A lack of compassion for the unborn.

The Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is unfortunate that, during a recent speech in Florida, Kamala Harris changed her reading of the Declaration of Independence to, “that among these are liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This was a bit dishonest. “Life” was left out because, in America, we do not demand a right to life. Rather, people demand a right to abortion. While this issue is likely to be a longstanding debate, the sanctity of life is something that Christians believe to be critical to a proper understanding of our faith. We should not accept the killing of our children. Especially when it is unnecessary. Adoption is a very viable alternative. Our children deserve better. 

Our nation has had a very complex relationship with abortion. It has always been available to those with the resources and desire to cover up the “shame” of an unwanted pregnancy, but there was always a stigma and an accompanying acknowledgment that a human life was at risk. The following is a synopsis of the arguments that have been used to support abortion. I include it to demonstrate that all the earlier arguments pro-life people had to contend with were a smoke screen. They were false, and the charade finally stopped. When the pro-choice movement was finally willing to be honest, we found that abortion had become a convenience.  Our society is so self-centered and ungodly that killing for convenience is acceptable. It is no longer something to be ashamed of. It is a virtue. Notice the evolution.

Prior to the 1950s, the Pro-Choice faction viewed the fetus as a “senseless lump of cells,” and there was a limited understanding of fetal development. The debate focused primarily on the legality of terminating the pregnancy. The moral status of the “fetus” was not deeply considered. Abortion was largely illegal and stigmatized, with limited discussions on exceptions for cases of rape or medical emergencies.

From 1950 to 2000, advances in science and medicine led to a better understanding of fetal development, challenging the notion of the fetus as merely a “senseless lump of cells.” Debates shifted toward discussions about the moral status and rights of the developing life in the womb. Arguments emerged questioning whether the fetus has a right to inconvenience the mother and whether fetal rights should be considered alongside maternal rights. The discussion moved from abortion being illegal to abortion being safe, legal, and rare, especially in cases where pregnancy resulted from rape or posed serious health risks to the mother. Pro-Choice arguments increasingly seemed to acknowledge the moral complexity of abortion, including consideration of the value of fetal life. Discussions focused on balancing the rights and interests of both the pregnant person and the developing fetus. Legal battles and policy debates reflected a growing recognition of the significance of fetal life while still affirming the importance of reproductive rights. However, by the year 2000, the arguments were evolving; the pro-choice factions stopped denying that the “fetus” was a human child and focused instead on defending bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. The movement insisted that the termination of pregnancy carried no moral consequence. The movement, rather than being embarrassed by its willingness to take a life for the sake of convenience, began to extol abortion as a positive and liberating sacrament. The “shout your abortion” movement began, and the pro-choice movement is now seeking unrestricted legalized abortion. Life in the womb was no longer of any value or consequence.

So today, being in the womb is the most dangerous place to be, but an unseen danger affecting all of us is that this disregard for life damages the culture. Life is cheapened across the whole spectrum of being. Human life is no longer valued because it is human life. Life is valuable only when it can fulfill someone else’s needs. This is why we now find abortion at one end of life and euthanasia at the other. We are way over due to begin showing compassion for all human life.