Trevin Wax, an editor at LifeWay Christian resources and a blogger at Kingdom People, is out with an article that is making the rounds in pro-life circles explaining five reasons why he believes the pro-life movement is winning on the issue of abortion.
Wax says the pro-life movement is moving in the right direction on public opinion, he sees the mainstream media as moving away slightly from the pro-abortion mantra, and he points out the next generation or two of Americans are taking strongly pro-life positions and, like Justin Bieber, going as far as saying they are pro-life in public and not worrying about any backlash.
Wax also contends black and Hispanic pro-life advocates are joining the pro-life movement, which has long since been dominated by Catholics and evangelicals. He calls them the “Third Wave” of pro-life advocates who will make the pro-life perspective even more mainstream — especially among people who have a tendency to vote for abortion advocates for elected office. Ultimately, he believes abortion advocates are on the defensive — saying they are having to downplay abortion in favor of verbiage on women’s health
He concludes: “The tipping point in favor of the pro-life cause is not evident to all. Time magazine recently chose Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards for their 100 Most Influential List (a decision akin to choosing segregationist George Wallace over crusader Martin Luther King, Jr.). There is much work to be done. The abortion debate will not go away. The fundamental issue at stake is not reproductive freedom but the desire to extend human rights to all — even the smallest and most vulnerable human beings among us. Those who continue to ignore or deny the humanity of the unborn are increasingly on the defensive because new technologies are opening the window into the womb. What we find there are not tissues to be discarded, but human lives worth protecting.”
Wax has good points and he could likely flesh out other arguments as to why the pro-life movement is winning, starting with his mention of technology (ultrasound) making it crystal clear the humanity of the unborn child. Additionally, significant research on topics like fetal pain, post-abortion problems, and the link between abortion and breast cancer is bringing new information to light that people didn’t have during Roe v. Wade (or even 10 years ago) showing how abortions cause problems.
Other points buttressing Wax’s argument include the fact that abortion numbers nationally have declined and are down to historic lows in many states, the number of pro-life laws approved on the state level is on the rise, the abortion industry is coming under exposure for hurting women and overlooking things like sexual abuse of minors and sex trafficking, and the Planned Parenthood business in particular is facing more opposition than ever before.
Of course, the biggest reason is that we may very well be one vote away on the Surpeme Court from overturning Roe and beginning the process of restoring legal protection for unborn children. Next year’s presidential election will determine if we make ore progress on that front.
Below is the first of the five arguments from Wax and a link to his full writing:
The pro-life cause is winning. In state legislatures, in the media, and in grassroots efforts to reduce the number of abortions, pro-life activists have put abortion rights advocates on defense. The pro-life movement certainly has hurdles to overcome before the United States can become a place where all human life is legally protected. Yet the eventual outcome is certain. Here are five reasons I believe we have reached a tipping point in favor of the pro-life cause.
1) Public Opinion
A majority of Americans surveyed in a recent Rasmussen poll, including a large percentage of those who identified themselves “pro-choice,” said they believe abortion is “morally wrong most of the time.” Last year, for the third consecutive time, Gallup found that more Americans accept the pro-life label, a result that led the polling firm to acknowledge “a real change in public opinion.”
One reason for this shift is the high-tech ultrasound machine that reaffirms what embryology textbooks have told us all along — that the unborn child is truly a human being. In a recent Washington Post editorial, Frances Kissling, former President of Catholics for Choice, advised abortion-rights advocates to shift strategies: “We can no longer pretend the fetus is invisible.” Yet few pro-choice activists seem to be listening to Kissling’s advice. They continue to cast themselves as the defenders of “women’s reproductive rights.” This worn-out strategy fails to resonate with a large number of Americans because it ignores the point of tension. The debate has moved on from “reproductive rights” to the more perplexing question: “What are the unborn?”
Meanwhile, many people — including some you would not expect — are openly registering their unease with the procedure. Take the recently released autobiography of Steven Tyler, the “screamin’ demon” lead singer of rock band Aerosmith. When he impregnated a teenaged girl in the mid-1970s, friends convinced them they could not raise the child and should seek an abortion. “They put the needle in her belly and squeeze the stuff in and you watch,” Tyler recounted. “And it comes out dead. I was pretty devastated. In my mind, I’m going, Jesus, what have I done?”
Twenty years ago, many of those who considered themselves “pro-life” were a little hesitant to say so publicly. Today, the reverse is true. Even those who advocate a woman’s right to abortion don’t want to fight for that position too passionately.
Read the full article here.
