As an abolitionist, I often get pushback on the call for equal protection.
People say we need to compromise if we want to make progress.
They say, “We need to run all the plays,” including passing legislation that compromises principles, because, “At least it’s a step in the right direction.”
What is the goal?
If our goal is obedience to God, we can’t do anything He forbids; and we MUST do, and we must call our representatives to do, everything He commands.
If our goal is prohibiting murder and providing the justice due to the fatherless, we won’t help accomplish that by writing, supporting, and passing laws that expressly pervert the justice due to the fatherless.
Such plays are not a step in the right direction, they are running down the field in the wrong direction—in disobedience to God.
Plus, the post-Roe battle is only making it easier to see that most Pro-Life advocates have a completely different goal than abolitionists do.
And more people are noticing it all the time.
Just last week it came up in an interview with Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President candidate, Mike Stone.
Stone explains that watching what happened with the Abolition of Abortion in Louisiana Act (HB 813) in 2022 opened his eyes. And the opposition to that bill that came from establishment Pro-Life groups and even from inside the SBC alarmed him.
If the goal is protecting the lives of all babies with the same laws that protect our lives, why is the Pro-Life establishment opposing that?
Because they don’t share the same goal of equal protection.
They want to shut down abortion clinics (a good thing), but without actually dealing with the demand by prohibiting EVERYONE from murdering babies.
We share Pastor Stone’s outrage at the way babies were betrayed in Louisiana. It’s outrageous that those who name the name of Christ are standing up in opposition to practicing the Golden Rule toward babies in the womb. We are grateful to Pastor Stone for shining a light on the problem here.
One caveat we would add to his comments is that, even in pro-abortion states, legislation that violates God’s commands should never be on the table (see the Biblical Principles of Equal Protection here).
We are encouraged to see the public conversation about these things growing. We look forward to continuing the conversation along with Pastor Stone and others as we all seek to do God’s will God’s ways and as we trust the results to His mighty hand and outstretched arm.
The abolition of abortion has been a hot topic within the SBC, the largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., ever since the resolution on abolishing abortion was passed by the Messengers at the 2021 SBC National Meeting.
And the conversation since then has at times been heated as current SBC President, Bart Barber continues to speak out publicly against abolition.
Pro-Life Leaders are Running Offense AGAINST Equal Protection
At every turn, most Pro-Life groups are setting themselves up in OPPOSITION to equal protection of the laws for preborn babies. They did it again just recently in Missouri where the Abolition of Abortion in Missouri Act (SB 356) received a Senate committee hearing. At that hearing, the ONLY testimony heard in opposition to equal protection for babies in Missouri was from Pro-Life organizations. With Missouri’s most well-known Pro-Life organizations opposed to it, it’s no surprise that SB 356 didn’t make it out of committee.
So much for them claiming they want to run all the plays.
Their strategy isn’t one of taking small steps toward the goal of justice for preborn children, because justice isn’t their goal at all.
Friends, we need to give up the self-defeating strategy of trying to run ALL the plays. Remember that not every play is a good play. Some plays are headed to the wrong goal; and some are against the rules and result in severe penalties.
We must look to God’s Word to determine our strategies and tactics just as we should to determine what our goal should be.
Our God is the God of the ends and the means.
Much of the Pro-Life lobby has rejected the end goal of equal protection for babies. They do not want to do for babies what they would want done for themselves. So it should be no surprise that they rally behind compromised strategies that reject God’s commands as the means of reaching their goal.
But as Christians we must run righteous, God-honoring plays. We can’t do what God calls evil and expect good to come from it. When we do what is evil in His sight we should expect His judgment, not some other “good” result.
Don’t be tempted to borrow unfaithful strategies from the opposition’s playbook. We don’t need them. We can trust that God’s ways are the best ways, always.
Following any other worldly-wise strategy will only delay the legal protection our preborn neighbors so desperately need.
For life, for justice, and for the glory of God,
Bradley Pierce
President
Abolish Abortion Texas
Foundation to Abolish Abortion