On December 19, 2021, I delivered a sermon entitled, “Abortion in America.” We looked at what the Scriptures teach regarding this important, moral issue. In that sermon, we also pointed out that the United States Supreme Court has an upcoming opportunity to reconsider its infamous 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. In that case, the court purported to find a “right to privacy” in the United States Constitution, which, they said, includes the right to an abortion for any reason within the first trimester. A series of other cases were also decided about that time, the combined effect of which was to basically prevent the States from restricting abortion for any reason. As was feared, attempts by States since Roe to place reasonable limits on abortion have largely been struck down by the Supreme Court.
In the 50 years which have followed, medical science has advanced greatly, giving us clearer information about the appearance and status of the unborn child during gestation, and there has naturally been growing outrage that abortion cannot be lawfully restricted. Cries for reform have been largely ineffective due to the Roe decision, which stands as an impenetrable barrier to reasonable restrictions on abortion, and trumps the various State laws.
Meanwhile, pro-abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood have received a huge financial windfall, and have converted abortion into a lucrative industry in the U.S. It is now so frequent and widespread, that the numbers are sickening. One of our members recently shared with me this interesting perspective: As of this writing, the current number of aborted children since Roe would fill our auditorium every Sunday morning for 7,119 years.
The situation has worsened to the point where “partial-birth abortions” (where the live baby is partially delivered, and then barbarically killed) have become quite common, and the boundaries have been pressed farther and farther. Last year, the former governor of Virginia called for a lifting of restrictions even on live-birth abortions!
The American people are led to believe that the Roe decision is fixed and settled, main-stream and reasonable. But in fact, it places the United States on a par with nations such as North Korea and China, whose horrific abortion laws would shock the conscience of most Americans. Much of Europe has laws now more civilized than ours, thanks to Roe v. Wade. Not only has this case opened the floodgates to moral atrocities in the murdering of precious unborn babies, it has prevented concerned voters from having any say in this important moral issue, because a decision of the Supreme Court has preempted them.
A case out of Mississippi, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, has finally reached the Supreme Court, giving it the opportunity to reconsider its holding in Roe. Last week, an unprecedented leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s opinion occurred, in which it appears the Court is finally prepared to overturn it’s horrific decision from 1971. As expected, and presumably calculated by the leaker, the premature release of this draft has ignited a panic among the pro-abortion forces in this country, which are extremely well-funded. They have set in motion a torrent of misinformation and lies, resulting in protests and calls for violent interference with the Court. Interfering with the Court is a federal offense, but it will be interesting to see whether it is prosecuted. The unprecedented disclosure and publication of the private residential addresses of Supreme Court Justices is a dangerous interference with the administration of justice in our land.
We continue to pray for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. And, more fundamentally, we pray that our people will once again come to a proper respect for human life, the sanctity of people created in the image of God—whether in or out of the womb. We are not surprised that the left is churning up lies and misinformation about the effects which will follow a reversal of Roe. A correction of that decision will be portrayed as a return to the stone ages, a vicious attack upon women, and the end of individual liberty. This is an attempt to scare people into intimidating judges, who are sworn to decide cases not based upon public opinion, but upon the law. I do not know whether this leaked draft is the actual Court opinion, but I pray that it is. And we pray that the Justices have the moral courage to stand behind it.
-by Robert C. Veil, Jr.
