We Do Know A Lot More Now

As spiritual practice is seeming in a state of decline, it only stands to reason that ignorance of spiritual things seems to be increasing. Paul described this condition in Ephesians chapter 4:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ...

It's no secret that the dominant media culture favors abortion - I would actually say that you have a number of abortion advocates who are either ignorant of the life of an unborn child or have become so blinded by popular political discourse that they fail to see what is immoral about taking that life.

So, recently, in the aftermath of the Arizona Supreme Court rightly upholding a pro-life law dating back to the mid 1800's, daytime talk-show host and former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson decided to share her views on abortion - in the course of a conversation with former First Lady Hillary Clinton. 

The Hollywood Reporter stated:

“Did you ever think in your lifetime we would see that happen?” Clarkson asked Clinton of what’s happening in Arizona. “It’s just insane to me, the thinking that went on in 1864. It’s a very different world. We know a lot more now. We are going backwards.”

“It is horrifying,” Clinton said. “I feared it would happen but I hoped it wouldn’t happen. Now here we are in the middle of this very difficult period for women in about half the states of our country, who cannot get the care that they need.

Oh, yes, the wrong side of history and all that.  Well, it's an even more "very difficult period" for unborn children in America.  The "care that they need?  As our pro-life friends state, "abortion is not health care."

Clinton went on to say: "The old law in Arizona is without exceptions [for rape and incest]...and the danger to women’s lives as well as to our right to make our own decisions about our bodies and ourselves is so profound. And there’s another element to it, which I find so troubling. I mean, there’s a kind of cruelty to it.”

Live Action News made these points:

What Clinton left out is the fact that 1) laws generally tend to regulate and restrict what we can and cannot do with ourselves and our bodies — especially if it involves harm to others, and 2) induced abortion (which involves the intentional and direct killing of the preborn child) isn’t necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life. Emergency delivery treats both with the human dignity they deserve. Miscarriage treatments, emergency deliveries, and treatment for ectopic pregnancies aren’t abortions and they are legal in every state.

Live Action went on to share Clarkson's comments about her own experience with having been hospitalized for her two pregnancies:

“I literally asked God, this is a real thing, to just take me and my son in the hospital for the second time, because I was like, ‘It’s the worst thing,’” she said, continuing, “It was my decision and I’m so glad I did it, I love my babies, but to make someone… and you don’t realize how hard it is. The fact that you would take that away from someone, that can literally kill them. The fact that if they’re raped by their family member and they have to — it’s just like insane to me.”

But again, Clarkson appears to be conflating induced, elective abortion with legitimate and standard medical care utilized to protect the life of a pregnant woman (and the preborn child, if possible) in an emergency situation. Emergency situations during pregnancy, including things like PPROM and preeclampsia, do not necessitate induced abortion (intentional killing) as the standard of care.

Of course, pro-life laws have not been known to cause women’s deaths; despite popular myth, women were not dying by the thousands from illegal back-alley abortions before Roe v. Wade was enacted.

And, as the article points out, Clarkson said that we “know a lot more now” - " presumably meaning that the country should be embracing the homicide of preborn human beings. But if anything, advances in science and medicine have further proven the humanity of the preborn child, only serving to show why laws to protect them are necessary."

So, the scare tactics are certainly in overdrive - women are afraid that they won't receive the proper medical care if there are problems with a pregnancy.  And, that fear is being used to justify the taking of unborn life.  As Live Action pointed out, unusual circumstances do not necessitate taking life.  It's just another tool that is being used to deceive women. 

Kelly Clarkson said that forcing women to have a child conceived in rape is "insane."  Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation would disagree. At Liberty University, according to its website, he said: "I am literally part of the 1% that is used 100% of the time to justify abortion,” adding, “But circumstances of our conception never change the condition of our worth.” He added, “What the victims of violence and rape need is wholeness and healing, not abortion hucksters profiting from pain and fear..." 

But, this is a reminder that you have people with an enormous platform who have either not thought through the issue, or they have and come to an unbiblical conclusion.  It is a fact that we do know more now, and as Live Action states, "that makes intentional killing by abortion inexcusable." We have the truth of God's Word, we have the compassion of Christ that is being deployed throughout our nation to help women in crisis make sound, life-affirming decisions.  We have the science that shows the humanity of a child in the womb.  So, we don't have to compromise or give in to those who perpetrate fear - we can believe in the power of truth.