Preborn children are the most vulnerable population in America. But at the same time, they are far and away the most attacked and endangered population.
Overall, abortion is the leading cause of death in America – above heart disease, cancer, stroke, or any other cause of death. Upwards of one million preborn children are killed in abortion clinics every year. Which means every 30 seconds, another innocent child is killed.
However, instead of fighting back against this atrocity, our culture has fallen for the abortion industry’s marketing and largely supports the deadly practice.
In a poll released by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in June of 2021, 57% of Americans said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Even more concerning, some data indicates that abortion is supported by many in the church. In a Pew Research Center poll released in August of 2019, 43% of Americans identifying as Protestant and 56% of Americans identifying as Catholic said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Preborn children are increasingly devalued, ignored, and dehumanized in our culture. And now more than ever, they need bold champions to stand in their defense and protect their right to life.
Human Coalition Action is unapologetically pro-life because:
- A preborn child is a human being.
- Every human being has intrinsic value and dignity from womb to tomb.
- And we are called to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us.
Is a preborn child a human being?
You may have heard the abortion industry argue that a child in the womb is not really a human being at all, but instead, just a “clump of cells,” a “fetus,” or simply “pregnancy tissue.” They use these euphemisms to dehumanize and devalue preborn children to soften the reality of abortion.
But a deeper look at the issue reveals that science is not on their side.
That’s because science proves that from the moment of fertilization, a new human being is formed. The human being has unique DNA – separate and independent from the mom – and is a living, growing, and developing person inside the womb.
Moreover, our culture hides biological features of preborn children in an attempt to strip their humanity. For example, our culture hides the fact that a preborn child’s heart starts beating soon after fertilization – at only five or six weeks into pregnancy. Preborn children also quickly begin to move around in the womb, practice breathing, become responsive to light, hear sound, and even suck their thumb.
Additionally, while there is debate on the exact timing of when this occurs, it is safe to say that preborn children feel pain – with some studies showing that it can be felt as early as eight weeks into pregnancy.
It is true that a preborn child is made up of a “clump of cells” – just like all human beings are. It is true that a medical term to describe a preborn child is “fetus.” It is also true that a preborn child is part of the “pregnancy tissue.”
However, none of these descriptions change the scientific fact that a preborn child is a human being from the very beginning.
Should preborn children have the same value as life outside the womb?
Now that we have established the scientific fact that a preborn child is a human being, we must next address whether a preborn child should have the same value as a born human being.
To take on this question, we first turn to Scripture.
In Genesis 1, the Bible reveals the intrinsic dignity human beings have simply because man was created in God’s image:
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27
As such, human beings have value and dignity that comes from God that cannot be earned, lost, or taken away.
The Bible also shows the value and dignity God places in preborn children. Jeremiah 1:5 says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Psalm 139:13 says: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Moreover, the first human being to recognize Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus was a child in the womb. In Luke 1:41, Mary goes to see Elizabeth after the angel tells her that she will give birth to the Son of God. At the time, Elizabeth was pregnant with the child who would later become known as John the Baptist. The verse says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
The Bible doesn’t say that a clump of cells leaped in her womb. The Bible doesn’t say that Elizabeth’s pregnancy tissue leaped in her womb. The Bible clearly says that the baby leaped in her womb.
Beyond Scripture, by looking at four of the fundamental differences between preborn children and life outside the womb, we find that there is no logical reason that preborn children should be treated with any less value or dignity than born human beings.
Author Steven Schwartz developed what has become known as the SLED test – which stands for Size, Level of Development, Environment, and Degree of Dependency. While each of these factors is used in our culture as a reason why a preborn child is less valuable, in no other area of life is it morally acceptable to use these factors to determine worth – much less, the right for a human being to live.
Size: It is true that a preborn child is smaller than a human being outside the womb. However, a toddler outside the womb is smaller than a full-grown adult, and yet, an adult is not more valuable than a toddler.
Level of Development: It is true that a preborn child is less developed than life outside the womb. However, a toddler is less developed than a teenager, and a teenager is less developed than an adult. But in neither of these circumstances is it morally acceptable to kill the lesser developed human.
Environment: The difference in location between a preborn child inside the womb and a child outside the womb is only a few inches down the birth canal. However, in our culture, these few inches mean the difference between a child worthy of protection, and a “clump of cells” that can be destroyed. But in no other situation does a human being’s environment or location determine worth.
Degree of Dependency: Once again, it is true that a preborn child is dependent on the mother. However, the degree of dependency does not change once the child is outside the womb. Even for years after birth, a child is dependent on others to survive. Furthermore, many adults are dependent on others to survive, but it would never be considered morally acceptable to kill a human outside the womb based on their degree of dependency.
Our culture views preborn children differently than born humans. But using God’s Word and logic, it’s clear that our culture is wrong and preborn children deserve the same value and dignity as every other human.
Does the pro-life movement consider the mother?
One of the most common critiques of pro-life organizations – and the pro-life movement in general – is that they only care about the child and have no regard for the mother.
For Human Coalition Action, we believe being pro-life means protecting all human life – from womb to tomb. That means we care deeply about the mother and the entire family.
The abortion industry argues that abortion is all about “choice” and “women’s empowerment.” But this argument falls apart when you look at the true factors that go into a mom seeking an abortion.
Human Coalition Action’s affiliated organization, Human Coalition, works with tens of thousands of women every year who are looking for an abortion online. And the primary reasons they are seeking an abortion have nothing to do with “choice” or “empowerment.” It has to do with very tangible and straightforward needs – such as the lack of support and basic necessities, like food, housing, and childcare.
In fact, of the women served by Human Coalition, over 75% say they would prefer to parent if their life circumstances were different.
That’s why Human Coalition Action works to advance policies that help women seeking an abortion receive the resources and support they need to improve their circumstances.
One of our top policy priorities is the Every Mother Matters Act (EMMA), which is a bipartisan bill that would create a tangible system of support for at-risk women considering abortion.
This bill empowers moms with immediate personal support, long-term solutions, and healthy pregnancy benefits through trained licensed professionals. Ultimately, regardless of the woman’s decision, EMMA gives her the opportunity to receive long-term support to stabilize her and her family.
This is what true empowerment looks like. This is what it looks like to empower women with real solutions to overcome their obstacles.
Read more about EMMA at https://www.everymothermattersact.com/.
What is my role in protecting preborn children?
If every 30 seconds, a toddler was killed inside a pediatrician’s office, would you take action? Do you think the church would take action? Do you think there would be widespread outrage, legislation, policy initiatives, and protesting?
Since there is no moral or religious difference between the life of a toddler and the life of a preborn child, we should treat what it is happening in abortion clinics every single day in the same way we would treat toddlers being killed in pediatricians’ offices.
Throughout the Bible, we are called to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us. For example, in Proverbs 24:11, we are called to “Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” And in Proverbs 31:8 we are called to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
As was stated in the beginning, preborn children are the most vulnerable population in the country.
That means Christians have a responsibility to stand in the gap for moms and families who are considering abortion.
That means Christians have a responsibility to share the truth about the value and dignity of all human life with their family, their coworkers, their community, and their church.
That means Christians have a responsibility to get involved in the pro-life movement.
Human Coalition Action is dedicated to advocating for pro-life policy and legislation, mobilizing grassroots, and engaging with elected officials and candidates to make abortion unthinkable and unnecessary. But this work is only possible with unapologetically pro-life partners like YOU.
Will you answer the calling in Proverbs and speak up for preborn children and their families? Learn how you can get involved in the fight for life today: https://hucoaction.org/mobilization/.
Citations and Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Leading Causes of Death: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research: Public Holds Nuanced Views about Access to Legal Abortion: https://apnorc.org/projects/public-holds-nuanced-views-about-access-to-legal-abortion/
Pew Research Center: U.S. Public Continues to Favor Legal Abortion, Oppose Overturning Roe v. Wade: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/08/29/u-s-public-continues-to-favor-legal-abortion-oppose-overturning-roe-v-wade/
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy: When Do Human Beings Begin? “Scientific” Myths and Scientific Facts: https://www.princeton.edu/~prolife/articles/wdhbb.html
What To Expect: Your Baby’s Heartbeat: https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/fetal-development/fetal-heart-heartbeat-circulatory-system/
Christianity Daily: Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Introduces Another Pro-Life Bill Protecting Pain-Capable Preborn Babies: https://www.christianitydaily.com/articles/10323/20201217/hawaii-rep-tulsi-gabbard-introduces-another-pro-life-bill-protecting-pain-capable-preborn-babies.htm
Life Training Institute: The Case for Life: https://prolifetraining.com/resources/the-case-for-life/
The Every Mother Matters Act: https://www.everymothermattersact.com/
