Why Roe v. Wade was an indefensible ruling
Pro-life Christians have long understood that the Roe v. Wade decision—which institutionalized abortion on demand in all 50 states—was a moral travesty. But what has often been less clear for us is why it was considered unjustifiable as a matter of constitutional law.
Is your church ready to respond to a post-Roe world?
The release of 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.
The House voted Friday to pass a pair of bills titled the “Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022” and the “Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.” Together, these pieces of legislation are some of the most pro-abortion bills ever considered by Congress. The Women’s Health Protection Act removes all pro-life protections at the federal and state levels and eliminates a state’s ability to legislate on abortion. This bill also fails to protect the consciences of American taxpayers and would force taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 requires states to allow the transportation of abortion pills from other states. This bill would defy existing restrictions in at least 19 states and expand access to abortion pills nationwide. This bill would also functionally provide a federal protection for the emerging trend known as abortion tourism.
While both bills passed the House, they are unlikely to pass the Senate. Although these bills are unlikely to become law now, it is important to be aware of such developments because they reflect a legislative strategy that could become more viable in the future.
The ERLC is strongly opposed to these bills and any effort to support the abortion industry, including the legalization of abortion. We urged the House to vote down these destructive pieces of legislation and would ask the Senate not to consider them. Their passage would endanger thousands of vulnerable preborn lives, handcuff state legislatures from enacting pro-life protections, and steamroll over the the consciences of millions of Americans who do not wish to pay for or be compelled to provide abortions.
Featured Podcasts
On this week's episode of the ERLC Podcast, Brent and Lindsay discuss inflation’s jaw-dropping rate, the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Japan, and the amazing new space images from the James Webb Telescope.
From The Public Square
Americans’ Support For LGBTQ Rights Often Stops With Transgender Rights
FiveThirtyEight
These same patterns hold for just about every demographic and attitudinal comparison that analysts typically use to explain differences in opinion — many people remain cross-pressured, even those who are typically on the progressive end of the political spectrum.
Ruling clears Louisiana to enforce near-total abortion ban
Associated Press
Louisiana can now enforce its ban on almost all abortions under a judge’s order issued Friday amid a flurry of court challenges to state “trigger” laws crafted to take effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Hooking Up and Checking Out: Patterns of Dating, Sex, and Marriage at One Elite Evangelical University
Institute for Family Studies
One story I repeatedly heard was that many young men at this university are terrified to ask young women on dates, or to initiate relationships in general.
Abortions increased 8 percent between 2017 and 2020, new report shows
The Week
The number of abortions performed in the United States rose eight percent in a three-year period — from 862,320 in 2017 to 930,160 by 2020 — marking a significant uptick in the number of abortions performed nationally after nearly three decades of decline, according to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute.
What You Need to Read
Steve Hoppe with What to do when your spouse is suffering
In a broken world that only seems to be breaking more with each passing day, the question is important. How do you minister to a suffering spouse who is riddled with heartache, hopelessness, anxiety, angst, disappointment, doubt, or despair? A spouse who is overwhelmed, overworked, or overstressed? A spouse who is battling fear, guilt, shame, exhaustion, grief, or a plethora of other soul-testing emotions?
Jason Thacker with How should we view privacy in a post-Roe world?
Privacy is an instrumental good that should serve the overall common good of both individuals and communities. In order for this to happen, it must be framed in light of our true nature as created beings who are under the authority of an omniscient and omnipotent God. Now more than ever we must not shrink back in fear but seek to retrieve a biblical understanding of personal privacy, which accords with the dignity of every individual and cares for the most vulnerable among us.
Jordan Wootten with How do Americans view the issue of abortion, really?
While the headline of many of these polls is the American public’s general support for Roe, it is the additional polling data that sheds light on the public sentiment surrounding the issue of abortion. If we go no further than reading these headlines, we may draw the mistaken conclusion that the majority of respondents in these surveys are not just pro-Roe but pro-abortion. But that’s not what the survey data reveals.
