Why the Christian Right is Pro-Life

Abortion is one of those topics that enters every political debate at some point. How one sides on the issue is usually a prerequisite question in most national political contests. In a recent CNN poll, according to question number 43, 50% of those asked identify themselves as pro-life. Only 43% identified themselves as pro-choice. Nearly 80% of those asked believe late term abortion should be made illegal.

While the issue of abortion is a hot topic in most political contests, it is a matter of life or death to those who possess a Christian worldview. Evangelicals believe that the Bible is God's perfect and literal word to mankind. Based on a literal view of scripture, conservative Christians oppose abortion for the following reasons:

1. It ends a life (Ex. 20:13)
   The fundamental question is whether or not an unborn child can be considered a life. When Roe vs. Wade was first rendered, what we know as pregnancy trimesters were created as an attempt to define when life begins. The courts ruled that abortion-on-demand could only be performed in the first "trimester," second trimester abortions most present a health risk to the mother, and third trimester abortions were illegal barring a serious health risk to the mother.
   
   As science has developed more advanced methods of observing fetal development, the trimester system is no longer viable. In fact, the supreme court backed away from it completely in the 1992 Planned Parenthood of Southern Pennsylvania vs. Casey case. Now, we can fully observe the staggering development of the child. We are able to detect a heartbeat in as little as five weeks, and organ development at 6 weeks. Even abortion Doctors use the terminology "kill the fetus" when referring to the practice.
   
   The simple answer is that conservative Christians are convinced that the unborn child is an innocent life. Taking innocent life is murder. When a person believes that mass genocide is happening, he must either take arms against it, or by his apathy, take part in it. Simply remaining neutral during the Jewish Holocaust was tantamount to its sanctioning. There are certain crimes so grievous that all of mankind must stand against them to defend humanity itself. To conservative Christians, abortion is one of these issues.
   
   
2. God says that an unborn fetus is a life!
   In Exodus 21:22-25, God prescribes the punishment for damaging an unborn child. The verses sat that if one harms an unborn child either on purpose or by accident (by accident is illustrated to demonstrate the severity of the charge) then it is to be done to the offender as was done to the child. If the unborn child is killed, then so should the offender(s) be.
   
   By prescribing the same punishment for killing an unborn child as any other living person, God makes it clear that the unborn child is alive.
   
   
3. God creates life in the womb.
   O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb… (Isaiah 44:1-2)
   
   From My mother’s womb You have been My God (Psalm 22:10)
   
   For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:13-14)
   
   In Luke 1:39-44 John the Baptist leaps in his mother's womb just because he heard the voice of the mother of Jesus. This infers spiritual understanding in the womb.
   

These are just three of many scriptural examples that lead conservative Christians to stand against abortion. But even without scriptural support, the average person can come to the conclusion that there is a life growing inside a woman's womb. Even the authors of the Roe vs. Wade decision made provisions that prohibited abortion at certain stages of pregnancy. If a conservative Christian can come to no other conclusion that an unborn child is a life at any stage, he can neither support abortion from a a scriptural, nor moral point of view.

The conservative Christian feels as though man was created in the image of God and therefore a special creation. He also believes that taking the life of a person created in God's image is the most heinous of sins against God and mankind. No political movement can gain the acceptance of the conservative Christian that does not speak out against abortion. It is our defining issue.

Can political Liberals overcome the abortion issue and win some conservative Christians?
The short answer is--not likely. With that said, simply speaking out is not an option any longer. Candidates have been relying on the conservative Christian vote simply by speaking out on abortion, but this will no longer ensure votes. Political liberals can capitalize on this trend by emphasizing the virtual impotence of conservative politicians in repealing Roe vs. Wade.

Conservative Christians are now willing to back candidates who are unlikely to win or third party candidates rather than return to status quo inaction. This trend could detract a large percentage of overall conservative voters and allow an energized liberal base to make significant gains in some localities that have traditionally voted conservative by less than landslide margins.

My advice to political liberals on the issue of abortion.
Take advantage of wavering by conservative politicians. In debates, hold conservatives to the fire by asking what will they do specifically to end abortion. If they say anything other than "I will make it the number one issue of my term in office to end abortion on demand," conservative Christians will be turned off. While they will not vote liberal, they will most likely not vote, or support a less popular candidate. This will allow liberals to make strong gains in areas traditionally held by pseudo-conservatives.

My advice is to turn this issue into an equity by exposing inactivity on behalf of conservatives. Point out inconsistencies in speech and action. Do not try to win votes. Simply call the kettle black and watch conservatives stay home on election day.