As Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, Jan. 16, arrives in a matter of days, the year 2022 holds great promise for saving unborn lives and seeing legalized abortion finally come to an end. In so many ways, these are the best of times and worst of times for unborn children.
These are the best of times in that Christians have increasingly united in the great cause to protect unborn children. We have done this through establishing pregnancy-help ministries, leading legislative policy efforts, prayer initiatives, public debate and demonstrations, passionate sermons in the pulpit and more.
These are the best of times in that there are two major pending United States Supreme Court rulings (the Dobbs case and the Texas Heartbeat law) which, if the justices do the right thing, could break up the evil legal stalemate that has led to millions of lives lost since Roe v. Wade.
Lastly, these are the best of times in that various elements of the pro-life, anti-abortion movement—from pastors, to people in the pews, to lawmakers, to activists—have persuaded a new generation of young Americans who recognize that life truly does begin at conception and every life is worthy of protection (Psalm 139). God truly has been at work.
At the same time, these are the worst of times for the unborn. Legalized abortion continues day after day, including right here in Oklahoma. We are seeing a growing wave of chemical abortion and mail-in order abortion taking even more root. Recent statistics show that a majority of recorded abortions were chemically induced. The disastrous and unjust policy of President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration, allows for mail-order abortion pills exposes, not only more unborn children, but more abortion-vulnerable mothers, to deadly and dangerous effects.
Let’s stop and think about what this sharp rise in chemical abortion means. One writer compared the rise of chemical abortion to that of Internet pornography. Just as we saw pornography shops close in this country in decades past (and rightly celebrated that development), at the same time we saw the advent of Internet pornography, making it widely available and anonymous. The same effect is happening with abortion, as we see abortion centers closing (praise God!) but chemical, pill prescription, virtual appointments and mail-order-drug abortions happening.
Wise voices, speaking against these dangerous trends in the culture of death, have spoken up. If we allow abortion in a surgery center, or abortion in a pill bottle, the net effect is the same. One life lost, and one life shattered.
Oklahoma Baptists have together taken our stand, calling on our policy makers to address these urgent issues. As Sanctity of Human Life Sunday nears, I implore every pastor and Christian to pause and think about what we can do together. At the website OklahomaBaptists.org/life, there are action points, preaching guides, powerful videos, prayer points and more, to equip you to compassionately, and passionately, stand for life.
It’s going to take all Christians working together to see the end of legalized abortion come about, and to see every abortion-vulnerable mother get the help she needs (along with fathers too).
Moreover, there are ways we can add even more credence to the logic of our pro-life position. We must do better in supporting foster care and adoption. We must stand up for the disabled and the elderly and marginalized. Jesus would have us do all we can for life and life abundantly (John 10:10). We must also, in all of this, be marked by a Christlike graciousness that had compassion, not condemnation, toward people.
As 2022—what could be a banner year for the unborn—is here, the question becomes: what are you going to do about it? How are you going to help?
