Something Wrong

There is great moral evil that has been sold to people around the world - that somehow the taking of human life in the womb is something beneficial. It's certainly not; consider even those who think it should be legal want restrictions on it. I would contend that maybe they realize something is seriously wrong here. In Psalm 106, there is a stern pronouncement of God's judgment on His people:
36 They served their idols, Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons,
38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds.
40 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance.

Taking the life a child in the womb would certainly be shedding innocent blood! Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director, who is now a strong pro-life voice, said: "The recovery room in abortion clinics is quite possibly the saddest place on Earth. And women don’t deserve that. They deserve better than abortion and that’s what my own ministries have been working towards for many years and will continue to do so now that the fight over abortion is moving to the states - instead of one fight, we now have 50. But there is nothing greater to fight for than the lives of the innocent.”

The "lives of the innocent" - the "Imago Dei," the image of God.  Who are we to determine who lives and who dies?  That is the prerogative of our Creator.  He alone is in the position as Ruler of the Universe to ordain life and the days He has entrusted to us.  Our responsibility is to be obedient to Him and to respect the life He has created.

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There is a passage in the 11th chapter of Ecclesiastes that can serve as a warning to those who wish to play God with regard to the taking of human life in the womb. We can read these words:
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.

The ink on the Dobbs decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is barely dry and the response has been strong in the pro-life community, with a breathtaking commitment to continuing to show compassion for unborn children, as well as women in crisis pregnancies.  On the pro-abortion side, the decision has been met by inflammatory rhetoric and a high degree of gaslighting about what the ruling actually means.  

There has been plenty that has been spoken, but what is happening among the American public regarding this decision?  One of the earliest polls that I have seen is a Rasmussen poll, which shows that among likely voters in the U.S., 50% approve of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, while 45% disapprove.

The decision on Roe means that each state has the right to decide its own abortion policies. A few weeks before the decision, a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar group poll showed that, according to a summary: "41.4 percent of American voters say they most trust their governor and state legislature to decide the laws governing abortion." The survey summary went on to say that, "18.1 percent of American voters say they most trust the federal government to decide laws governing abortion." 7.4 percent said they most trusted the federal courts, and around a third of respondents were unsure.

Another Convention of States Action/Trafalgar group poll from the same time period showed that, according to its summary, "11.6 percent of American voters believe that abortion should be legal up until the moment of birth, including partial birth."  This survey is consistent with others that have shown that Americans favor restrictions on abortion.  The summary states: "57.6 percent of American voters believe that abortion should only be legal in specific circumstances," and goes on to enumerate:

• 24 percent say illegal except in the case of rape, incest, or the life of the mother.
• 13.9 percent say illegal except in the case of the mother.
• 19.7 percent say illegal after a fetal heartbeat can be detected...

In the first two-thirds of May, Gallup also did an abortion survey. It asked the question: "Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances?" 35% said legal in all circumstances, while 13% said illegal in all.

But, Gallup also found that half of Americans responded that abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances.  

The ruling by the Supreme Court declared that there is not a constitutional right to an abortion on the federal level.  So, the decision is back to the states, which are free to reflect the wishes of their citizens by passing laws that protect life to some degree or protect abortion to some degree.  In a constitutional republic, it's up to the voters and their elected representatives. 

In the religious community, there is s striking and disappointing level of support for abortion. Pew found that, overall, in a 2022 poll: "61% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases." Broken down by religious affiliation, according to a summary of polls from the Forbes website, "Pew found Americans with religious affiliations are far more likely to oppose abortion than the nonreligious (82% of whom believe abortion should be legal), but with the exception of white evangelical Protestants (77% of whom believe abortion should be illegal), a higher share of every religious group polled...favor abortion rights."

So, there's work to do with educating people of faith. But, this is consistent with large percentage of people responding to surveys from George Barna that a small percentage of the population, including professing Christians, hold to a Christian worldview.  That worldview includes a high view of the sanctity of life, created in the image of God. 

A summary of the data I've presented shows that there is widespread support for legalized abortion, but half or more of Americans do not believe that it should be unfettered - that there should be restrictions.  Why do you think that is?  I would contend that there is a sense that abortion is morally wrong, even though some would contend that it is not.  It's a controversial issue because of the moral implications and a general knowledge that something is not right.  Even though Forbes reported that, "The share of Americans in Gallup’s poll who say abortion is morally acceptable reached a record high of 47% in May," I would think that most Americans know better - that's why they're generally not in favor of unfettered abortion.  I believe that even today, the Spirit of God is moving among people to show them the truth about life in the womb, and He can use believers in His Word to carry the message.