lobbyists and politicians and celebrated by major Pro-Life organizations specifically exempts women from prosecution even if they violate the law.
“No prosecution for women” has been a standard Pro-Life talking point ever since Roe.
And even before Roe, this was a problem in many states.
Did you know that the state of Texas denied equal protection of the law to preborn babies BEFORE Roe v. Wade?
It’s true.
In Texas in 1973, before Roe was decided, mothers were exempted from any prosecution for aborting their children.
This has been going on for a LONG time.
In light of all this, it is no small thing that Abby said what she did.
I have mentioned in the past how she has also made comments about “defying Roe.”
Abolition is Different than Pro-Life
It is encouraging that Abby is talking about both Ignoring Roe and equal protection, because these are two of the most important distinctions between the Pro-Life establishment and abolitionists when it comes to legislation.
Abolitionists use these terms regularly to describe our beliefs and strategies related to abortion.
When we say Ignore Roe, what we mean is that the Supremacy Clause says that the Constitution and the laws made in pursuance thereof are the supreme law of the land. Roe v. Wade was not made pursuant to the Constitution so it’s not a supreme law of the land and therefore is not binding on the states. Where the court ignores the Constitution we must ignore the Court. We sum that up by saying Ignore Roe.
Equal protection is commanded by God and required by the Constitution. It is simply the belief that killing a preborn person should be treated in the same way by the law as killing a born person. Preborn people should not be denied any protection of the law which born people enjoy. Do unto others as we would have done to us.
Watch the interview with Abby Johnson and my take on it above if you haven’t already.
This shift we are seeing demonstrates that the work we are doing as abolitionists—staying strong on our principles—is making a difference.
The conversation and culture surrounding Pro-Life legislation in Texas is shifting for the better. It can be seen everywhere, from the political races to comments from Pro-Life leaders like Abby. People are talking about equal protection and Ignoring Roe because this movement to abolish abortion is growing and more people are demanding an uncompromising stance.
I am glad to see that Abby has reconsidered her view on this and pray that she continues in this direction. I hope and pray that many more people in the Pro-Life movement take the time to reconsider their own views. We want to see hundreds of thousands more abolitionists added to this movement!
Establishing equal protection honors God, obeys the Constitution, and LOVES our preborn neighbors as ourselves. That is what we want and nothing less will do.
We are excited about the shift that is happening and are glad that you are with us in the fight!
For life, for justice, and for the glory of God,
Bradley Pierce
President
Abolish Abortion Texas