| Last week saw the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States hearing oral arguments in a landmark abortion case. Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health comes out of a challenge to Mississippi law, which bans abortion after 15 weeks gestation. Commentators have noted that this case represents the first time to overturn the notorious Roe vs Wade ruling since 1992 (Planned Parenthood vs Casey). Abortion activists protested loudly, with Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen suggesting that there will be “revolution” if the 1973 decision that made abortion legal across the USA is reversed. In a ghoulish display, members of this cult of death took abortion pills outside the court house. Inside the courthouse, the pro-abortion side was invoking the important principle of “stare decisis“, with Justice Sotomayor suggesting the reputation of the Court was at stake if it repealed Roe vs Wade. But legal observers point out that the SCOTUS has shown integrity in undoing bad rulings in the past. The other main argument against the Mississippi law is that modern women “need” abortion to raise their economic prospects (they don’t). Godless ideologies always seek to make themselves the solution for the problems they create. Indeed, all freely available abortion does is create dependence on freely available abortion. Justice Sotomayor tried her best to detach the unborn from their humanity, arguing that asking when life begins is a “religious question”. While scientists have been pretty clear on when life begins, those who want to skirt the issue are doing their best to muddy the water. In the end, this amounts to kicking the can. Folks who think abortion is acceptable when a human is “viable” must know it is an arbitrary standard. Justice Sotomayor wasn’t done though, and tried comparing the unborn to “braindead” patients responding to stimuli. She may not have thought about the logical end of her reasoning. (BTW the UK is considering introducing rules protecting crustaceans, because they feel pain!) All told, it is a comfort that no matter what Supreme Courts say, the matter of abortion is not a settled one. As the Psalmist prayed, so do we: “Jesus, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end!” |
