Let's Talk About Roe V. Wade

Look at me getting political and potentially stirring up conflict. I know. It's making me sweat, but it's gotten me fired up this week and I process by writing, so bear with me. In case you live under a rock, this is the gist from Politico's website. 

The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by POLITICO.

 As the article goes on to explain,

The immediate impact of the ruling as drafted in February would be to end a half-century guarantee of federal constitutional protection of abortion rights and allow each state to decide whether to restrict or ban abortion.

The underhanded reason it was leaked, though, is this:

Deliberations on controversial cases have in the past been fluid. Justices can and sometimes do change their votes as draft opinions circulate and major decisions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before a decision is unveiled. The court’s holding will not be final until it is published, likely in the next two months.

So it isn't a done deal. But people are freaking out. First of all, I don't think people really understand what it means to overturn Roe v. Wade. It's not an outright criminalization of abortion across the board. It simply returns the power to allow or restrict abortion to each state instead of naming it as a constitutional right. So yes, there will be certain republican-held states that will outlaw most if not all forms of abortion. But the democrat states will set themselves up as "sanctuary states" where abortion will be upheld as the pinnacle of women's reproductive health. Or as the Babylon Bee puts it:

Ok, so lengthy explanations aside, this is what got me riled up this week. I couldn't believe how many of my Christian friends were protesting the Supreme Court's decision. Like I had a moment where I considered stepping away from social media for a while because it was seriously tearing me up inside. But I found myself going back for more because I truly want to understand their perspective. There are a lot of issues that I can see from both sides: certain facets of immigration reform, legalizing marijuana, even the Covid masks/vaccine debates. While I lean conservative on most issues, I can at least see where the "other side" is coming from. But this is one of those issues I just canNOT wrap my brain around. I seriously can't understand how anyone can think abortion is ever a good thing. For me, it boils down to two things: 1. when does life begin? and 2. what about the extreme cases of rape, incest, and endangering the life of the mother? Again, forgive me for processing by writing, but I want to get this down.

1. When does life begin?

This seems like a no-brainer to me. I've been pregnant 5 times. 2 of those ended in early miscarriage. I was 9 and 10 weeks but the babies measured 6 weeks each time. And yet, when people found out about my loss they sent me condolences. They did not say, "I'm sorry that you lost a clump of cells that might have someday become a baby." They said, "I'm sorry about your baby." Similarly, if you go to any pregnancy website and pretend to be a few weeks pregnant, you'll be inundated with weekly emails that explain your baby's development. At 6 weeks you'll be told your baby's heart is beating. You'll see pictures of your baby looking like a gummy bear, but then as early as 9 weeks that gummy bear will have distinct arms and legs. These emails don't just go out to pro-life advocates. Science agrees that life begins at conception, that babies in utero feel pain, that abortion is not humane in any way. (And it's not just religious scientists who believe it.)

2. So if science agrees that a pregnant woman is carrying a human life, then when is it ever ok to extinguish that life? Is it ok when it might cause the woman undue suffering? If my facebook feed is any indication, most people say yes. And that seems like a slippery slope to me. Listen. I understand that I'm a middle class white woman with a supportive family and financial stability. I don't deny that there are women who don't have those luxuries that find themselves pregnant. I don't even deny that sometimes women end up pregnant through no fault of their own. And I'm not so naive to believe that rape and incest don't happen - even to very young girls who might then get pregnant. Those things are horrible. Their suffering is legitimate. But taking another person's life to relieve their suffering is just as evil and repugnant. 

I also want to point out that there's a multitude of evidence to back up the fact that less than 1% of abortions are done for women who fall into that category. Basing your entire moral philosophy on 1% of cases is weak at best, irresponsible at worst. Let's remember that the majority of abortions are being done because women simply don't want to be pregnant or have children. Again, I've been pregnant. I understand the sacrifice it is. But just because something is uncomfortable or inconvenient doesn't mean it can be eliminated without question. No one is saying you have to keep a child you don't feel prepared for or equipped to raise. Adoption exists and is a viable option.  

I could go on and on about how the left is using scare tactics about criminalizing miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, and how abortion "for the life of the mother" is never medically necessary, and how women who have had abortions have extreme rates of depression and suicide. But you can get all that information by following Live Action or Abby Johnson on facebook. 

I'm going to end with this. As Christians, we should fight for life in and out of the womb. The church has not always been a shining example of this. Women get abortions because they're afraid of being judged by their church/religious family members. That doesn't make their decision ok, but it should be a warning to us to take a position of grace as often as possible. In our rush to ensure we don't condone sin, I'm sometimes afraid we judge too harshly. As my kids get older, I'm going to be intentional about saying, "I'm glad that girl chose life" when we see teen moms instead of saying, "Don't you ever make a stupid mistake like she did." And I think we should be sure to put our money (and time/resources) where our mouth is when it comes to supporting pro-life resources. 

To my friends reading this and getting angry with me, know that it's not my heart to stir up division. I understand that this is a hard topic with many nuances. I know that suffering is real and I'm sorry if I've minimized it. But I'm imploring you not to be blinded by bad logic to justify something that is inherently evil. Let's use the energy that's been devoted to defending abortion for finding real solutions for women - whether it's affordable birth control to prevent pregnancy or support during and after pregnancy. Abortion is not the only option.