U.S. Supreme Court win for the unborn

June 24, 2022 will go down in American history as Independence Day — freedom for Americans, at least for the unborn. After some 60 to 70 million American unborn babies were killed since the U.S. Supreme Court passed Roe v Wade in 1973, now we have the very real hope that far fewer babies will be killed in this way. That has been terrific news. Let me say a bit more about this ground-breaking decision.

First, as to the actual decision, the full title is this: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This had to do with an abortion-provider challenging the state of Mississippi's 2018 law that banned abortion after 15 weeks (with some exceptions). Thomas Dobbs is the state health officer.

What the June 24 Dobbs decision did was uphold the Mississippi law, and declared that there is no constitutional right to abortion, thus overturning two previous U.S. Supreme Court decisions: the 1973 Roe v. Wade case and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey case.

Dobbs has simply returned things to the way they always were: the citizens of 50 U.S. states — through their elected representatives — will decide how abortion is done in each state. No longer will a handful of unelected justices make those decisions for the American people.

This is, in other words, all about democracy in action — quite the opposite of what the raving pro-aborts are saying, claiming it is an assault on democracy. Lefties are even saying this is a "rigged" court! Translation: If the conservatives win in a ruling, it is rigged; if the lefties win in a ruling, it is "democracy in action".

Abortion policy is now going to be determined by the American people as it should be, especially given that this is all about important life-and-death decisions.

And let me clarify some confusion as to the decision. Some media reports spoke of a 6-3 decision, while others spoke of a 5-4 decision. So which is it? Well, it was sort of a 5-1-3 decision. Those in the majority were Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Donald Trump, during his term as U.S. president, of course appointed the last three judges.

Those in the minority — and who wrote a dissenting opinion — were Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. John Roberts in fact wrote a separate concurring opinion in which he basically agreed with the majority but argued for "a more measured course".

Speaking of who voted how, we can of course dismiss the foolish claim made by the radicals and pro-aborts that a bunch of old white men make these abortion decisions. Um, while none of the justices are spring chickens (Amy Coney Barrett is the youngest at age 50), we had both a Black (Thomas) and a woman (Coney Barrett) voting to overturn Roe. And if the feminists do not like men voting on such matters, will they dismiss the vote of Breyer who voted their way?

And given all the hate the conservative justices have been getting over the past month or two, including the attempted murder of Justice Kavanaugh at his own home, this was a very courageous decision indeed.

Robert P. George, a Princeton law professor, put it this way: "Please take a moment to appreciate the courage of the justices who overturned Roe v Wade. In doing what they did, they took their lives into their hands.

"Each knew that for the rest of his or her life he or she will have a target on his or her back. They and their families have witnessed the ugly scenes in front of their homes. They've heard the abusive chants. They know that an armed man came to the home of Justice Kavanaugh intending to murder him.

"Life for the justices will never return to normal. There is no going back. The campaign of intimidation against them failed, but they will never again be safe. They know that. They knew it when they decided the case and authorised the release of the decision. It took guts."

And with the pro-aborts taking to the streets and threatening even more violence and bloodshed, all pro-lifers will need the same sort of courage. Indeed, this is not just flesh and blood we battle against, but the very forces of spiritual darkness.

The ironic thing is this: the biggest and baddest protests have been in leftist states like New York, Illinois and California where abortion will never be made illegal any time soon. Moreover, a majority of Americans prefer a ban on abortion after 15 weeks. So we have already seen some states move towards life.

Bans on abortion went ahead after the decision in states such as Oklahoma, South Dakota, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Missouri. Around a dozen U.S. states had such "trigger laws" in place, awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court decision. And places like South Dakota are putting the penalties for violating the new laws on doctors providing the abortions, NOT on the women seeking to get them.

But the pro-aborts are enraged nonetheless. Just imagine people being so irate that they are happy to riot and tear our cities down all because it will be easier and safer for babies to be born. What sort of people think and act this way? And, even more bizarre, most of these angry protesters just a month previously could not tell you what a woman is!

It is also quite amazing to hear all the angry pro-aborts whining: "What about poor people?" What about them? Does being poor give you a right to kill babies? Besides, poor folks will be able to kill babies now just as easily as they could during the past 50 years.

As my friend Mark Rabich put it: "'Do not murder' is not qualified by economic status or the availability of free stuff. Some people don't realise they openly broadcast their selfishness. Sex is not a licence to murder.

" One final thought: none of this would have happened were it not for Donald Trump becoming the 45th president of the USA. His appointment of three pro-life justices (and hundreds of conservative lower-court judges) made all the difference. With Roe aborted, Trump will go down in history as America's most pro-life president. "God made the decision" is what Trump said when asked if he played a role in the decision with his three conservative Supreme Court appointees.

So, where to now?

As I said in a previous piece on CultureWatch, the war is definitely not over. We may have won an important battle, but the fight for life continues. The other side will NOT just roll over and play dead. They will intensify their pro-death crusade, including even more violence and hatred in the public arena. So we must keep on standing up for life.

And, as George Grant put it in on the day of the Supreme Court decision, we must keep standing up for the gospel as well: "The primary conflict in temporal history always has been and always will be the struggle for life by the church against the natural inclinations of all men everywhere. This was the case long before Roe and it will be long after, for as long as the Lord tarries.

"So after Roe, what's our job now? It is the same as always: we must be gospel advocates of all that is right and good and true. We must care for the poor, the hurting, and the marginalised. We must speak the truth in love. We must remind our magistrates of their responsibilities. We must disciple. We must be unflinching in the proclamation of the good news, which changes everything. Our intercessions and labours must be unceasing.

"Our local crisis pregnancy centres need our support like never before. Our pulpits need to ring out with practical, pastoral, and prophetic urgency like never before. And we need to remember God's glorious promise like never before: 'Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.' (Isaiah 43:19)."

And two concluding quotes from pro-life Christians on the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court decision can be shared here: Eric Metaxas said this: "Unconstitutional Roe is overturned! Praise the Lord!!! Anyone who thinks prayer doesn't work — or that America's best days are over — needs to think again."

And pro-life activist Scott Klusendorf has said: "Tomorrow: If your church says absolutely nothing about the monumental striking of Roe and Casey, you are most likely in a church that cares little about applying biblical ethics and a biblical worldview to its Christian witness."

Quite so. In fact, if you belong in a church which is silent on this issue or, worse yet, is condemning the Dobbs decision, you clearly are in the wrong church. You need to get out now. Life really is that important.

Bill Muehlenberg is an American-born Christian apologist, ethicist and cultural commentator, who lives in Melbourne. The above book review is reprinted, with his permission, from his website, CultureWatch, at: BillMuehlenberg.com

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