As the battle to protect women and children continues to rage in a post-Roe world, it is more important than ever that we arm ourselves with the truth. All too often, the battlefield is littered with irrational arguments that manipulate emotions and ignore reality. Well-intentioned people take a “moral” stand on what “feels right” without considering all the facts. The pro-abortion left further fosters deception by perpetually propagating an insidious stream of lies that must be countered with the truth.
They say abortion is pro-woman. The truth is that real feminists are pro-life. Approximately half of the babies aborted are women who were executed before they drew their first breath, and in some cultures, female babies are even more likely to be aborted simply because they are female. In America alone, one could argue that abortion has killed more than 30 million females in the last 50 years. Historically, feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony have argued both women and their children deserve every opportunity at life-starting with life itself. Today, those who are truly pro-women recognize they must also be pro-life.
They say that women are weak and can’t handle the struggle of bringing new life into the world. The truth is that women are strong and were uniquely created by God to give life and nurture it. As women, we don’t run from struggles; we embrace challenges knowing that as we persevere, we birth something beautiful.
They say women can’t handle having babies and having careers. The truth is that women, both married and single, defy that stereotype every day.
They say life is a burden. The truth is that life is a gift and no person is a mistake. When we walk in faith and love our fellow human beings, God provides every need.
They say “it’s not a baby; it’s a fetus.” The truth is that fetus is simply the Latin word for a human baby. Speaking in another language does not alter reality nor diminish humanity.
They say men can’t understand and should have no say in the matter. The truth is that men, as members of the human race, have an inherent interest in protecting life because of the shared humanity of the pre-born. Furthermore, as soon as a baby is born, a father has both legal rights and legal responsibilities. It is irrational to say that those rights and responsibilities do not extend to the pre-born child as well. It is equally irrational to say that men won’t take responsibility for their children when those children are aborted before fathers ever have a chance to care for them.
They say that abortion is healthcare. The truth is that abortion is feticide—a barbaric act of murder. For thousands of years, healthcare practitioners around the world have taken the Hippocratic oath, which states, “I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.” Destroying life is not healthcare.
They say abortion is safe. The truth is that abortion is anything but safe. When properly executed, it is guaranteed to result in least one death and can have serious side effects on the mother. Among the many side effects, abortion can cause PTSD, increase risk of breast cancer, create hormonal imbalances, disrupt digestive health, render a woman infertile, or cause heavy bleeding and even death. Abortion is anything but safe.
They say elective abortion must be available on demand to help victims of rape and incest. The truth is that more than 98% of abortions come after consensual sex, and 100% extinguish a human life. The truth is that most abortions take place for social-economic reasons. Rape and incest are tragedies, and in those rare cases, both the mother and child need help and compassion. Those who are in the midst of dealing with trauma and assault should not be pressured to make life and death decisions that may add to feelings of guilt and shame later.
They say women facing rare medical conditions will be endangered by limitations on elective abortion. The truth is that medically-necessitated abortions to protect the health of the mother are rare and are already well-accommodated by both medical and legal policy. About 1% of all pregnancies fall into this category, and the patients facing such tragic circumstances should be the subject of our compassion and support.
They say the baby won’t feel pain. The truth is that medical science clearly shows that babies in the womb can feel pain as early as 12 weeks after conception.
They say “reproductive freedom” is motivated by genuine care for women. The truth is that the abortion industry is just that—an industry—motivated by a genuine interest in their bottom line. In their 2020 Annual Report, which is the most recent available, Planned Parenthood alone boasts over 1.6 billion dollars in annual revenue with assets worth more than 2.3 billion dollars.
In short, Planned Parenthood and other corporations in the abortion industry have an inherent self-interest in keeping women coming back time and time again.
They say choice is a civil right and must be defended by all who value social justice. The truth is that life is a civil right, and abortion is age discrimination that denies the personhood of pre-born human beings. It is anything but just. God is the Author of life (Acts 3:15), all human life is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and mankind has a sacred duty to protect innocent life (Genesis 9:6). All real social justice respects moral laws that are based on God’s higher law. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God … An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law… Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”
The truth is that we have a moral duty to uphold and protect the personhood of every human being—even the pre-born. We must protect women from being preyed upon by an industry that seeks to exploit them at great risk to their personal health and wellbeing. Truth is pro-life and pro-woman.
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