Enough is Enough.

The majority of Americans deplore it. An influential minority of Americans applaud it. Yesterday we as a nation have commemorated 40 years of the significant Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade and its companion piece, Doe v. Bolton.

I took the time to reread the oral arguments, the syllabus, the majority opinion of Blackmun, the concurring opinion by Stewart, and the dissenting opinion by Rehnquist. In the opinions of Blackmun and Stewart, I read about,"recent attitudinal change...and of new thinking about an old issue;” "a trend toward liberalization of abortion statutes;” "a feeling that this trend will continue;” and Stewart's citation of Frankfurter about our nation's founders who knew "only a stagnant society remains unchanged."

It would serve all of us well to consider how society changed. Not all change is for the better. In fact, sometimes, like this time, change was the evidence of moral stagnation. I agree with Rehnquist when he wrote, "Even today, when society's views on abortion are changing, the very existence of the debate is evidence that the 'right' to an abortion is not so universally accepted as the appellant would have us believe."

Years ago, Simon and Garfunkel (two musicians and not lawyers) sang a song called "The Boxer" in which they said,"All lies and jest/ Still, a man hears what he wants to hear/ and disregards the rest." It certainly appears to me that the majority of the Supreme Court heard what they wanted to hear and disregarded the rest.

I wonder if it ever occurred to them that an unborn baby might ought to be considered a person. And legal precedents not withstanding, should they have considered the prospect that by their ruling they were acquiescing to a trend that was detrimental to the long term well-being of society and its emotional and spiritual health?

As a pastor, I had numerous opportunities to talk with people who had abortions. I have never talked to anyone who was left unscarred emotionally. Regret was the universal constant. Multiple times I have said to them that God forgives and your abortion does not have to be your defining moment. Even with that word of encouragement, getting past the wrong decisions of life is difficult at best and emotionally crippling at worst.

Could it be that our nation might ever change and return to a moral and legal standard where abortion on demand is declared unacceptable? It would take the intervention of God and a super-majority of people who stand up and say enough is enough!

I recently sat down with Baptist Press to discuss the close connection between Roe v Wade and the Conservative Resurgence in the SBC. Take a look at that article here.