A ground-breaking potential decision has been leaked, a few months ahead of official release in the United States of America that would see abortion banned in some states of America.
Never have abortion laws been undone – the push is normally for more abortion at a later date of pregnancy, so the significance of this cannot be understated.
What is Roe Vs Wade?
Roe Vs Wade is a legal decision made by the supreme court of America that interpreted the constitution to say that abortion was implied (in the 14th amendment) and so must be provided for across the United States. Because it was the supreme court it overruled any laws made in individual states and forced all states to allow abortion providers to abort babies.
Why is it being discussed in the Supreme Court again?
Mississippi changed their state laws to ban abortion for a baby in utero from age 15 weeks. This state level law is being challenged and has reopened the discussion on Roe Vs Wade.
What would happen if it is overturned?
If it is overturned each individual state would have the right to determine their own laws concerning abortion. It is expected that 26 states would restrict or almost ban abortion completely.
Is this really happening?
Maybe. The decision of the supreme court is still in draft form and could still change. It has been leaked – something which is unprecedented for a supreme court, but it certainly seems like there is a will within the court to make this change.
President Biden has vowed to sign abortion as a right into law. After the upcoming elections he may not have the votes to do this, so timing will be crucial. In short the ruling of Roe Vs Wade still has a journey to go and hurdles to overcome before it impacts abortion laws in the United States.
So why was the decision leaked?
Most people feel it has been leaked for political reasons – either to put pressure on the court to make a different decision, or to distract from other problems in the country with the upcoming elections. No doubt there will be endless commentaries on this in the days to come.
What has this got to do with the United Kingdom?
On the face of it, not a lot. But it cannot be understated how significant it would be to see these laws reversed. The spiritual ramifications of this are massive as I cannot think of a single place where the abortion laws have been recinded once passed and indeed many nations come under intense pressure to pass laws to allow abortion.
In the UK, 1 out of every 4 babies are aborted. That’s almost 10 million babies in the UK alone who were never given the chance for life. And in the UK we have just passed laws to allow DIY abortion at home to continue (an 'emergency' measure brought in during the pandemic), in spite of the risks this poses to the mothers (1 in 17 required hospital treatment).
Many nations are pushed to accept liberal abortion laws in exchange for aid from the West. As nations I believe we have blood on our hands because of abortion. Other nations like Brazil have resisted the pro abortion lobbying to date.
What is the abortion debate all about?
The abortion debate is essentially split down two lines –
The ‘pro-choice’ lobby would say that the baby is a clump of cells until a given point and a part of the mothers body so she can remove it at will, in the same way you would remove an unwanted mole.
The ‘pro-life’ lobby declare that the baby is a separate human (or potential human) and abortion is therefore tantamount to murder.
There can clearly be no agreement between these two groups starting from different points. Having seen babies born prematurely, (they survive at 20 weeks) and having studied embryology at medical school, where we were shown foetuses at different stages of development, I have no doubt that a baby in the womb is a human baby. Even at 10 weeks they have a heartbeat, limbs, fingers, eyes and all their organs.
As a Christian, all life is sacred and every person is made in God’s image. We read in the Bible that God forms us in our mother’s womb. A baby in the womb has different DNA to their mother. A womb is created with the purpose of nurturing a separate life. Life does not have value based on what others think – human life has value because we are made in God’s image.
What can we do now?
Pray.
Let’s pray that God will move and reverse the Roe Vs Wade, whatever pressures are brought to bear on the supreme court in the coming months.
Heavenly Father, we confess that there is blood on our hands and we ask you to have mercy on our nation. Numerous, innocent children have been killed and we have felt powerless to stop it. We ask Lord that you would give us wisdom, give us a voice and let us be your hands and feet to rescue children and support mothers who are faced with this decision. Let us not keep silent on this issue but silence the ungodly voices in governments around the world and let your voice ring out clear. We confess that we are a fallen world who have moved far from your ways. Allow your church to rise and speak for truth and righteousness and ultimately to point people back to you. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Who can we contact for more information?
Link with organisations that are fighting for these young lives: In the UK https://www.spuc.org.uk www.christianconcern.com
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