Forty years ago, Roe v. Wade was born

Last week marked the anniversary of a significant event in our nation’s history. I wonder, though, just how many of us stopped to pay attention.

The event was none other than the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. And now, 40 years after the fact, abortion on demand remains untouchable by law.

The Guttmacher Institute recently reported that since Jan. 22, 1973, more than 54 million pre-born children have been sentenced to death under the Roe v. Wade ruling.

Despite the tragic number — which substantially overshadows the under one million people who have been lost in the combination of American wars spanning from the Revolutionary War to the War in Afghanistan — Planned Parenthood continues to celebrate what it declares to be a victory for women’s “right to choose.”

According to Planned Parenthood, abortions are common, routine medical procedures that are not only the right choice, but are often the only choice.

Heartbreaking as the argument may be, as Christians, we have heard it all before. Perhaps there are newer numbers or updated statistics, but when it boils down to the morality of the matter, we have all been programmed with textbook answers — scripted notions and desensitized thoughts toward a topic that has become over-debated and under-acted upon.

I do not doubt that the majority of us believe abortion is wrong. But even if that assumption is true, where does the disconnect occur between belief and action? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the attack on life does not begin in the womb insomuch as it begins in the minds of people. Ignorance cannot be to blame for the carnage of abortion — hardness of heart is at the root of the problem.

With a topic as widely disputed as abortion, the tendency seems to be a severe undermining of the impact that an individual can make. Rather than contemplating what may actually be done in such circumstances, the majority of people will instead resort to a small shake of the head and a nearly inaudible sigh of sadness. For a few fleeting moments, news of abortion elicits emotion, but all too soon, the moment is gone, and life returns to normal.

Fear of ineffectiveness, however, has never been as unfounded as it is today. In fact, state laws to educate women and protect pre-born children are steadily increasing.

According to the international nonprofit organization Liberty Counsel, 92 abortion-regulation provisions were passed by state legislature in 2011 alone. Statistics are beginning to reveal that public opinion is abandoning its historically pro-choice position in favor of life.

A recent edition of Time Magazine printed a front-page story with a headline reading: “40 Years Ago, Abortion-Rights Activists Won An Epic Victory With Roe v. Wade. They’ve Been Losing Ever Since.” The Time piece revealed that in a Gallup survey conducted in May 2012, just 41 percent of Americans identified themselves as pro-choice.

The abortion-rights activists are losing. The pro-choice cause is in crisis.

Encouraging as these statistics may be, let them demonstrate to us that while we do in fact have a voice and an opinion that matters, there is still substantial work to be done. Planned Parenthood’s annual report revealed that the abortion giant performed 334,000 abortions last year, receiving $1.2 million per day in government funding.

Now, more than ever before, our nation is in need of people willing to stand for life. As Proverbs 31:8 exhorts, we are to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Pray for those affected by abortion and become educated in advocating for life. Find and support organizations involved in the pro-life movement. Let us be the generation that puts an end to the abortion holocaust too long masked by the euphemistic language of freedom of choice.