The good news is that the number of abortions in America has declined. The bad news is that there are still a million too many every year.  

When the Supreme Court struck down laws prohibiting abortions on January 22, 1973, the frontiers of reproductive research were focused on birth control. Today the frontiers of reproductive research focus on helping infertile couples become pregnant and premature babies survive in neonatal ICU units. Americans are adopting in record numbers with international adoptions high on the agenda. In other words, we value children more and more.

But we still have too many abortions. They occur in every stratum of society — rich and poor; teens and twenty-somethings (and thirty-somethings and forty-somethings); religious and irreligious. And, among evangelicals. Most evangelicals are morally and politically opposed to abortions but that doesn’t mean that we are exempt.

Hurray for those who pray for the laws to change so that fewer abortions are performed. But, abortions are not always determined by the law. From ancient Rome to pre-1973 America there have been abortions whether legal or not.

So, what are we going to do about it? Beyond legal and political advocacy we can step up to reduce abortions by teaching the biblical view of sex, by encouraging those who are likely to seek an abortion to not become pregnant in the first place, by standing with parents who choose life even in difficult circumstances, and by joining voices with all in our nation who work to lower and lower and lower the number of abortions in America.

This article originally appeared in the NAE Insight.

Leith Anderson

Leith Anderson is president emeritus of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor emeritus of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He served as NAE president from 2007–2019, after twice serving as interim president. He served as senior pastor of Wooddale Church for 35 years before retiring in 2011. He has been published in many periodicals and has written over 20 books. Anderson has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Bradley University and Denver Seminary.