I have some reflections in Mere Orthodoxy for today’s 52nd anniversary of Roe. A small taste:
It is a terrible irony that in this age of medical advancements and economic resources, to hate the vulnerable—and wish their destruction—has become so normalized in our society as to go without notice. I think about this today, the fifty-second anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Roe was technically overturned in the Dobbs decision two and a half years ago, but a report from CNN in August of 2024 showed an increase in the number of abortions in 2024.Â
No question about it: we, as a society, do not like the weak and the vulnerable. Instead of investing resources in them, it is much more convenient to destroy them ourselves (the promise of abortion, which involves the medical killing of the baby in utero) or encourage the vulnerable to destroy themselves (as MAID attempts to do in Canada with medical killing of eligible adults over the age of eighteen). Tragically, some of the weak and the vulnerable—pregnant women in crisis situations, the drug addicted, the ill, the poor—are the most likely to buy into both of these lies. But is this true?
You can read the essay here.
Nadya, your reflections are your own and valid. My reflections are different and come from the vantage point of a woman who has lived through the era of Roe V Wade in its entirety. I graduated HS in 1970 and University in 1974. I am not an absolutist on abortion, yet I do think every human life is sacred and made in the image of God. I am a Christian.
I feel deeply for the women and girls who find themselves in desperate situations. Our Lord knows them and cares deeply for them. Modern testing makes it possible to detect pregnancy very early and sometimes due to fear and loss of hope, a woman might choose to end a pregnancy in the earliest stage. I think it is wrong to presume that she hates her child. She may think she is making the best decision at the time, maybe she is an addict, maybe she has other children that she struggles to care for, maybe she has poor mental health, maybe she is in an abusive relationship. God cares for both the mother and the unborn child. He has compassion. Many pregnancies naturally end in the earliest months according to science. When pregnancies are terminated at later stages it almost always involves a very wanted child with a fatal condition and I do not judge those parents who make heart wrenching decisions.
As far as end of life decisions, I am old enough to empathize with some who might want to spare their family the financial, physical or emotional burden in taking care of an elderly person in a long lingering incapacitation. A humane death sounds good to me, if I could spare my family.
As far as disability, my perspective comes from a career as a physical therapist. I have seen many overcome obstacles and have cheered them on. Life is worth living. I have also seen infant wards of severely disabled children in a state hospital before Roe V Wade and do not want to return to those days when imperfect children were put out of sight. Some parents choose to end suffering before birth, I cannot judge them. God will be the final judge.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I will note: I find such arguments as this one particularly heartbreaking: “She may think she is making the best decision at the time, maybe she is an addict, maybe she has other children that she struggles to care for, maybe she has poor mental health, maybe she is in an abusive relationship.” The thing is, if a woman is in any of the crisis situations you just listed, an abortion will not fix the crisis for her. It will only allow the crisis situation (e.g., abuse or, for instance sex trafficking) to continue as before. Real help–real compassion–involves addressing the actual crisis, the actual abuse, rather than simply eliminating a baby and ignoring the woman in distress.
I’ve appreciated that many crisis pregnancy centers not only provide prenatal care for women who need it, but also offer parenting classes, counseling, etc. Being fully pro-life involves supporting people who see otherwise no choice but to kill themselves (euthanasia) or their child (abortion). But what kind of choice is this sort of choice, made in despair, in hopelessness? How is this compassionate?
In Canada, the proposal that was recently passed–but thankfully delayed for now–involves allowing people with mental health conditions to request euthanasia. Just imagine: someone with depression or suicidal ideation coming to a hospital and being offered… MAID.
Ms. Williams, greatly appreciate your essay for Mere Orthodoxy and it is going out to friends and colleagues today.