Today we recognize 42 years since the United States Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions; two rulings that ushered in abortion-on-demand across the country.
42 years is a long time. It is a generation, and more.
Since that time (and in certain states, before that time), many in the life-affirming movement have worked diligently to change laws, to petition the U.S. Supreme Court and state courts, and to elect more pro-life leaders to office. All who labor in the political realm deserve our thanks and our prayers, because through these efforts in the public arena, abortion can be limited in a variety of ways.
Laws are important, without question. Those involved in the anti-slavery movement, and those who labored for civil rights knew this truth well.
But if you want the answer to actually ending abortion, this particular responsibility falls upon the Pregnancy Help Community. Laws can only go so far; it is up to us to change the hearts, to influence positive decisions—so that the very thought of abortion disappears from our cultural landscape.
Tweet This: Laws can only go so far; it is up to us to change the hearts.
The Pregnancy Help Community is, without question, the avenue to ending abortion as we know it. Our Pregnancy Help Medical Clinics, Resource Centers, Maternity Homes and non-profit Adoption Agencies can—and I believe will—make abortion unthinkable.
If you want 5 reasons why, here they are. While not every Pregnancy Help Organization (PHO) offers all of these 5, together, we offer:
1. Choice
Women (and men) want choices, and they will find out about all of their options when they visit a pregnancy help organization. We offer assistance with single parenting, co-parenting, marriage, adoption and yes, we even offer the truth about abortion they often won’t find elsewhere.
By offering these choices, and backing up four of the five with practical help, we are moving closer to becoming the first choice for those with unplanned pregnancies. And if we become the first choice; the second, abortion, becomes more and more unthinkable.
2. Accurate Information
One of the only places one can receive a clear picture of abortion is a pregnancy help organization. Abortion centers sell a product. Yet when it comes to abortion, sellers have proven themselves dishonest, over and over again, regarding a child’s development, abortion methods and potential risks.
If an abortion clinic were to employ honesty, the overwhelming majority of customers would go running out the door. At pregnancy help organizations, we offer through ultrasound, accurate information and the transparency that comes not from gaining money, but incurring more expenses when a mother chooses life.
It’s no wonder that those who come to us tell friends to come see us before making a decision. Once again, if we are the first choice, the second choice begins to disappear from the societal landscape.
3. Community
No one wants to feel alone when they are afraid and unsure. Life-affirming ministries like ours offer a sense of community for a woman facing the most trying time in her life. Through peer groups, ongoing contact, and even by providing a place of respite through our maternity homes, we send a clear message: You are not alone; we are here to help.
As more see the sense of community we offer, fewer will choose to end a pregnancy through abortion.
4. Wisdom Regarding Relationships
Whether a young person is in one of our maternity homes, our STI/STD clinics, our classrooms, or in a quiet room with a client advocate, we offer wisdom regarding relationships not often found in today’s culture. For this generation, our honesty and clarity is refreshing.
Today’s teens and 20’s want preceding generations to believe in their ability to make good decisions. In addition, they want standards to live up to. They find this through pregnancy help organizations and our educational initiatives. As we connect with more young people, the unplanned pregnancy rate—and the abortion rate—will drop.
5. The Adoption Option
Find a pregnancy help organization and you will find a place where adoption is celebrated as a courageous choice. Our non-profit adoption agencies offer this choice, and our medical clinics, resource centers and maternity homes are learning to bring this option into conversations more and more effectively.
While adoption is only beginning to make a comeback, our community is the catalyst for what could soon be a tremendously positive trend of women (and men) choosing adoption over abortion.
If we grow our effectiveness in these five areas, we are well on the way to not simply lowering the abortion rate, but eliminating the very idea of ending a pregnancy.
Is it actually possible to end abortion as we know it? Yes. The more salient question we in the Pregnancy Help Community must ask is, “Do we honestly believe we, with God’s help, can accomplish this seemingly impossible mission?”
If we answer “Yes” to the second question, we are well on our way to victory.
Tomorrow, let’s look at five more reasons why we can overwhelm and defeat abortion. We can do it; and the time to re-double our efforts is now.
