The Sky is Still Blue

Here's some national news you may not have seen on CNN: New Mexico's legislature is close to passing HB 51, a bill that will legalize abortion in the state right up until the moment of birth. What's more, it will force medical professionals to perform abortions or make abortionist referrals, regardless of their personal beliefs about the sanctity of life.

Which means it's time to state the obvious again: God is the author of all life, and all human lives are sacred because everyone is created in His image (Genesis 1:27). This truth is so big, and abortion is so wrong, we don't repeat it enough—it feels a lot like yelling that the sky is blue or grass is green.

But we need to feel the weight of this truth again. Many in our country have grown comfortable with the status quo, unquestioningly believing that women have a “right to privacy” that translates into violating another's right to life. The logic is poor, but weak logic can find a home in our minds if we never examine it.

It also bears repeating that science clearly supports the Christian position. Most geneticists agree about the moment that life begins. Dr. Jerome Lejeune, the scientist who discovered that Down Syndrome was caused by a duplicate copy of chromosome 21, testified in court that “human life begins at conception.”

Supporters of abortion are interested in neither logic nor science, much less the Word of God. They have enthroned convenience, and call it “merciful” to take away a person's life before that person can face perceived potential hardships. They trust their own judgments about “quality of life” rather than the judgment of the only One Who gives life.

But as the hearts of the opposition harden, Christians should not lose hope. The pro-life movement has grown much more savvy about rescuing the unborn, beginning with crisis pregnancy centers and continuing through arguments for parental consent or illuminating the horrors of late-term abortions. Just as abolitionists had to move England away from slavery gradually—first abolishing it in England proper, then abolishing the slave trade, and finally (decades later) abolishing slavery throughout her empire—so pro-lifers must rejoice in small victories as we move down the road to protecting every life in the womb.

In light of the big truth that every life is sacred, we should focus on another big truth: things don't happen on our timetable. God is in control, and He is working through faithful men and women. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).