Uniting to Make Abortion Unnecessary

Welcome and thank you so much for joining me today as we seek to unpack what it means when we say we’re united to make abortion unnecessary.  

Life that is in its prime. Life that’s in winter. Life that is in the womb. From conception to natural death, we stand for all life. When we fully understand that we are created in God’s image, it changes everything. We know that life has intrinsic value and is worthy to be affirmed and protected.  

This past year, we witnessed a historic moment for the dignity of human life and the protection of the preborn. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it was a victory, and we now celebrate the thousands and thousands of lives that will be saved. 

Yet, while it’s crucial that we have laws that defend and protect life and we pursue every legal option available to restrict the taking of any life, an equally important goal is for abortion to be unthinkable and unnecessary in the hearts and minds of our culture. Only when we see life holistically with inherent value, rooted in the image of God, will there be widespread change.  

A post-Roe world is good, but a post-abortion world is what we continue to fervently work to achieve by reaching these women where they are in their time of crisis. Laws are critical, but they cannot change the fact that there will still be thousands of women who will face unplanned pregnancies. 

They’re afraid and unprepared, no support, and unsure of what to do and where to turn. The work does not end even though Roe vs. Wade was overturned. It’s only the beginning of a new chapter. It’s critical that we inspire, disciple, equip, and mobilize a new generation to defend the dignity of all human life, transforming our culture so they see abortion as unnecessary and unthinkable.  

I know some have asked, when is abortion really ever necessary? When we say we want to make abortion unnecessary in our lifetime, we don’t use that term because we believe abortion is necessary, but because so many women believe abortion is their only option. We are speaking their language to them because they feel scared, trapped, shamed, and they don’t know where to go, which makes these women feel that it’s the only choice that there is to make.  

We also use the word unnecessary to directly counter the constant narrative of lies that Planned Parenthood has fed and used to prey upon women for the last 50, and I would argue, 100 years including:  

“In your situation, an abortion is necessary for you to live a full life.”
“An abortion is necessary for you to earn a living.”
“And abortion is necessary for you to flourish.”  

This is what these women have heard. This is what they feel. This is what they believe to be true. We don’t need to be an echo chamber in our own communities, using words and language that we approve and that makes us feel comfortable.  

Rather, we must reach these abortion-minded and abortion-vulnerable women when they are at this vulnerable place to speak with empathy and relevancy to their situation, which is often messy, complex, and dire.  

Monique was just that kind of woman. Her real name’s changed for her privacy and for her safety, but I have permission to share her story. 

When Monique was 6 years old, she was removed from her mother, and her parental rights were terminated. From that time until she aged out of the foster care system at 18 years old, she had 13 foster families.  

While she was in the foster care system, a family adopted her, and the father physically abused her. She was removed from that home and the parental rights of the adoptive family were terminated.  

When Monique aged out of the foster care system, she had no family, no support. And as you can imagine, she began to use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain from her trauma, which led her to then being trafficked, and eventually she found herself unexpectedly pregnant. 

Against all odds, she carried her baby to term, and then DHS removed the baby from her care and terminated her parental rights because she was unable to care for her baby. Continuing down this very dark path, she had a second unplanned pregnancy. This time Monique was committed to having an abortion. She had already experienced the loss of one child, knew she couldn’t care for that child, and now she’s unexpectedly pregnant again.  

She had no family, no protection, she could barely care for herself, and she had absolutely no support. But the Lord knew. Through a mutual friend, Monique met an advocate from a pro-life organization who began to walk alongside her in love, compassion, empathy, and to show her that she had other choices. The advocate told her that she would foster her daughter, connect her to a church, and help her with the resources that she needed to provide ongoing support through a continuum of care. 

Again, counter to the “necessary” message that Monique was told by the culture, she courageously chose life. And today, baby E is alive. Abortion became unnecessary to her because God sent someone to her. And she did not have to believe the lie that culture had been telling her. Today, Baby E is alive, and by the grace of God, Baby E has been adopted into a safe, loving, and forever family. And Monique has an open adoption with that family, so she gets to see how Baby E is flourishing.  

We need to recognize that most women like Monique, who are considering abortion, are doing so because they feel afraid, overwhelmed, unsupported, and with very limited options. Some women can hardly help themselves, let alone a child. 

Some are pressured by their partner and don’t have anyone else in their life to help them. Others think that the church will shame them because they’re pregnant outside of marriage. So, as the church is now living in a post-Roe world, we need to welcome these women with open arms, love them, value them, support them, not criminalize them. 

And yes, communicate in a way that reaches them with a sense of empathy, all while keeping Christ’s love and compassion for the broken and hurting front and center, which is why we’re here today in Washington, DC on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe vs Wade. These talks were created to unify leaders, influencers, organizations, and the Church to strategically enhance the holistic pro-life movement through the next generation. 

We work to change our culture to one that affirms and protects the dignity of all human life by engaging, educating, and equipping others to build a society that believes everyone is made in the image of God, has inherent value, and should be treated with honor and respect. We want the church to be the first place that a woman goes in their time of crisis to receive care and support, not judgment. 

So, let us stand for life in this historic moment by unifying our efforts, continuing our critical work, while making the church the most safe, supportive, and hopeful place to go in these women’s time of need. And then perhaps we will turn this moment into an opportunity to change our culture’s entire view on life. 

Will you stand for life?