The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned its 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years. The ruling came in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which challenged Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, and whether it was unconstitutional. It was enacted in 2018 but was blocked after a federal court challenge. The state of Mississippi asked the high court to uphold its law and directly challenged the precedent in Roe v Wade that held that states cannot ban pre-viability abortions, those done before a child can survive outside the womb. The Court decision is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of US states. The decision was the culmination of decades of efforts by pro-life advocates. Judge Alito, in the final opinion, wrote that the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were wrong the day they were decided and must be overturned.
Alito wrote “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision. Authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts.” Joining Alito were Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The latter three justices are Trump appointees. Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, the diminished liberal wing of the court, were in dissent. President Joe Biden said he would try to preserve access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and he called on Americans to elect more Democrats who would safeguard rights upended by the court’s decision. “This is not over,” he declared. Since Roe has been overturned by the high court, thirteen states have trigger laws in place to prohibit abortion.
Those laws have been estimated to close approximately 202 clinics or 26% of all publicly advertised abortion facilities in the U.S. according to a recent study by the University of California. According to the study, California had the most abortion facilities, with 168 open facilities as of 2021, followed by New York (89) and Florida (55). California alone had more abortion facilities than the 34 states with the fewest number of them combined according to the study. California is moving to dramatically expand and fund the number of abortions performed in the state. It is nationally known for its pro-abortion laws and policies and is positioning itself to serve as an abortion destination for women in states that implement abortion bans in a post-Roe America. California has even set up its own advisory Future of Abortion Council, a coalition of 40 pro-abortion groups whose goal is “to Protect, Strengthen, and Expand Abortion Services in California.”
The ruling by the high court was applauded by pro-life organizations across the country. Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said: “The Supreme Court has announced one of the most significant rulings in my lifetime, officially voting to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision because it was wrong from the start,’ as stated by Justice Alito. The radical left is calling for a ‘night of rage,’ pregnancy centres are already being vandalized and attacked, and the U.S. Supreme Court justices are being targeted with threats and intimidation. “Roe v. Wade, has resulted in the deaths of over 63 million innocent children in this country. Sadly, this decision is not an end to abortion, it pushes the battle back to the states,” Graham continued. “I pray every state will enact protections for children in the womb and that our nation will value life and recognize the rights of our most vulnerable.”
Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation of Virginia noted this was a day “to celebrate the right of life of babies around the nation.” “Pro-Life advocates have worked for a generation to protect life, and we are thrilled that the Supreme Court finally recognized the horrific legal precedent of Roe and ruled in the favour of protecting life,” Cobb said. “Today, we pause to celebrate the right to life of babies around the nation being protected, but tomorrow the work begins in Virginia to protect life throughout the Commonwealth.” Bart Barber, newly-elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention responded to the ruling. “Southern Baptists rejoice at the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in this case” Barber said in a statement. “Since 1980, the Southern Baptist Convention has passed more than 20 resolutions on the question of abortion.
Barber said “We have consistently held these principles: That from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death all human beings are made in the image of God. That every human being is valuable and deserves to be loved and protected, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, socio-economic status, disability, intelligence, or utility to society. That elective abortion should be prohibited by law except in cases where-in the life of the mother is endangered by carrying the baby to term. That expectant mothers facing difficult circumstances deserve the love and support of the church, the community, and society.” “These principles have motivated both our consistent support of the pro-life movement and our consistent support of crisis pregnancy centres, ministries to low-income families, foster care and adoption agencies, and other ministries of mercy to people in need.”
Barber continued “As we stated just days ago in a resolution at our Annual Meeting, in the post-Roe United States, “We commit to stand with and pray for abortion-vulnerable women and to oppose Planned Parenthood and other predatory organizations or institutions who exploit vulnerable women for profit.” State-by-state, mother-by-mother, heart-by-heart, we will continue our sacred work toward this goal,” Barber’s statement concluded. In a statement, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said, “Life wins! Millions of Americans are celebrating today’s ruling and a pro-life movement that has worked tirelessly for decades. McDaniel went on “For a half-century, unelected judges have dictated America’s abortion laws. This historic ruling rightfully returns power to the American people to enact laws that protect unborn children and support mothers everywhere,” McDaniel said.
“Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute noted in a statement that “Roe was built on a lie that somewhere in our Constitution there existed a right to destroy children in the womb. The ruling in 1973 shocked and divided the nation. It was an exercise in raw judicial power. History will judge it as one of the court’s most shameful moments. But now the court has corrected its mistake. Roe is dead, and, as a result, millions of innocent babies will have a chance to live and be welcomed into the world.” But Dobson also reminded pro-life individuals that the battle for life is not yet over. “The court has taken the issue of abortion and returned it to the states. The people of each state will now have the opportunity to debate and to try to persuade their fellow citizens on the fundamental issue of the sanctity of life and pass laws that reflect that consensus” Dobson concluded.
Source: CBN News
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