Rethinking the Right to Life: 2022 Edition

I honestly never thought I would see the day when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. O me of little faith. But even though the country of the United States now officially affirms that there is no constitutional right to abort a pregnancy, the population still remains very polarized when it comes to the issue of abortion. Those in favor of abortion ironically see it as an issue of human dignity, despite the fact that it dehumanizes the unborn, while those opposed to abortion often cite the “right to life” as the main reason that abortion is wrong. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling this past weekend, I thought it would be a good time to reshare an updated version of a post I initially published back in 2019.

Abortion has been in the national limelight more than usual lately [in 2019] with New York’s passage of the Reproductive Health Act, which legalized “abortions after 24 weeks in cases where there is an ‘absence of foetal [sic] viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or health.’”[1] This legislative action came right on the heels of the annual March for Life and Sanctity of Human Life Day in January and in the midst of other abortion-related legislation being proposed or adjudicated in other states such as Vermont, Virginia, and Iowa.

Heightening the emotional impact of the New York law, is a particularly strong irony that came in the governor’s celebratory act of lighting One World Trade Center in pink. While the new World Trade Center was lit in celebration of the potential for ending unborn lives, the memorial at the old World Trade Center site lists the unborn among those killed in 2001. The contrast is beyond chilling. Also chilling is a contemporaneous video showing a Virginia state representative blank-facedly admitting that her proposed bill would allow abortions to take place even up to the moment of birth. Thankfully, that bill was defeated.

This issue raises incredibly strong feelings on all sides. However, my intent with this post is not to go into the medical arguments against the presuppositions in these laws; others have shared their expertise to show that while delivery might be necessary to save a mother’s life, abortion is not. Neither is my intent to answer the myriad of arguments that self-proclaimed “pro-choice” individuals offer up to rationalize abortion, nor to delve into the scientific and technological advancements that increasingly support the claim that life begins at conception. Instead, my purpose is to share how I have come to rethink what is referred to as the “right to life” and to call us all to expand our view of what we are truly dealing with when we make the case for the protection of the unborn.

Oftentimes in the Right to Life movement, the persuasive arguments center around the unborn themselves: babies (fetuses) are alive, and they have the right to live; extinguishing their lives before they are born robs them of the opportunity to live, to love, and to experience love outside the womb; taking their lives removes their choice for what they want to do with their lives. All of these statements are true, but are they really the fundamental reason why abortion is wrong? In other words, is killing others wrong because they deserve the chance to live and thrive?

Our Declaration of Independence asserts that all of humanity has a right to life. But where does this right come from? Is it a right we give to ourselves? Is it something our Founding Fathers just came up with? As the Declaration acknowledges, the right to life comes from our Creator, i.e. the God of the Bible. There is nothing we bring to the table in and of ourselves that makes us deserving of life. What makes us deserving is not who we are but Who our Creator is. He has made us and, in doing so, has imparted His image to us. That’s what makes us valuable, i.e. worthy of living. So because He is the One who gives us life and who imputes value to us, He is the only One who has the right to take our lives away. Let that sink in for a moment. God is the only One who has the legitimate authority to end a human life.[2]

So when it comes to abortion, while it can be emotionally persuasive to talk about the unborn, to make us feel empathy for their utterly defenseless condition, to horrify us at the callousness it takes to cause a defenseless person pain and then to extinguish their life, I have come to see that these are not the most important reasons we should stand against it.

What is? Just this: to end the life of an unborn human is fundamentally about usurping the power and authority of the almighty God of the universe. And that is a profoundly dangerous thing to do. Look at the consequences of those who tried to become like God—Satan, who incurred eternal damnation, and Adam and Eve, who ensured that they and the entirety of their descendants would be unable to have a relationship with God were it not for God’s intervention through Jesus, are the ones that immediately come to mind. Bottom-line: trying to be like God is not something to mess around with. God is the only all-powerful being and the only all-wise being, so to attempt to assert our own “power” and “wisdom” over His is incredibly foolish. The point, when it comes to abortion, is not so much that the unborn have a right to live as it is that we do not have the right to kill them.

Of course, this is a less palatable point to raise because it heightens the onus placed on those consenting to and performing the abortion. If we’re not careful, making such a point can be interpreted as heaping guilt on an already struggling individual. And in a pro-life culture that has (sometimes justifiably) been accused of doing a less-than-stellar job of showing compassionate care and real tangible and emotional support to mothers and families contemplating abortion, it can be scary to argue for life from this perspective because it increases the risk of coming across as heartless and judgmental.

That is why we must learn how to simultaneously hold onto the appropriately big view of God, including the thoroughly inherent rights He has by nature of Who He is, and to practically demonstrate His love for women who are carrying the lives He has created. We don’t have the right to take a human life, because that right only belongs to God, but we also don’t have the right to devalue those whom He has created in His image, which includes not only the unborn but also the teens and adults connected to them.

Thankfully, many in the Church have already been stepping up to tangibly love and support the unborn, the born, and the mothers of both. Whether through financial giving to pregnancy centers that provide free counseling, ultrasounds, clothing, diapers, etc. to families in need or through personal care for families and children via foster care and adoption, followers of Christ have been demonstrating His compassion to mothers, fathers, babies, and children alike. I personally know at least twenty families who have fostered and/or adopted over forty children (not counting those who have helped raise family members), and many more who have been part of their support network. But there is always more to be done. And in a post-Roe America, the Church has a remarkable opportunity to expand their efforts to actionably demonstrate the love and hope of Christ to women who, for whatever reason, do not want to give birth to their babies.

So as we think about the issue of abortion in the coming days and years, let us consider the greatness of God and our own smallness in comparison. Let us acknowledge that we cannot rightfully end another human’s life, because that right only belongs to Him. He is the one who numbers our days and who allots our time in His perfect design (see Psalm 139:16). Let us not presume to know better than He. And in contemplating His greatness, may we also be overcome by His goodness such that we are filled with compassion for those who are hurting and scared, for those who are conflicted, and for those who are convinced. At the end of our earthly lives, when we stand before God to give an account, may we be able to say, “I stood for preserving your gift of life, and I showed your love to all.”

PC: Rose Creger Tankard. Used with permission.

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[1] Pierpont, George, BBC News, “New York abortion law: Why are so many people talking about it?” accessed 29 January 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46994583

[2]  In some cases, e.g. in punishing a human who has killed another human in cold blood, God has delegated this authority, but in the case of the unborn, He has not done so.

On Living for God’s Glory: A Conversation with Kim S. Kinney

I first met Kim Kinney through my church in North Carolina and have been blessed by her kindness, encouragement, hospitality, and wisdom as she reflects those aspects of Christ. Her heart of ministry has enriched the lives of many, and she seeks the glory of God above all else. It is only fitting, then, that her first book, just released last month, is titled Living for His Glory. I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of the book and trust that God will use its message to point people to Himself and to challenge and encourage followers of Jesus to stand firm in their faith and be ever mindful of glorifying God in all they do.

 

Recently, I asked Kim to share about her experience and the story behind Living for His Glory. I’m excited to share our conversation with you.  

 

Olivia: First, can you share a little about your spiritual background?

 

Kim: Born in South Dakota and mostly raised in Wisconsin, I grew up in a family of faith. I was always in church and it became the fabric of my life. I began teaching Sunday School at age 15 for a large and rowdy group of second grade boys that no one wanted. They even locked me out of the classroom on the first day! But I ended up loving it. Somehow, perhaps because of my own youth at the time, we connected. And they responded in a positive way. I taught many different ages over the years, but especially thrived with the high school and college classes.

 

In my 40’s, I started and ran an online ministry for years called The Edge. Targeting young adults and professionals roughly ages 18-25, its mission was to keep these young people grounded in their faith despite what professors taught them and influences they encountered during these impressionable years. It quickly grew to include young people in 8 countries. It was during these years that the Lord birthed in me the desire and ability to write.

 

I have been in Bible studies for decades and started to lead Bible studies for women’s ministries after my mom died in 2010. I loved it, but my teaching ministry came to a screeching halt with the onset of Covid. It was during this time—when my calendar was miraculously cleared—that the Lord impressed upon me His desire that I write books. And so my writing journey began.

 

Olivia: What prompted you to write a book, and what led you to focus on the topic of God’s glory?

 

Kim: Fifteen years ago or so, a friend asked me, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” I immediately knew my answer, “I would write a book.” It was not feasibly possible at that time. But years later, God made a way. God often speaks to me in the wee hours of the morning, and He clearly told me I was to write about His glory and it would be a three part series called The Glory Series. He even gave me the titles of each book. Writing came easily and words often spilled across the canvas of my paper faster than I could type or think. God often awakened me in the middle of the night and brought clarity of thought; many times, I couldn’t keep up with my fingers as they flew across the keyboard. And remarkably, when I later returned to proofread and edit my writing, I found I couldn’t remember what I had written. I am certain the Holy Spirit guided my writing.

 

Olivia: How does being a Christian inform the way you view the act of writing?

 

Kim: Being a Christian undergirds everything I do. It’s like the foundation of a home. No matter what room you’re in, you function on top of the foundation that holds it all together. My faith in Jesus Christ undergirds and impacts everything I do, including my writing. It is interwoven throughout every aspect of my writing and colors my perspective of every topic. There is nowhere I can go outside of His presence and influence, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. My Christian worldview acts as a filter through which I see the world and process everything I see, experience, and put to paper.

 

Olivia: What is your hope for those who read Living for His Glory? 

Kim: My hope and prayer are threefold:
-that it will guide many to faith.
-that it will ignite a passion for many to reconnect with their faith and begin to take it seriously, realizing that time is short and God has a very real purpose for their lives that they can no longer ignore.
-that it will strengthen and encourage the seasoned Christian to focus on the eternal and explore what it means to live in victory for the resplendent glory of God as the greatest priority of their lives.

Let’s face it; life is just plain hard many days. We all struggle; no one is immune. That’s because we live in a world controlled by the evil one. Navigating through life can be daunting. But when we realize that we are created to live in a way that glorifies God, no matter what our life looks like, it changes absolutely everything!

 

Whether we are in a normal season of living life or a challenging season of chaos and suffering, God is ever present and has a purpose through the mundane as well as the extraordinary which impacts everything we do.

 

When we submit to the will of God and live a life intertwined with His, trusting in His purposes and provision, our lives take on divine and eternal significance. We don’t worry like the world does. Everything we do holds spiritual significance and showcases His glory as He transforms us in a multitude of ways for our good and His splendor. None of our suffering or challenges are wasted. Everything we do holds spiritual significance and reverberates for eternity. And He rewards us with His peace and greatest blessings as we walk in glorious victory too magnificent for words. The last thing we want is to simply drift through the daily motions of life, only to realize one day that we wasted it all.

 

We simply cannot get this wrong! Living for the glory of God is our greatest privilege.

 

I hope you have enjoyed hearing from Kim and have been reminded of the goodness of God in giving us the privilege of glorifying Him with our lives. If you’d like to read her book, you can find it on Amazon. You can also follow Kim’s author page on Facebook and Instagram @kimskinneyauthor and visit her website here.