The American Supreme Court has reversed the Roe v. Wade decision that dealt with abortion. Consequently, the Canadian media has displayed an orgy of one-sided pro-abortion programming. The decision has nothing to do with Canadian law, but there may be cultural influences for Canada. I have a different opinion from CBC and CTV. I believe abortion is usually the wrong answer to the many dilemmas that are used to excuse its use. Midst the avalanche of the pro-abortion media culture, my conscience guides me otherwise..There have been many esteemed academic legal arguments down through the years, about how the technicalness of the original decision was faulty from a legal perspective. However, the larger social debate was about rights, morality, and emotion. The landmark decision comes after almost fifty long, hard years of defending the lives of helpless babies. The end of Roe doesn’t mean the end of the practice of abortion. But what this ruling does mean is that this issue can be debated and will be legislated by democratic processes in local state governments, rather than by judicial fiat. The various state regulations that are likely to come into force will be politically reviewable by voters in those states. There can now be social conversations about the facts. Western culture in general, will not be immune to these debates, even our prime minister has already unwisely jumped right into something that is presently none of his business..So, what now? How should faithful people of conscience respond, now that Roe v. Wade has been reversed? Canadian pro-abortion voices are already out in full force, trying to make something out of it for Canada..First, we should take time to give thanks. I’m convinced Roe v. Wade will go down as one of the worst decisions in American Supreme Court history. Roe’s reversal is a triumph of constitutionalism. Canadians have watched as American pro-life leaders worked for this moment their entire lives. Pro-life people have the fathers and mothers of the movement to thank for their courage to speak about life when it was not as well-received, and for helping introduce into the culture the moral vocabulary that sees humanity in the most vulnerable..Second, we should remember that this court development is only the beginning of the fight for the unborn. The advocacy for the unborn will go from state to state. Some states will try and reduce abortions. Other states will tragically go the other way and increase access funding for abortions. Some states will be somewhere in the middle with incremental legislation that regulates. Pro-lifers must not grow weary in well-doing. Canadians will watch carefully what happens in state legislatures as meaningful legislation develops that recognizes the dignity of the unborn..Third, we should continue to serve, with compassion, mothers in crisis, regardless of the law. The end of Roe is not the end of unplanned pregnancies in the USA. Thankfully, in almost every community, there are pregnancy resource centres staffed by amazing self-sacrificing people who offer compassion and hope to young women, with viable alternatives to the abortion solution. In Canada, perhaps instead of fighting politically, we could do so much better at just working to help, by providing better support alternatives. We need to think creatively about ways our compassionate communities can meet the need. One example is enhanced foster care and adoption. Currently, there are thousands of kids in foster care, and they need loving homes and loving communities. I’m confident that people of positive values will rise to the cultural challenge of the death solution that our prime minister falsely wrapped in the word "healthcare.".Fourth, people who do not agree with abortion should not abandon persuasion. Thankfully, most Canadians are in favour of some level of abortion regulation rather than just wide-open behaviour. We need to create a culture of life. Roe may be reversed, but the need to articulate the sanctity of life skilfully, logically, and compassionately is still as important as it has ever been. Genesis tells us from the beginning that every human being is made in the image of God and possesses unique dignity and worth. Psalm 139 says that every life is uniquely crafted by God in the womb from the moment of conception. The first chapter of Jeremiah reminds us that before we were born, God knew us. These timeless truths combined with breathtaking scientific breakthroughs should be used to reach this generation. It is good and noble for people to stand up for the vulnerable in this way..Fifth, we should in humility pray. Scripture urges us to pray for our public officials at every level. As exasperated as we often get at politicians, we should pray for their wisdom and discretion. Even as one works for a culture of life, God is sovereign over all human government and is gathering history to Himself. So, we advocate and defend the unborn, we lament a culture of death, we work for policies that encourage human flourishing. Let’s trust and pray that this leads to the day when our Canadian society recognizes the personhood of the unborn. And let’s pray for a day when every vulnerable human life in our country is valued.
