The Counter Reformation Seeking to Unwind the True Pro-Life Movement
We must obey God rather than men. – Acts 5:29
The Evangelical Church once stood as a persistent fortress against the cultural tides of vain philosophies and empty deceit—whether it be the latest social justice fad, the rapid influx of feminism, or the lost cause of the LGBTQ movement.
Evangelicals also once stood firmly against the modern holocaust of abortion, grounded in the conviction that life begins at conception and must be protected at all costs. This unwavering stance, however, is now under siege from within. A creeping compromise has begun to dilute the once-clear waters of Evangelical pro-life advocacy, ushering in a dangerous era of ambiguity and appeasement.
Today's Evangelical leaders and institutions are increasingly adopting more “nuanced” positions on abortion, influenced by such progressive ideologies and social justice movements. This ideological revolution is not merely a change in tactics but a fundamental alteration in the theological and moral fabric of the Evangelical pro-life stance.
Outspoken Evangelical leaders like Brent Leatherwood of the ERLC and his predecessor, Russell Moore have become emblematic of this trend, arguing for a broader social justice agenda that sidelines the atrociousness of abortion. Coupled with weak-minded progressive Evangelicals—whether it be David French, the late Tim Keller, or Veggie Tales creator, Phil Vischer, this movement has gained quite a bit of traction over the years.
A decade or so ago, it would have been unthinkable for “conservative” Evangelicals to portray women seeking abortions as victims of circumstance rather than morally accountable individuals. This new “third-way” perspective suggests that external pressures and socio-economic factors drive women to abortion, thus diminishing any personal responsibility. These influential voices within Evangelicalism will argue that “understanding” and “empathy” should guide the pro-life stance, shifting the focus from the unborn to the struggles of the mother.
Leatherwood, the current president of the ERLC, has been a key player in this shift—particularly among Southern Baptists. Under his leadership, the ERLC has lobbied against stringent anti-abortion legislation, such as the Missouri bill that aimed to ban abortions after six weeks. Leatherwood's opposition ensured the bill's failure, a move as bewildering as it is a betrayal of the sanctity of life.
Leatherwood’s rationale, cloaked in the language of compassion and victimhood, argues that women should not be criminalized for seeking abortions while conveniently overlooking the moral agency of the individual and shifting the blame entirely to societal structures. By treating women as mere victims, Leatherwood and his accomplices effectively absolve them of responsibility, thereby weakening the moral foundation of the pro-life movement.