Protected in Law and Cared for in Life

“Protected in law and cared for in life” … with that simple phrasing, Father Richard John Neuhaus once articulated the ultimate goals of the pro-life movement. It seems to me that this is an articulation worth recalling as we try to grasp where we – those of us who support the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death - now stand in the light of the Supreme Court’s recent “Dobbs decision.” That decision, of course, overturned the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973, declaring, in no uncertain terms, that there never was, nor is there now, a right to abortion contained within the U. S. Constitution. And thus, it returns “the abortion question” to the 50 states where the political process … the voice of the people … will ultimately determine the legality or illegality of abortion within that state.

Now, what does that mean?  Of course, it means many things, but surely one of those things is that for the first time in nearly fifty years, the pro-life community can begin to give equal weight to the second half of Father Neuhaus’ formulation. That is, the pro-life community can feel comfortable in starting to shift the spotlight from “protecting unborn life in law” to the equally important task of “caring for the unborn and newborn in life.” It means we can begin to direct more of our energies to the massive task of supporting mothers and fathers and their children as they face the challenges of life together in less than hospitable circumstances. It means we can begin to redirect our attention away from the happenings in Washington D.C. and toward the happenings within our own local communities. It means investing much more of our time and many more of our resources to strengthening the local organizations that will likely have the most direct contact with those needing services, most often a local Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC). While some pro-life folks have been heavily engaged in these “caring for life” efforts for many years, the truth is many of us have been distracted by far-away legal battles and, therefore, have not been as actively engaged in the local aspects of the pro-life cause as we might have been.

 And so, in this new Dobbs era, my hope and prayer is that many more of us will be moved to a greater level of personal and congregational activity, especially in support of these local helping agencies. If you haven’t yet established a relationship with a PRC in your area, pick up the phone and give them a call. If you haven’t given the members of your congregation an easy opportunity to regularly contribute time or money to a local PRC, consider having a regular monthly door offering dedicated to your local PRC or to Lutherans for Life. If you haven’t been in the habit of including the pro-life cause in your personal or corporate prayer life, why not start today?!

 There is still, of course, plenty of work to be done in the political arena to secure legal protections for all of the unborn in every place, and we continue to encourage people to be active in that sphere as well. Indeed, that’s especially true here in Minnesota, where the courts continue to provide a barrier to recognizing the full humanity of the unborn. But now, thank God, we are at a place where the “caring for mother and child in life” can take its proper place alongside our efforts to “protect them in law.” For those of us who have been on the receiving end of such lavish care and protection by our Heavenly Father, this ought to come very naturally. God’s blessings as you feel your way … as you pray your way … into this new and exciting era, where life is recognized for the great and precious gift that it is: a gift from God!   

In Christ,
Rev Fredric Hinz
LCMS Public Policy Advocate
The Minnesota Districts