Level of Education
Graduate
Keywords
abortion, maternal deaths, abortion bans, abortion restrictions, Biblical support
Abstract
Abortion has remained one of the most contentious issues in American political discourse ever since the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. Numerous emotional, statistical, and even Biblical arguments have been formulated in debates over this topic. However, arguably the two most common assertions are that thousands of women perished due to unsafe abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, and that laws restricting or outlawing abortion are ineffective in reducing abortion rates. As an example, former President of Planned Parenthood Leana Wen made the following claim in May 2019: “Before Roe v. Wade, thousands of women died every year – and because of extreme attacks on safe, legal abortion care, this could happen again right here in America.”[1] Nevertheless, this assertion is contradicted by the best available evidence. Additionally, numerous studies demonstrate the success of abortion bans in dramatically reducing abortion rates. Similar studies also show that more modest restrictions, such as parental involvement laws, informed consent requirements, and restrictions on public funding of abortion have been associated with more modest, yet still statistically significant reductions in abortion rates. Furthermore, Scripture overwhelmingly supports the value of life in the womb and calls on Christians to protect vulnerable life. In the face of the best available scientific evidence, as well as Biblical commands, Christians must be proactive in ending abortion throughout society.
[1] Kessler, Glenn. “Planned Parenthood’s false stat: ‘Thousands’ of women died every year before Roe.” Washington Post. May 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/29/planned-parenthoods-false-stat-thousands-women-died-every-year-before-roe/
Included in
Illegal Abortion: Truth vs. Fiction
Abortion has remained one of the most contentious issues in American political discourse ever since the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. Numerous emotional, statistical, and even Biblical arguments have been formulated in debates over this topic. However, arguably the two most common assertions are that thousands of women perished due to unsafe abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, and that laws restricting or outlawing abortion are ineffective in reducing abortion rates. As an example, former President of Planned Parenthood Leana Wen made the following claim in May 2019: “Before Roe v. Wade, thousands of women died every year – and because of extreme attacks on safe, legal abortion care, this could happen again right here in America.”[1] Nevertheless, this assertion is contradicted by the best available evidence. Additionally, numerous studies demonstrate the success of abortion bans in dramatically reducing abortion rates. Similar studies also show that more modest restrictions, such as parental involvement laws, informed consent requirements, and restrictions on public funding of abortion have been associated with more modest, yet still statistically significant reductions in abortion rates. Furthermore, Scripture overwhelmingly supports the value of life in the womb and calls on Christians to protect vulnerable life. In the face of the best available scientific evidence, as well as Biblical commands, Christians must be proactive in ending abortion throughout society.
[1] Kessler, Glenn. “Planned Parenthood’s false stat: ‘Thousands’ of women died every year before Roe.” Washington Post. May 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/29/planned-parenthoods-false-stat-thousands-women-died-every-year-before-roe/
