Abortion Until Birth Or Abortion Abolished?
On March 2nd, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost approved the language of a petition that was filed by a pro-abortion initiative. The petition aims to put abortion rights on the ballot this November. The proposed ballot initiative, if passed, would enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution. The initiative states that it would restrict the state to only prohibit abortion “after fetal viability” while allocating the determination of “viability” to the individual opinion of the physician (the abortionist). Viability would be decided “on a case-by-case basis.” Additionally, it provides endless exceptions to perform the abortion even after “fetal viability”. By playing word games, the initiative would amend the Ohio Constitution to allow for abortion up until birth.
This initiative, if passed, would render impotent the ability to abolish abortion through the legislative process. It would enshrine the tyranny of the majority as triumphant, and it would surely invite the wrath of God upon our state by condemning untold scores of preborn children to unjust deaths. For God Himself testifies, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:22–23). This ballot initiative is the greatest scheme of darkness that Ohio has ever faced in the fight to guarantee equal protection to the preborn. End Abortion Ohio is committed to both an offensive and a defensive response. The command from God to “establish justice” (Amos 5:15) and to “Rescue those who are being taken away to death” (Proverbs 24:11) is still binding upon us. We have no liberty to ignore this command because of pragmatic thinking rooted in human wisdom (cf., 1 Samuel 15:22–23). The wisest course is to follow the will of God. Thus, we believe it is right to continue to push for a bill of equal protection. The “Abolition of Abortion in Ohio Act” is a Biblical and righteous bill, and will be the standard that the bride of Christ will rally behind to defeat the initiative. God, all sovereign and wise, will do according to His purposes, and we entrust our faithful service to Him.
In addition, what is needed to stop the ballot initiative is the faithful day–in and day–out preaching of God’s word. We commit to bringing the word of God into the public square, heralding it clearly without reservation. We will proclaim God’s condemnation against abortion, His command to all people to love their preborn neighbors, and the freeing power of the Gospel which grants forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ.
A Biblical response, unfortunately, has not been at the forefront in Ohio. The general response of the pro-life establishment puts abortion on par with cigarettes or alcohol. Essentially saying, “This action can remain legal as long as there are critical health and safety protections placed around its use.” This response does not rightly frame the severity or reality of the situation. The Word of God calls abortion “murder” and demands immediate equal protection for all people, both born and preborn, and not merely the gradual removal of regulatory protections so murder can continue to be done “safely”. Only a Biblical response, only a response that proclaims, “thus says the Lord,” will defeat the dark and devilish schemes of the enemy. End Abortion Ohio is unapologetically Christian and solely committed to seeing abortion abolished in our great state unto the glory of God.
