Finally, SCOTUS has reestablished justice and overturned the erroneous decision of Roe v. Wade with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In a 6-3 vote, the court upheld the Mississippi law that protects preborn lives after 15 weeks, and in a separate decision, SCOTUS also ruled 5-4 (without Chief Justice Roberts) that Roe and Casey are overturned, as the US Constitution does not confer a right to abortion!
Dobbs directly challenged Roe’s ban on most abortion restrictions prior to viability. Mississippi’s only abortion clinic filed a lawsuit against chief health officer Thomas Dobbs, claiming that the state’s 15-week abortion restriction was unconstitutional.
In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito provides much-needed clarity on this issue.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. That provision has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be ‘deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition’ and ‘implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.’”
This is a monumental victory for the pro-life movement, and it should be celebrated. Pro-lifers should take time to thank God for bringing an end to the legal nightmare that was Roe.
In California, abortion is still legal until the unborn child is considered viable or up to birth when the abortion is considered necessary to protect the life or health of the person. Shockingly, state politicians are seeking to expand abortion with more than a dozen bills making killing the unborn legal for any reason up to the moment of birth including making infanticide hard to prosecute. The good news is that efforts to protect the unborn are no longer hindered by a fallacious and evil ruling that invented a non-existent “right.”
Further, in over 20 states, robust protections for the unborn are now in effect. In some states, abortion is banned entirely.
While this is a major victory, the work of the pro-life movement is far from done. The court has done its job, but it cannot change the culture. Pro-lifers are simply entering a new phase of the fight for life. The “culture of death” that Roe fostered needs to be undone.
Pro-lifers should continue to show up and speak out for the unborn like they did in Sacramento on June 22nd for the March for Life. Attendees learned about “the principles of effective lobbying, the specific and current issues California is facing, and what they can do to champion pro-life policies to elected representatives.” These are skills that will be vitally important as the pro-life movement in California marches forward and works to combat the pro-abortion extremism coming from Gov. Newsom and his colleagues.
Abortion needs to be more than just illegal, but unthinkable. Only through intentional discipleship will pro-lifers be able to transform hearts and minds so that life at every stage is protected for years to come.
Pro-lifers need to practice radical love and compassion toward expecting mothers who are in difficult situations. Churches and their members must answer the call to offer help and hope to abortion-vulnerable women and men by donating to crisis pregnancy centers, giving directly to mothers in need, or simply walking with those that are hurting.
Pro-lifers must also speak the truth in love about the unborn and create a culture of deep care for all life. Debates surrounding this issue will become more intense, and pro-lifers need to be equipped with the facts and prepared to defend the sanctity of life at all times.
Pro-lifers should prepare to face more persecution than ever before. Stand firm in the truth and keep fighting to permanently end the greatest human rights violation of our lifetime.
