New Yorkers are willing to kill babies at birth. Such barbarism became reality when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a bill Jan. 22 legalizing abortion up to birth. Praise God Virginia lawmakers had enough of a conscience to reject similar savagery Jan. 28.
Now it is Missouri’s turn to speak – with a roar.
Missouri has a national reputation of being among the strongest pro-life states. Twelve pro-life bills have been introduced in this session in the Senate and another 22 in the House. That is simply extraordinary. If the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the law that made abortions legal in America, abortion laws would be sent back to the states. Missouri would seem primed to outlaw abortions – or severely restrict them – if that were to happen.
The fight for life in this session of the Missouri General Assembly has begun in earnest. No less than three pro-life bills have been introduced and are scheduled for debate Feb. 27. I will be at the State Capitol with other pro-life groups, representing you and urging lawmakers to pass all three bills.
The first bill is House Bill 126, which would prohibit an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected. Science has proven that a child’s heartbeat can be detected at six weeks, proving the child is indeed a living human being. While several federal courts have struck down bills like HB 126, that should not stop Missouri lawmakers. Make the courts strike it down, then force an appeal. If enough states do that it can reach the U.S. Supreme Court and perhaps set the stage for a showdown over Roe v. Wade. Kudos to House sponsor Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon). A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester).
Two other House bills, HBs 680 and 339, would prohibit abortion in Missouri at 20 weeks. Again, we look to science for support. Evidence shows that at 20 weeks gestation an unborn child is capable of feeling pain. Even commonsense tells us that this would be an appropriate stage of child development to outlaw such a cruel practice. I am thankful for Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold) and Rep. Adam Schnelting (R-St. Charles) for introducing HBs 680 and 339 respectively. Similar measures have been introduced in the Senate by my good friends Sens. Bob Onder (R-Lake St. Louis) and Ed Emory (R-Lamar).
All of this pro-life activity comes on the heels of a new national survey showing a substantial shift on how Americans feel about abortion. A Marist Poll released Feb. 25 shows Americans who are pro-life at 47 percent and those who are pro-choice at 47 percent. A January poll showed more Americans were pro-choice (55 percent) compared to those who were pro-life (38 percent). The shift was led by Democrats and those under 45 years old. That statistic ought to get the attention of Democrat lawmakers.
When the subject of late-term abortions came up, responders to the poll opposed it 71 percent to 25 percent. The poll, taken Feb. 12-17, came in the wake of efforts by several states to legalize abortion up until birth. “Current proposals that promote late-term abortion have reset the landscape and language on abortion in a pronounced – and very measurable – way,” said Barbara Carvalho, director of reputable Marist Poll. “The recent legal changes to late-term abortions and the debate which followed have not gone unnoticed by the general public.”
The question for us is this: Has all this activity, including the barbarism in New York, gone unnoticed by Missouri Southern Baptists? Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.” Isaiah 44:2 says, “Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb.” Call your lawmakers and urge them to pass the Missouri bills. Please bathe all three in your prayers.
I hope you will prayerfully consider attending Missouri Right to Life’s Pro-Life Action Day, March 12. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with a rally at noon in the Rotunda of the State Capitol.