Restored Right

In the words of the Declaration of Independence, we find these powerful phrases that echo through the annals of time:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness–That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed…”

Wanda Franz of the National Right to Life Committee included those words in a piece she wrote over 15 years ago, in which she stated:

The right to life is a “self-evident truth;” it is not based on the speculations and shifting opinions of men.

The right to life is “unalienable” and an essential part of us. It exists independently from what others want. It is not a grant from government. It exists, whether there is a government or not. And it certainly can’t be ruled out of existence by unelected judges.

She goes on to state:

Instead of being guided by the Declaration of Independence, the pro-abortion majorities in the Supreme Court’s abortion cases since 1973 have blocked out the bright light of the Declaration and groped around in the resulting “penumbra” and made up a new “right” to suit their purpose.

Franz says, “To grasp how far down we have come from the rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence…,” that this “right” of a mother to take the life of her unborn child is inconsistent with the “concepts of a ‘self-evident truth’ or an ‘unalienable right.’”

Michael Farris, President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, commented on the Newsweek website on the restoration of a Constitutional perspective on abortion represented in the majority opinion in the Dobbs case. 

He said:

Justice Samuel Alito’s thoroughly researched opinion makes it abundantly clear that Roe was an act of raw judicial power—which simply means that the Supreme Court made a policy decision on abortion rather than duly applying the language and meaning of the Constitution.

Farris went on to commend the Court:

The Supreme Court acknowledged that it improperly seized the power of the people and their legislatures half a century ago. Now it has relinquished that power and given it back to the people. That’s a marvel worth celebrating.

This is not a matter of taking away a so-called “right” to terminate a pregnancy and by so doing, taking a life.  It is a matter of restoring the rights of citizens – as it’s been said: “We the People.” – to make their own decisions. The question of abortion is now returned to each state. 

In 2018, the voters of Alabama approved a Constitutional Amendment affirming the right to life.  This was a direct action by the voters of the state of Alabama on this issue. Consistent with that, the following year, the elected representatives of “We the People” passed the Human Life Protection Act, prohibiting most abortions in the state.  After the Supreme Court ruling on June 24, it was allowed to go into effect.

This is democracy in action and the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the democratic process that was established in our Constitution by allowing the people, through their elected representatives, and perhaps even by amendments to their state constitution, to set abortion policy in their states. In a stunning, sweeping, and divisive act of judicial activism in 1973, the nation’s highest court imposed federal law in a matter that was not addressed in our Constitution. On June 24, 2022, the error was corrected.

I imagine more than a few Americans felt like that error could never be corrected – that it was settled for perpetuity.  Many wished it were.  Those in government, as well as each of us individually, can realize that, when possible, when we see that a mistake was made, we can take the necessary steps to correct it. 

There is certainly a spiritual application: God has given us a method through which we can correct our mistakes – Christ atoned for our sins and by owning up to those sins and confessing them to Him, we can receive forgiveness.  The problem comes when we don’t identify and take the necessary steps to correct our errors. The Bible relates that “pride” – an exaggerated sense of one’s own ability – results in “destruction.” We should constantly check ourselves and stay in a state of humility. 

Back to governmental leaders: How often do you see politicians admit their errors and attempt to correct them?  Sometimes there will be apologies on personal matters and moral failures in order to save face.  When there are policy directions that need to be corrected, how often do you see mistakes of the past repeated?  We can be reminded that we are exhorted in Scripture to pray for our leaders.