Without the Right to Life, No Other Rights Matter

Written by David E. Smith

The Declaration of Independence emphatically affirms that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, the first of which is the right to life.

The Bill of Rights reinforces this principle. The Fifth Amendment states that no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law” — explicitly protecting the right to life within the legal framework of the United States.

The Fourteenth Amendment extends this protection further, declaring that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” In doing so, it recognizes the protection of life as a fundamental civil right.

The Illinois Constitution affirms the same truth. In its Bill of Rights, Section 1 declares:

“All men are by nature free and independent and have certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Section 2 makes the protection unmistakably clear:

“No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor be denied the equal protection of the laws.”

Let’s be very clear. Abortion is contrary to what both constitutions boldly declare are protected.

Yet despite these clear protections, abortion cheerleaders within the Democratic Party continue to promote unrestricted abortion on demand. Politicians such as JB Pritzker, Kamala Harris, Julia Stratton, Kelly Cassidy, Karina Villa, and Anna Moeller are supported by organizations like Personal PAC, Chicago Abortion Fund, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, the ACLU of Illinois, and the Midwest Access Coalition — the latter which actively facilitate abortions by funding travel, lodging, childcare, and medical costs.

This effort to nullify the inalienable right to life, which is recognized in both our founding documents and our state constitution, ultimately undermines every other liberty our laws protect. Without the right to life, all other rights become meaningless. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition government for redress of grievances cannot exist if the most fundamental right—the right to life—is denied.

The right to life recognizes that human life begins at conception and must be protected as a fundamental, God-given right.

Modern science confirms that a unique human life begins at fertilization. A comprehensive survey of biologists found that 96% of 5,577 biologists agree that human life begins at conception. From the moment of fertilization, a distinct, living human being exists.

More importantly, Scripture clearly teaches that every human life is created by Almighty God, in His image, and with inherent dignity and value (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13–16). Human worth is not conferred by government, nor is it dependent on size, age, location, or ability. It is inherent and comes from being created by God.

Scripture teaches us the sanctity of human life from womb to tomb, and science affirms this. Therefore, preborn human being are entitled to the most basic human rights and protections of state and federal law — most fundamentally, the right to life.

Protecting this God-given right to life—even for preborn children—is therefore both a moral and legal imperative, even when weighed against claims of bodily autonomy. If the human embryo is a human being in the earliest stage of development, then his or her right to life outweighs all other considerations.

Pro-life advocates therefore maintain that every human being—from the preborn child to the elderly—possesses inherent dignity and worth, regardless of stage of development, dependency, or condition. Protecting the most vulnerable members of society is a cornerstone of any truly just civilization.

From abortion, surrogacy, IVF, and fetal diagnosis to assisted suicide and euthanasia, the ultimate question remains the same:

Who determines the value of human life?

If it is left to a secular government, a popular vote, or personal preference, then human rights become negotiable — and the most vulnerable will always lose. But if human life bears the image of God, then its value is inalienable, inherent, and worthy of protection at every stage. The future of our laws — and our nation — depends on how we answer that question.

For the sake of justice, for the sake of truth, and for the sake of the next generation, we must once again affirm what our Founders recognized from the beginning: the right to life is not granted by government — it is given by Almighty God and must be protected for every human being, including the preborn.

AI tools assisted with proofreading and clarity;
the author made all final content decisions.