The media often portray the debate over abortion as a conflict between a reasoned, science-minded pro-choice team and a backward, religious pro-life team. But in recent years, scientific advances have reaffirmed the indisputable truth that an embryo in the womb is a distinct human life with unique DNA and other distinct markers.
But you don’t have to be a scientist (or a theologian) to support the conviction that life in the womb is precious and worthy of protection. The theme for the 2019 March for Life – taking place in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 18 – is “Unique from Day One.” The March for Life website sums it up: Being pro-life is not in opposition to science. … Medical and technological advancements continue to reaffirm the science behind the pro-life cause – that life begins at fertilization, or day one, when egg meets sperm and a new, unique, human embryo is created.
To be sure, there’s also a biblical case for defending the sanctity of life. Scripture is full of reminders that human beings are image-bearers of God: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Putting Words Into Action
This January marks the 46th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in the United States at the federal level. As in years past, Focus on the Family and other groups recognize January as Sanctity of Human Life Month.
Since the organization’s founding in 1977, the sanctity of human life has been a core tenet of Focus on the Family’s identity. We’ll have a team in Washington on Jan. 18 because we’re passionate about speaking up for vulnerable preborn babies and promoting a culture of life in the arenas of both public opinion and public policy.
In an age of easy activism fueled largely by issues-oriented hashtags and feel-good memes on social media, the annual March for Life presents pro-life Americans with an opportunity to speak with one voice and do something tangible. It’s a means of challenging the status quo about one of the most serious issues of our time.
“[The March is] a way to put our words into action,” says Robyn Chambers, director of Focus on the Family’s Sanctity of Human Life efforts. “It’s so easy to speak in clichés, but getting off the sidelines and walking arm in arm with people of different backgrounds and denominations speaks louder than words ever could!”
Join Us in January
We live in an age of outrage. Whether it’s something deadly serious or relatively trivial and inconsequential, everyone is outraged about something. If ever there was an issue that called for an outpouring of righteous indignation, it is legalized abortion. And yet, the March for Life represents an opportunity to tackle this serious issue in the best spirit of peaceful protest.
“I love the fact that I can join thousands of people that share the same passion for women and their right to choose life for their babies,” Chambers says. “We don’t yell, we aren’t angry, and we value the woman and her baby from the very beginning.”
Of course, not everyone who feels passionate about the sanctity of life can travel to Washington on Jan. 18. But for those who can make the trip, please stop by Focus on the Family’s pre-march event on the morning of Jan. 18, 2019 – from 9 to 11 a.m., just prior to the march itself. Come join us for doughnuts, hot drinks and fun swag. To register and learn more, visit FocusontheFamily.com/MarchforLife. We hope to see you there!
If it’s simply not possible for you to attend the March in person, there are still ways to make a difference for life – through prayer, through involvement with local pregnancy care centers, and through supporting pro-life organizations. For ideas and inspiration, visit Focus on the Family’s I Am Pro Life Facebook page.
