Op-Ed: Why the Pro-Life Movement is Compromised, and Why Abortion Abolition is the Only Path Forward

Editor’s Note. This is a Twitter thread from Pastor Dusty Deevers, formatted for this page and posted with permission.

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Do you call yourself “Pro-life?” Understand, there is a significant and growing internal conflict among the self-described #Prolife. It is not going away. Some know this and have begun to try to confront it. There are at least three groups within the current Pro-life Movement. 

Let’s briefly consider each Pro-life group. This is so important because this modern holocaust 10x that of Hitler’s is ours to steward and legally abolish. Where do you stand? (1) ESTABLISHMENT or BIG PRO-LIFE; (2) CONFLICTED-CONSISTENT; & (3) BLURRY MIDDLE.

GROUP 1: THE ESTABLISHMENT or BIG PRO-LIFE.

On May 12, 2022, 70+ Pro-life organizatons, self-described as “America’s leading advocates for life,” released a letter defining & defending their long-standing strategy. Here are four tenets of their position. 

1. “Second-victim.” Women seeking preborn homicide (abortion) are always victims.

2. Deny equal protection from fertilization/conception. Never support any measure or legislation to criminalize the act of preborn homicide from fertilization for all parties to the homicide. 

3. Post-abortive trauma is evidence of victimhood.

4. Incrementalism. Continue to pursue a pragmatic, incremental strategy that at no point criminalizes the act of preborn homicide.

The Pro-life Establishment is able to host a spectrum of folks wanting abortion exceptions & allowances: rape, incest, life of the mother, pre-heartbeat, pre-pain, pre-viability, separation of personhood and humanity, and punishment for only providers, which is also why @philvischer‘s ‘consensus’ crowd rightly can call themselves “Pro-life.”

The Pro-life Establishment is intentionally a big tent (i.e. Big Pro-life) that includes many denominations, Christians, and non-Christians.

The consequence of GROUP 1: PRO-LIFE ESTABLISHMENT:

1) Implicit denial of personhood from fertilization/conception AND 

2) Denial of criminalization which grants equal protection of preborn homicide from fertilization…

3) Results in implicit Christological heresy—not affirming the true personhood of Christ or granting Him equal protection from fertilization/conception.

GROUP 1: PRO-LIFE ESTABLISHMENT is the 1,000 lb gorilla on the left side of the spectrum of the Pro-life movement. They hold to at least implicit heretical anthropology & Christology, & secular political theology & practice. Big Pro-life wars against equal protection/criminalization bills in every state & slanders, misaligns, & lies about Christians holding to a consistent, biblical position. Big Pro-life has a proven, defined, & defended track record in every state, especially those states where abolition bills have been introduced.

GROUP 2: THE CONFLICTED-CONSISTENT.

These see the consistent bible position, yet self-label as “Pro-life.” Affirming:

1) Life & personhood begin at fertilization/conception—created in God’s image, owned by God, for His glory. 

2) Thus must be granted equal protection under the law by criminalizing preborn homicide according to Scripture.

GROUP 2 may assume that their conservative, Pro-life legislators & Christian leaders affirm life/personhood & = protection from fertilization/conception, but assuming this is neither wise nor sufficient. GROUP 2 may assume they can reform the Pro-life establishment, but they will not.

This is *not* to say that individual Pro-lifers will not change their position, they will. It is to say that Big Pro-life always will be biblically compromised, well-funded by those wanting abortion exceptions & allowances, and politically secular & pragmatic. This group needs to #Plexit. Leave the Pro-life movement for the biblically consistent Abortion Abolition position.

GROUP 3: BLURRY MIDDLE.

The 3rd Pro-life group sees the compromises of Big Pro-life & is tugged toward a more biblically consistent position, but a pint of pragmatism, a tbsp of tradition, & an oz of Big Pro-life pride is a sure recipe for a bland, lukewarm loaf of midwayism.

Big Pro-life has disciplined the BLURRY MIDDLE by demonizing and keeping attention away from the biblically consistent position of equal protection for all preborn from fertilization, namely the criminalization of preborn homicide. 

The BLURRY MIDDLE sadly has an underdeveloped understanding of Big Pro-life’s existing homicide exception bills, malicious undermining of biblically consistent proposed equal protection bills, and is under the malaise of Big Pro-life pride & propaganda. The consequence is the perpetuation of Big Pro-life in the face of the glory of God and the delay of the abolition of abortion.

ABOLITIONISM.

Abortion abolition is the outlawing, or criminalization of preborn homicide (abortion) thereby establishing justice as = protection from fertilization. Abolitionism is committed to the five biblical tenets as outlined in the acrostic GATES:

G – Gospel-centered
A – Aligned Providentially
T – Through the Church
E – Engaged Biblically
S – Sought Immediately without Compromise

Why would Christians advance any other agenda? This is most clearly seen in the abolition bills that they seek to pass, which always have the following characteristics:

1. Outlaw abortion from fertilization/conception.

2. Do not include exceptions for preborn homicide (ectopics & emergencies are *not* preborn homicide).

3. Criminalize preborn homicide and establish justice as equal protection for the preborn. 

4. Do not submit to unconstitutional rulings (like Roe).

5. Repeal or supersede all statutes which allow for preborn homicide.

Why would Christians support any other bill?

Abortion is murder and everyone knows it. 

It’s past time for Christians to act like abortion is murder. It’s past time for a mass exodus of Christians from the Pro-life Movement. It’s past time for a Christian Pro-life exit in favor of abolitionism. It’s time to #Plexit.

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