#ThisIsWhy Abortion is Legal: Incrementalism

Hello and welcome back to another edition of This is Why, a mini-series on reforming the pro-life movement with a biblical worldview. This time we're tackling the offensive strategy of the pro-life enterprise that acts as the other side of the coin to the effort of overturning Roe, which is their attempt to chip away at abortion using incremental legislation.

The claim from pro-life advocates and the pro-life industry at large is that the regulation of abortion is the most effective strategy. It's the kind of legislative effort that involves passing bills that protect the children that are incapable of feeling pain.

It's legislation that says abortionists can't kill babies unless they first pull their bodies outside of the mother to a certain point. It's the kind of legislation that says women can't obtain abortions unless they have their physician's consent, or undergo counseling, or wait 72 hours between their consultation and the abortion.

They're the legislative efforts that fight to make sure the mother sees an ultrasound of her child, and is informed that its life begins at conception before they have the opportunity to take the life of their baby.

These are the bills that save children who make it to 20 weeks in utero. They make sure abortions don't take place unless the conditions of a clinic are clean and sanitary, adhering to the federal regulation standards.

The list goes on. The pro-life movement has spent millions of dollars and exercised decades of effort to pass laws trying to stem the tide of dead children so that a conservative Supreme Court can overturn Roe.

Now, as we have this discussion, there are things that we have to acknowledge. Number one is, as Christians, we should praise God for any and every life saved as a result of these incremental laws. Secondly, we have to distinguish that there are those within the pro-life movement who truly do want to see the end of abortion, and are not just looking to keep the tension of the issue alive in order to collect a consistent paycheck or earn an unblemished pro-life record.

However, there are a vast majority of those that have built careers and reputations on efforts that they never expect to actually succeed in ending abortion, and view things like a bill that would call for the outright ban of child sacrifice altogether as a threat to what they've built.

Their approach makes abortion seem more humane and reasonable to the voting public. So the time has come to ask a critical question. How should we, in principle, fight to end abortion? Do we continue to put our hope in child-killing regulations, that mothers, fathers, and abortionists are allowed to commit murder as long as they meet certain conditions first?

How absurd would it sound for consistent Christians to advocate for bank robbers to be able to rob banks as long as they abided by a waiting period first? What about a man who wanted to rape a woman, but only was allowed to if the woman couldn't.

Feel pain?

Would we honestly fight to pass these kinds of laws against things like theft and rape as long as we saved some?

No.

In principle, we tell those that practice such things that God commands them to stop immediately and completely. But this is the way that the pro-life movement continues to fight abortion, without an afterthought of where such regulations will lead.

What do I mean? Pro-life organizations like National Right to Life have either failed to see, or have intentionally shut their eyes to the reality that even if Roe was overturned tomorrow, abortion would remain legal in the states due to the hundreds of pro-life laws that have been put into place.

These laws begin with the clause that abortion shall be an illegal or criminal act except in the case of fill in the blank. So here's the question. How many children will die after Roe v. Wade is overturned by the authority of the many pro-life laws currently on the books?

The Historic Christian Doctrine of Interposition

So what is the answer for fighting against a judicially tyrannical federal government that has exceeded both its constitutional restraints and the commands of God? Listen to these words of Thomas Jefferson from the Virginia Resolution.

Quote, the states who are parties thereto have the right and are in duty bound to interpose for arresting the progress of evil and for maintaining within their respective limits the authorities, rights, and liberties appertaining to them, end quote.

This is what's known as the historic Christian doctrine of interposition. This is the calling of God that calls one to step into the gap, willingly placing himself between the oppressor and the victim.

Just like the midwives ordered by Pharaoh to kill firstborn children and the people who interposed for Jonathan when he unknowingly disobeyed King Saul who wanted him to be put.

To death.

Or Daniel, a governor who defied the decrees of Nebuchadnezzar in open sight in broad daylight. We see the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 22 outline the importance of interposition and this is what he says.

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them and I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath.

I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God. As Christians seeking to end abortion, we must repent of our failure to stand in the.

Gap.

We must support our lesser magistrates, state legislators, and governors as constituents that exhort them of their God-given authority to resist laws, policies, and court opinions that go against his word and let them know we are behind them in protecting the unborn and seeing to it that justice is upheld at the state level.

We must disconnect with pro-life organizations that continue to take anything less than the end of abortion. And a detractor may say, introducing consistent legislation that calls abortion murder and uses explicitly Christian language is a recipe to be quickly shot down and dismissed altogether.

They say, we have to take what we can get. And our answer is, let it be shot down. Let the federal government defend the continued bloodshed and we will stand for justice and righteousness for the unborn.

So Christians, please hear me. This is what you need to understand. If we continue to give our money and support to those within the pro-life movement that are content with anything less than the end of abortion, then babies will continue to be slaughtered and we'll continue to treat them like expendable pawns in a chess game.

We can't be like the unbelievers who lie about their true intentions and fight incrementally with a smoke screen until they get what they really want. We have to make our intentions known up front about who we are and who we represent.

Our King commands us to stop killing babies now. The pro-life movement celebrates and is satisfied with anything less than the immediate end.

Of abortion.

And this is why our own sons and daughters continue to die and why you should visit endabortionnow .com and use the legislative tool that allows you to contact your local representatives. Just click on legislation at the top and you'll be directed to the tool.

It's a simple way to exhort them with your support in protecting babies from being murdered. They need to know as their constituents, you will stand alongside them if they would but stand for justice and righteousness.

Thank you so much for watching.