Greetings!
This week’s DHD takes on the biggest news of the week. What was reported on Monday by Politico—a politics- and policy-focused news organization—has grown to immense levels of response across the country. The report published “a leaked draft opinion within the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn its 1973 Roe v Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide.”
What I will share are some of the best commentaries and reports from a Christian worldview with an emphasis on valuing the Sanctity of Human Life.
- Joe Carter’s summary
I start with one of the best summaries of the issue. First, if you ever want to read a clear, objective yet foundationally Christian view on current issues, look for Joe Carter’s write-ups. His “what-where-how-why” format makes it easy to read and understand.
In “What the Leaked Supreme Court Draft Means for the Fight over Abortion,” Carter lays out the details in exceptional fashion. Personally, I think his presentation is even hard for abortion-rights people to object.
Two takeaways from Carter’s piece are 1) “The leak was done to influence the Court’s decision.” This was obviously a tactic done by a staffer, more than likely a law clerk, who was willing to violate the law and face serious criminal charges, in a drastic attempt to somehow change the view of a member of the Court’s majority in the projected ruling to overturn Roe. 2) “The fight over abortion is about to get even more heated.” This is a somber reality that could lead to intense interaction and scorching rally cries. I remember watching scenes on TV in the ‘90s of demonstrations outside abortion clinics. People were lined up on both sides of a street, yelling and screaming at each other. It’s obvious that our country is not short of divisive issues, but the abortion issue is definitely going to take center stage in the coming weeks and months.
- French’s commentary on Alito’s drafted opinion
David French is not someone I reference often, but his article “What Alito’s Opinion Got Right” is a good read.
French does a good job analyzing legal issues and interpreting court rulings. I found what he wrote about Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion draft to be informative.
“First, it’s important to understand the question before the Supreme Court,” French wrote. “It is not ‘Should American women possess a right to abortion?’ but ‘Does the American Constitution protect abortion rights?’ The distinction is of paramount importance. The Court’s job is not to determine which rights we should possess but rather the rights we do possess.”
Later in his article, French wrote, “Alito’s opinion represents a thorough dismantling of the idea that—prior to Roe—abortion rights were rooted at all in American history and tradition, much less ‘deeply rooted.’ In fact, the deep roots that exist are of state regulation and prohibition of abortion.”
French also offers analysis of opinions from different SCOTUS members over the years. I thought it was interesting when he mentioned both Oliver Wendell Holmes and Ruth Bader Ginsberg believed it was the Court’s duty to legislate, but Alito disagrees. “Legislation is for the legislature,” French wrote.
- Mohler’s take
Of course I’m going to reference Al Mohler on this issue. I definitely recommend listening or reading Tuesday’s edition of The Briefing, if you haven’t already.
“Now,” Mohler said, “many people in observing the court pointed out that Justice Alito’s particular role in writing this majority opinion might have come down to the fact that he is so willing to write in such simple and direct prose, taking the argument and laying it before the American people in order that just about any American who wants to understand it can. He’s doing that in this case. If this draft document is real, and it certainly appears to be real, then Justice Alito is basically stripping away the mystery and the confusion about Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood versus Casey, and simply saying they are nakedly wrong. They were never right in the first place. They were created out of whole cloth. And the second one actually created an entirely different cloth than the first one.”
I’ve listened to this podcast twice. It’s so good! You should definitely check it out.
- Mohler’s response to a listener’s question
And of course, I’m going to mention Mohler responding to a listener’s question. One listener asked him if he should consider moving to a different state since he lives in one that will sanction abortion on demand.
Mohler’s response, “It is not clear that these issues ever really stand alone. What I mean by that is when you’re looking at state laws and looking at a state that has an abortion law as liberal as, for instance the state of Illinois, which you (the listener) reference, the reality is that it is likely to be found liberal and contrary to the Word of God on a number of issues.”
Mohler then said it is often not a matter of choice of where we live and pointed out that there are conservatives living in prominently liberal states and liberals living in prominently conservative states.
My personal take is Christians are needed everywhere, regardless of how conservative or liberal that state may be. Christians in the early church lived in an extremely dark and immoral era of history, yet God used them to shine the light of Christ, which in turn impacted the world over time.
As I said earlier, the fight over abortion is about to get more heated, but those of us who value Sanctity of Human Life should also value our calling as Christians to advance the Gospel. In order to do that effectively, Christians will be needed in areas where abortion activists are more influential.
- What our Oklahoma Baptists leader said
I appreciate what Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, said in response to this news.
“The possibility that Roe may soon be overturned is a momentous point in American history,” Fisher said. “Oklahoma Baptists, because of our biblical convictions for life, have long worked to save unborn children and to see an end to the tragic practice of legalized abortion, even as we seek to minister to those facing an unintended pregnancy. We uphold the value of life at every stage, and we are hopeful and prayerful the end of Roe signals the end of abortion in our state and across our nation. We are prepared to continue to minister and serve women, men and their children, meeting needs in the name of Jesus.”
- My take
I confess, I am both encouraged yet concerned after the news broke of the leaked opinion. If you’ve known me long enough, you know I oppose the practice of abortion for many reasons, but the ultimate reason is because of how it is an obvious act of disobedience and disgrace to our God who is the Author and Creator of Life. So I’m encouraged because this is a sign of progress toward ending the practice of abortion.
However, I am also concerned because, though it is a legal action to end abortion, it is not one that is universally accepted. I’m convinced this issue is the most important political issue in the majority of elections every year, especially during presidential elections.
Remember how divisive the presidential election was in 2020? Do you not think abortion was a major reason why it was so divisive? Yes, there were other legitimate reasons, which led me to be so discouraged and jaded from the results of the election. But abortion continues to be a lightning rod issue for our country, and SCOTUS overturning Roe will not resolve the hostility.
This is what I ask of you. Pray for God to bring unity on ending abortion. In fact, a term I learned from one of the first Rose Day rallies I attended at the State Capitol, pray that abortion will become “unthinkable.” Pray for a day when our country will be united in such a way that all women who experience pregnancy no matter the condition will not even have a slight consideration to have their child aborted.
As always, I welcome your thoughts. Thank you for reading DHD!
