For decades, advocates have worked toward the day when Roe v. Wade is no longer the law of the land and United States law protects the most vulnerable among us. Today we have reason to celebrate. The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has reversed the legal principles in Roe and will send the issue of abortion policy back to the states. The Dobbs decision is momentous for the pro-life movement and will save the lives of many of our preborn neighbors. It’s also deeply personal for me.
I was born to a single, teenage mother whose circumstances mirror that of many women who choose abortion. She was 19 years old with limited financial resources and no spouse to help shoulder parenting responsibilities. Around 85 percent of women who have abortions are in the same position as my birth mother. Her decision to make an adoption plan for me was hard. It’s rarely easy for a woman to willingly surrender her own flesh and blood.
Much work will continue, but we should rightly celebrate this historic Supreme Court decision.
But by God’s grace, my story is one of life. And I’ve worked on life issues for more than a decade, spending many of those years helping craft public policy that legally protects the preborn, cares for vulnerable children in the foster care system, ensures adoption remains a viable option, and promotes flourishing families. Much of that work will continue, but we should rightly celebrate this historic Supreme Court decision.
Why Is the Dobbs Decision Good News?
As I worked on Capitol Hill, the heartbeat of my efforts—alongside thousands of others’—was working toward a day when Roe would no longer reign supreme. Since Roe was handed down in 1973, more than 60 million preborn babies have been aborted. We deeply mourn the staggering number of innocent lives lost. But today, we are grateful for the Justices’ decision that will protect millions of our vulnerable neighbors going forward. With each passing day, more and more people recognize that preborn lives are worthy of protection.
As a result of the Dobbs decision, states will be allowed to decide their own policies concerning abortion. Although some states will protect abortion access, others will now be able to offer robust protections for the preborn. This case represents a meaningful shift in abortion jurisprudence, and the pro-life movement and strategy will look different moving forward. But what won’t change is the need for the church to be on the frontlines of serving vulnerable families.
Throughline of Faithfulness
While we rejoice over the Dobbs decision, we should also honor the countless men and women who helped us arrive at this historic moment. For decades, thousands of churches and individual Christians have been serving preborn babies, caring for women, mentoring men, and helping families flourish. The throughline of this movement is faithfulness.
Faithfulness in advocating for laws that protect our most vulnerable neighbors.
Faithfulness in caring for the preborn and their mothers and fathers.
Faithfulness in operating hundreds of pregnancy resource centers around the country.
Faithfulness in adopting and fostering and in ensuring that every child has a safe, permanent, and loving home.
Faithfulness in proclaiming the good news of the gospel to women who’ve had abortions.
Because the faithful have been quietly serving for years, many of us will never know their names. But eternity will know their influence. Christians’ dedication and commitment to the preborn and their families is firmly rooted in Scripture. All people are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), and a person’s usefulness or ability to contribute to society shouldn’t determine their worth or their right to life. The pro-life movement is working toward a society in which the innate worth of every life—both preborn and born—is respected.
New Movement, Same Message
Because the faithful have been quietly serving for years, many of us will never know their names. But eternity will know their influence.
The Dobbs decision marks the dawning of a new pro-life movement, and we ought to rightly celebrate it for what it is: the opportunity for thousands of preborn babies to have the most fundamental human right—the right to live. We should pause and praise God for his sovereignty and mercy in this decision.
Then, we should redouble our efforts to care for preborn babies, their families, and vulnerable children, all while offering the love and hope of the gospel. May we be on the frontlines of proclaiming that all people are created in the image of God and are inherently worthy of care. And may we display with our lives that all people are precious in God’s sight.
The Gospel Coalition