The Post-Roe Paradox: Why Abortion Rates Are Still Rising
On January 27, 1973, a single decision legalized abortion in every state. Almost fifty years later, Roe v. Wade was overturned. Many held hope that this decision would stem the tide of abortions in the United States. Instead, on the fourth anniversary of its reversal, abortion rates are higher than ever before, bolstered largely by telehealth abortions.
This moment demands a spiritual—not political—reflection. The church must confront a hard truth. Many well-meaning Christians are unprepared to defend the dignity of life. And this is much to do with the church’s weak and often-neglected theology of life.
If the church is to effectively oppose the culture of death, one thing is critical: we must recover a theology of life that is central to our mission, not peripheral.
The Ancient Lie Behind a Modern Evil
From the opening pages of scripture, Satan’s strategy has been clear: distort God’s Word, undermine God’s goodness, and destroy God’s image—the Imago Dei. The fall was not merely about disobedience and the vertical relationship between God and man; it was also an assault on identity.
When humanity questioned whether God was truly good, it cast doubt upon the very image of God, and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). Ever since, the enemy has sought to diminish human worth by redefining value in terms of strength, usefulness, autonomy and convenience.
Abortion is not a new evil; it is a modern manifestation of an ancient lie that some lives are expendable and others are not. This is nothing less than spiritual warfare aimed at the image of God Himself.
When the Church Treats Life as a Political Issue
While the pro-life movement can rightly mourn the rise of abortion rates, we must also acknowledge that our collective hesitancy to be overtly and unapologetically pro-life creates the very space for these efforts to flourish.
The reality is that many Bible-believing, gospel-preaching churches remain quiet on pro-life teaching because it feels “political.” This is a lie that the enemy continues to use to debilitate the church.
To the contrary, abortion is not a political issue; it is an issue of ethics, theology and human dignity. It speaks to the very character of God and the value he places on every human life. When we allow the enemy to convince us it’s unfit to discuss from the pulpit, we concede ground in the spiritual and physical battle for life.
The Cost of Pastoral Silence
Through many years of pro-life engagement, I have seen women grow up in church and know the name of Jesus but, due to the church’s silence, still believe abortion is their only option. They were taught to love God but never taught why their own lives, or the lives growing inside them, mattered to him.
Pastoral silence, rooted in fear of controversy, has consequences. Silence in our homes and churches creates a vacuum that the culture of death is all too eager to fill.
The Crisis Within the Church
Four in ten women who have had an abortion were going to church when they ended their pregnancy, and seven in ten women who have had an abortion claim a Christian religious preference. These devastating statistics show that if the issue is not addressed internally, believers are unprepared to defend, teach, and live out their convictions.
Reaching the hearts of those inside the church is the first step of building a truly pro-life culture. We must be willing to be the vessel God uses to teach these truths diligently to members of our own congregations and families.
Discipleship Begins at Home
A culture where abortion becomes increasingly unthinkable can only be cultivated when churches and families faithfully disciple their members on what the Bible teaches about sexual ethics and the value of life.
While this formation must take place in the church, it starts in the home. Homes should be where the sacredness of life is formed and protected.
Parents must intentionally teach a gospel sexual ethic and gospel family ethic. Families must guard what shapes their children’s worldview, taking moments to pause and discuss why we honor the sanctity of life to begin with. These moments of family discipleship are essential to forming convictions about life.
A Truly Pro-Life Witness
Outside of the home, gospel-centered, pro-life witness begins by affirming both women in crisis and preborn children as image bearers. Promoting the sanctity of life should be an integral part of evangelism, teaching, and public witness.
This is not a fight merely of rhetoric and legal actions. It is from the sweat of our brow—by supporting our words with the way that we love:
- the orphan
- the single mother
- the woman who has made an adoption plan
- the family that has lost children to the foster care system
- the image-bearers with special needs or disabilities.
As President of Lifeline Children’s Services, I have served vulnerable women, children, and families for over two decades. I have witnessed firsthand the beauty that unfolds when we cultivate life in those around us, as well as the devastation that follows when we do not. This work is not theoretical to me; it is the ministry we have been entrusted to carry out daily.
Living the Theology We Proclaim
If the church is going to claim a pro-life ethic, it must be lived out. It must show up through the mentorship of broken families, children with special needs, drug addicts, and those whose stories are marked by sin and suffering. Our congregations begin to truly mirror the image of God when we move toward broken people instead of away from them. Only that kind of church will meaningfully confront abortion.
The church does not protect the image of God by guarding our comfort, but by embodying Christ who took on flesh, entered brokenness, and laid down his life so that all image bearers might live both in this life and the next. A church that follows Christ will do the same.
