Roe is Overturned: What it means and doesn't mean.
The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood today. In this landmark 108-page opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court of the United States rules 6-3 that there is “no constitutional right to an abortion.”
This is a victory for Christians who believe in the intrinsic value of human life in that it determines that the US Constitution does not protect abortion. However, we should understand what this means and what this does not mean. Most importantly, what does it mean for the Church now? Entire essays could be written on each point, so forgive the brevity, but for now, it’s important to clarify some important points.
Abortion is not outlawed nationally. Today’s decision does not outlaw abortion but rather removes federal protection over abortion access. Essentially, the right to regulate or outlaw abortion now goes to the states
In response, more liberal states will likely have even greater access to abortion and will codify abortion access into their state constitutions. This is likely to increase abortion rates in those states.
Abortion is not outlawed in most conservative states. Some states have policies in place to outlaw abortion in the event of this overruling, but most do not. Even many of those policies are not necessarily true abolition but rather regulationist measures that only outlaw most abortions.
Though states are now likely to create their own policies on abortion and are more bureaucratically free to do so, it’s not true that states had to wait for this overruling. States always had the right and ability to defy the courts on abortion but chose not to. Liberal states have defied courts and federal agencies on immigration, firearms, and marijuana, but for some reason, conservative states have not had the spine to do the same for the sake of life.
The SCOTUS is not God. Even if our nation did not allow any defiance of the courts, we are called to obey God rather than man.
Because it’s not true that this decision was necessary to abolish abortion on a state-by-state basis, supporting amoral political candidates was likewise never necessary.
Even if supporting amoral candidates was necessary for abolition to be established (it’s not), we are not pragmatists.
Though there’s good elements of this decision, US states waiting 49 years in order to get permission from the federal government before we establish equal justice for all isn’t something the Bride of Christ should be proud of.
Abortion pills will be easily trafficked across state borders. If states can’t do much to curb the flow of illegal drugs, there’s no hope of stopping abortion pills from flooding into pro-life states.
Abortions by pill will never be counted in statistics, so it’s impossible to track.
As long as there’s demand, the market will find a way to provide abortions.
The answer to addressing demand is twofold: the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel remains the central and primary answer. Changing hearts will do more than any law, no matter how good the law or decision.
Second, the Kingdom. One way the Kingdom is demonstrated is by our acts of mercy. Mercy and assistance to those in need is a known and statistically proven method of decreasing abortion. For Christians, justice and mercy should go hand in hand. Decisions and laws are good and right, but mercy and assistance to those in need are also necessary.
The task remains the same. We do not seek to just make abortion illegal; we seek to make it unthinkable. So we preach the Gospel. We preach justice. We preach mercy. We preach the Cross of Jesus Christ.