This post originally appeared at https://wifamilycouncil.org/radio/abortion-addressing-the-root-problem/

2024 | Week of November 18 | Radio Transcript #1593

Even after a historic swing-state sweep by President-Elect Donald Trump, many pro-lifers are dismayed at the state results of the recent election.

In ten states, abortion initiatives were on the ballot, and sadly, only three states were able to successfully defend preborn lives: Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.^[i] Extreme pro-abortion amendments in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York all succeeded, enshrining a so-called “right” to abortion in state constitutions and effectively green-lighting abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

In a recent commentary for First Things, Ryan T. Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center parses out the incongruency between the triumphant overturning of Roe v. Wade and the success of pro-abortion measures at the state level.^{[ii] [iii]}

According to Anderson, right now, “63 percent of fifty- to sixty-four-year-olds support first-trimester abortion, whereas a whopping 83 percent of eighteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds do.” And Bill Maher earlier this year said to his audience in reference to pro-lifers, “They think it’s murder. And it kind of is. I’m just okay with that”? These numbers and thinking tell much of the state-level story.

Anderson writes, “Though Dobbs did important work to repair part of the damage to our constitutional order, it doesn’t—couldn’t—erase half a century of political and social corruption. And even for those of us who believe the unborn are persons under the Fourteenth Amendment, constitutionally entitled to equal protection, widespread recognition of that fact is not going to happen quickly. We need to lay the groundwork for success in the long term.”

A major part of addressing the root problem is to address an issue that very few are willing today to even acknowledge let alone talk about: sex outside of marriage. The numbers clearly show the vast majority of abortions are performed on unmarried women.

Instead of viewing sexual intimacy as the pathway to create a new child to welcome into the world, sex is increasingly viewed as a recreational activity—even a right—that shouldn’t come with the inherently attached risks and responsibilities, especially pregnancy.

Instead of thinking, If I do this and get pregnant, I must be willing to either marry this man or have the baby and give him or her up for adoption, it seems more and more people, especially young people, are thinking, I want to do this, but I don’t want to raise a child just yet. Therefore, I want access to abortion, in case I need one.

This twisted way of thinking that lacks any sense of personal accountability must be addressed, or else the scourge of legalized abortion will never be erased. Laws to protect the preborn are essential, but are not enough. We must reach public opinion; we must reach both the heart and mind of individuals.

Two critical places to start are our homes and our schools.

Children must be brought up to understand the basic facts of human reproduction and be ready to acknowledge that life begins at conception. But more importantly, their hearts need to be shaped to appreciate the dignity of human life, stamped with the image of God and to deeply respect God’s design for human sexuality, which for God’s glory and humankind’s good is to be only within a one-man and one-woman marriage—in large part because this is how God intends for the next generation to be brought into the world and given the best opportunity to thrive.

We must also increase in the classroom education and clarity on the human reproductive process and what abortion.  When presented with the facts, it’s hard to ignore the biological truth of when life begins and the gruesome reality of abortion. Our state legislators should be persuaded to enact laws that require students to receive clear instruction on human reproduction as well as how each method of abortion is carried out. That may seem harsh, but killing preborn children is harsher.  Over the years we’ve learned that many people who say they support abortion—especially young people—have no idea what happens to a baby during a chemical or surgical abortion.

Beyond this, of course, is the need to reach the hearts of teenagers and young adults on the topic of premarital sex. Talking about, encouraging, and even offering contraception is decidedly not the answer. Sexual intimacy is more than just an equation that leads to human life; it is part of a bond intended for marriage as God designed that unique human relationship. If we don’t address this root problem, we will continue to fight uphill against abortion.

For Wisconsin Family Council, this is Julaine Appling, reminding you that God, through the Prophet Hosea, said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

[i] https://www.lc.org/newsroom/details/110624-abortion-ballot-initiatives-fail-in-three-states

[ii] https://www.firstthings.com/article/2024/10/the-way-forward-after-dobbs

[iii] https://wifamilycouncil.org/radio/speaking-pro-life-truth-to-both-parties/

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