Downgrading the Right to Life

Written by David E. Smith 

In our day of weaponized government and intolerance for honest speech, it isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario where politicians would willingly relegate our individual freedoms – guaranteed to us in the U.S. Constitution – to the voters in the states to decide what levels of liberty – and restrictions of those liberties – they would allow going forward.

For those of us in blue states, it isn’t a stretch to imagine how this would play out for the Second Amendment. Democrats in Illinois are already passing laws restricting the right “to keep and bear arms.” Can you imagine how these rights would suffer if the Second Amendment were suddenly declared a “state’s issue?”

“Never!” you say. “These are our rights, guaranteed to us as Americans by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Neither state courts, nor lawmakers, or any other politician have the authority to infringe on these rights. None. Zero. Nada.”

And you would be correct.

That is why it was so disappointing to watch/hear/read Donald J. Trump’s video statement on abortion that he released on Monday, in which he said,

…now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote, legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or, in many cases, your religion or your faith. Do what’s right for your family, and do what’s right for yourself. Do what’s right for your children.

Quite simply, Trump is wrong.*

This is NOT a state’s rights issue, but an issue of universal truth – self-evident truth.

The Declaration of Independence asserts that all people are “…endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These rights are given to us by Almighty God and should never be willingly relegated to a “state’s issue.” Why would we grant feckless politicians (or low-information voters) – especially those in tyrannical blue states – the ability to redefine, narrow, or distort the parameters of the unalienable right to life?

That is foolishness.

Pastor Calvin Lindstrom, an IFA Board Member, wisely points out:

During his first term, President Trump was prudent in getting input on his judicial nominations from the Federalist Society. Ten of his first thirteen confirmed judges were current or former members. The appointments that President Trump made to the Supreme Court of the United States were key in overturning the wicked and legally scandalous Roe v. Wade decision. President Trump likes to take credit for the ending of Roe v. Wade, and to a great degree he does deserve that credit.

As President Trump now seeks a second term, we witness that he does not have an entirely consistent or coherent view of the horror of abortion. He celebrates IVF, even though there are some serious ethical issues in how it is practiced in the U.S.

In his video statement on these topics, President Trump speaks of following your heart. However, the Bible speaks of the heart as being deceitful and wicked. Never does Scripture teach us to follow our own hearts; rather we are to seek God’s will as revealed in Scripture.

President Trump is well aware that the Democrat Party is seeking to use abortion as their strategy for success. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is all in for this strategy. Rather than try to articulate a strong position regarding life, President Trump is seeking his own pragmatic path to victory. It is disappointing to see him champion this strategy.

The Republican Party has often been very inconsistent in defending life; it is too comfortable with compromise. There is a real danger that President Trump will lead the party to even greater compromise. Those who fear God and truly respect life must use their voices to protest this dangerous shift downward.

Calvin rightly points out the pragmatism of this strategy. There are probably dozens of political advisors around Trump, warning him that he cannot win a second term if he does not moderate his position on abortion. While national polling suggests that abortion may be in the lower tier of the top five concerns of voters going into the next election, it remains that there is a better way to approach this crucial issue.

As a 501c4 Christian public-policy organization, Illinois Family Action works to promote pro-life, pro-family candidates, policies, and messages in the public square. We simply cannot compromise on issues of moral concern. We serve God, not politics, and certainly not politicians!

We consider the practice of abortion – at any stage of development and in any city or state of our nation – wicked.

In his video statement on Monday, what should have been former president Trump’s main point was only hinted at in these comments:

“The Republican Party should always be on the side of the miracle of life and the side of mothers, fathers, their beautiful babies, and that’s what we are.”

The miracle of life can be best understood through the science of embryology, which tells us that the moment the egg and sperm unite, a new human being is created with his or her own unique human DNA.

We agree, the Republican Party should recognize and promote the sanctity of human life in its platform and through every election cycle. There must be an intentional effort to counter abortion cheerleaders’ selfish chants by constantly affirming and reaffirming the science of life and then tying that to the human rights of preborn babies that cannot and should not be infringed.

Moreover, if former president Trump and Republicans like him are serious about supporting “the creation of strong, thriving, and healthy American families,” as he stated, they must also encourage traditional marriage and family as God has ordained.

More specifically, they should champion “The Success Sequence” for young Americans in order to foster a better culture in the future. The Success Sequence is simple:

Finish high school.
Get a full-time job once you finish school.
Get married before you have children.

Why? Compelling social science data from Wendy Wang and Brad Wilcox tells us:

97% of Millennials who follow what has been called the “success sequence”—that is, who get at least a high school degree, work, and then marry before having any children, in that order—are not poor by the time they reach their prime young adult years (ages 28-34).

The data is not only persuasive but it’s also common sense.

Following what God says about marriage and sexual ethics would dramatically decrease the demand for abortion. Consider this insightful quote from a pro-life Christian leader:

According to the Centers for Disease Control, eighty-seven percent of abortions in America occur among unmarried women. Teaching The Success Sequence to youth with a clear emphasis on the benefits of reserving all sexual activity and childbearing for marriage is the best way to reduce abortion in America.

Obviously, Christians must seek not just moral reforms but share the Good News of the Gospel. God alone can change our hearts. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 12:2)

Bottom line: preborn babies, like their parents, are human beings created in the image and likeness of Almighty God with certain unalienable rights. The right to life is universal and cannot and should not be diminished in any way.

Christians must remember that each human being has inherent worth because of who and what he or she is: a member of mankind, God’s crown jewel of creation.

Jesus didn’t mince words in Matthew 22:36-40 when He told us that the two greatest commandments are as follows:

 “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ … And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” [emphasis added]

Our preborn neighbors are among the most vulnerable and helpless members of our society. Their human rights are just as precious as ours. We must be aware that there is an intentional and wicked agenda to narrow the unalienable right to life. Our unwillingness to boldly speak out and be proactive has already resulted in a tremendous 50-year period of innocent bloodshed. How much more are we willing to tolerate?

*We recognize and agree with those who say Joe Biden is a terrible threat to democracy. Considering his abdication of duty to our nation on border security alone, he does not deserve a second term. At this time, we still consider Donald Trump to be the better choice in the upcoming election, despite his willingness to downgrade the right to life to a state’s issue. 

Our point remains that as the body of Christ we must boldly express our concerns about any apparent move by a candidate to garner votes rather than maintaining an uncompromising position of life for the unborn.

More Info:

Trump Announces His Position on Life Post-Roe (Breakpoint)

Trump Says He Will Refuse to Sign Federal Abortion Ban if Elected President (LifeSiteNews)

Fixing Pro-Life Strategy: Smashmouth Incrementalism at the Polls (Pastor Doug Wilson)

Trump says Arizona went ‘too far’ in reviving near-total abortion ban, will be ‘straightened out’ (LifeSite)

Trump Fumbles Badly on Abortion (Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr.)

Trump Gets Criticized, and Defended, for ‘Will of the People’ Abortion Views (AFN)

‘Geography Is Not the Point of the Pro-Life Movement’ (The Washington Stand)

Is Abortion Just a States’ Issue? (The Washington Stand)

‘Rights Come From God’: Dismantling The Dangerous Lie of Personal Autonomy (Harbinger’s Daily)