The state of abortion in 2023

In a few days, President Joe Biden will speak before a joint session of Congress and deliver his second State of the Union address.

While President Biden might mention abortion in his speech, he is unlikely to discuss the varied ways the issue has changed since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and in the past few months. Here is what you should know about the state of abortion in 2023.

How is your church responding to a post-Roe world?

The Dobbs decision marks a true turning point in the pro-life movement — a moment that Christians, pro-life advocates and many others have worked toward tirelessly for 50 years. As we respond to the ruling in this case, we want to be faithful to pray.

This free Dobbs prayer guide contains a list of 48 specific prayer requests to guide you, your family, and your church in your prayers over the coming weeks and months.

This Week in Washington, D.C.

This week in Washington, DC, all eyes are on the March for Life where our team gathered to march alongside pro-life advocates. This year would have marked 50 years since Roe tragically and wrongfully established a right to abortion in the United States. But instead, this year’s March is the first since the historic Dobbs decision that overruled that disastrous precedent.

As ERLC’s President Brent Leatherwood stated, “It is good and right to stop and celebrate that our nation has taken this first step towards protecting life. But we know that our work is not done. We will press on towards a day where both mothers and their children are valued as image-bearers of God. We are committed to finding innovative solutions in this post-Roe moment – policies that actually serve mothers and helps families flourish, and we will march until abortion is no more.”

You can read more about this year’s March for Life here.

Featured Podcasts

This week on the Digital Public Square, Jason Thacker is joined by Dr. Coleman M. Ford to talk about his new book A Bond between Souls: Friendship in the Letters of Augustine on the life and work of St. Augustine as well as his understanding of friendship.

From The Public Square

Federal Judge Tosses Challenge to Christian College Exemptions
Christianity Today

In the ongoing tension between religious liberty and LGBT rights, the Department of Education and CCCU win one victory.

Demonstrators protest NCAA’s transgender athlete inclusion
Associated Press

Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and about two dozen demonstrators outside the NCAA convention Thursday protested the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports and threatened the association with legal action if it doesn’t change its policies.

Appeals court seems poised to void part of sex trafficking law
Politico

The D.C. judges expressed skepticism about the constitutionality of language in a law that makes it a crime to operate a computer service with the intent to promote prostitution.

Congo’s Army Says Church Bomb Kills 10, Extremists Suspected
Associated Press

A group linked to Islamic extremists was suspected of being responsible for a bomb that went off in the Pentecostal church in the North Kivu province town of Kasindi.

What You Need to Read

Kadin Christian with Helping single moms choose life and education

Every semester thousands of students fill college campuses across America with dreams and aspirations of a bright future. While many go on to the career they’ve worked hard for, there are young women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and expect that their dream will never become a reality.

Ashlyn Portero with 5 small pro-life steps churches can take

Starting a ministry isn’t the only way to support pro-life work—host a foster care education class, take a small group to your local pregnancy center to volunteer, or give to a supply drive for single moms choosing life. These needs exist in our communities, and unless we make the theoretical practical for our church members, a pro-life worldview won’t connect as deeply as when the stories and testimonies are coming from our own church members.

Kevin Smith with The Bible’s centrality to the Civil Rights Movement

The Bible was central to the thought, rhetoric, and development of the Civil Rights Movement. This was influenced by the essential role of Black churches and preachers in the organization of the movement. Not only was the movement characterized by meetings in churches and the singing of Negro spirituals, it was also marked by biblical themes and biblical rhetoric.