A new installment of the Jurassic dinosaur films released a few weeks ago. Jurassic World: Dominion held onto to the top box office spot in the US the first two weeks it was in theaters. Jurassic World is a big film, best seen on a big screen. It also comes with a big message, if anyone is listening.
I considered writing a post about our responsibility to our environment and to the animals whose very existence is threatened by humans. Living with the creatures of the earth instead of exploiting them is a big part of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films.
But for many people, films were the last thing on their minds this week. On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, finding that abortion should never have been considered a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution. The Court’s decision now leaves it up to the states to decide whether abortion should be permitted at any stage of a pregnancy.
The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has been hailed as a huge win for the conservative right which has made abortion an election issue for decades. Many states are already making abortions illegal or severely limited, and many Christians are celebrating this big step toward preserving the sanctity of life in America. According to Christianity Today, “After 49 years, and more than 63 million abortions, the time has come.” [1]
Can you imagine? 63 million lives ended before birth. While many of those aborted fetuses may never have reached viability and been born alive, I’m guessing the majority would have. If even half that number of unwanted pregnancies result in live births in the next fifty years, are we ready for over 30 million more babies in the U.S.?
Are we ready for the mentally and physically challenged children who would have been aborted? Are we ready for the children born to low-income families already relying on government services and still barely getting by? Are we ready to minister to the women who will see their lives turned upside down by another pregnancy, an unwanted pregnancy, maybe even a dangerous pregnancy?
Are we willing to fund the public schools most of these children will attend? Are we able to keep those schools secure? Can we provide a safe place for women fleeing from abusive relationships? Can we ensure that all these children—regardless of their skin color, their ethnicity, their abilities or disabilities—have an equal place in this nation?
There’s a great quote in Jurassic World: Dominion that I want to share with you. In a news report giving an overview of the actions leading up to this movie, the reporter concludes: “Now that we brought these animals back from extinction, can we face the consequences? Are we responsible for them or should they be left to fend for themselves? As we adapt to an ever-changing world, we must find answers to these questions for their safety as well as for our own.”
Are we responsible for the millions of babies that will be born in this nation in places where abortions are prohibited? Or should they be left to fend for themselves? If you consider yourself to be pro-life and not just anti-abortion, I hope you will choose the first of those two options. And I hope you’ll do something about it.
[1] Daniel Silliman, June 24, 2022. Goodbye Roe v. Wade: Pro-Life Evangelicals Celebrate the R…… | News & Reporting | Christianity Today