Change of heart. . .

With the election of a president and vice-president committed to retaining the fullest measure of abortion access possible, the once cherished dream of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade may no longer be the end result we should seek.  Biden and Harris have indicated that that they wish to codify the 1973 decision into law so that the SCOTUS may be not be free to overturn the provision and end the reign of sanctioned murder that has continued unabated for nearly 50 years.  While fight to limit access to abortion may be facing an uncertain path forward, the goal should be less to provide a court approved restriction of the previous court found right than it should be the pursuit of a change of heart across the population that would make abortion ‘unthinkable.’

For a long time there was such progress.  Indeed, it could be said that we would not be where we were right now if the attitude of Americans had not changed significantly.  Yet our progress in that change seems to have stagnated and we have not progressed in our effort to obtain a universal consensus against abortion.  Clearly what is in the best interest in the cause for life is not simply a change in the law but a change in the views of the people as a whole toward the life of the unborn.  This also is necessary when it comes to protections of life at the other end of the spectrum -- something that is under great assault as well.  Furthermore, it appears that many people hold the inconsistent opinion that even if the life of the unborn should be protected, provision should be made for either the individual or family and medical professionals to assist in the end of life for those whose life is no longer believed to be worth living.  The value of life is then rendered a relative value.  This is not only in opposition to the cause of life but a contradiction in terms.  It points out where our education and appeal has not been effective enough.  For the nature of the task before us as pro-life advocates is to ensure that no matter what the law or court states, the minds of the people will hold all life sacred and will find it morally reprehensible to end any life from the womb to its natural end.

Finally, it is clear that the ordinary protections of life have not extended to the other aspects of the pro-life cause -- the use of aborted remains in the pursuit of medicines, vaccines, or treatment.  There seems to be more approval given to this than there is to abortion itself yet the two cannot be so easily disconnected.  Again, the goal that lies before us is not to obtain legal or judicial protection but to change the minds of the people, all ages, so that every aspect of the pro-life cause has uniform understanding and agreement.  Until this is accomplished, it will remain a battleground on many fronts and many battlefields in which progress may be obtained for one aspect of the protection of life but lost in another.  Brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to change not only minds but hearts if ever the cause of life is to be secured for our nation and our society.