Dear Reader,

I remember where I was when I heard about the Dobbs decision in 2022. For the first time in my life, the law no longer treated elective abortion as a constitutional right. After decades of prayer, advocacy, and waiting by many faithful Christians, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were finally overturned. It seemed like a huge step that would lead to the protection of unborn life.

Yet tragically, in the years since that monumental decision, the average number of elective abortions performed per month has climbed. No doubt the FDA lifting the ban on mailing the popular abortion drug, mifepristone, has contributed to that increase. However, a deeper issue is that our culture has grown to view elective abortion as one valid option among many—often framed as a routine medical choice. The days of “safe, legal, and rare” are long gone. Now, women are often encouraged to celebrate their abortions as an act of autonomy.

As Alex Ward reminds us in his review of Abortion and America’s Churches, “The law shapes our moral imaginations and horizons for action.” The five decades between the Roe and Dobbs decisions catechized our culture to view elective abortion as normal and acceptable. Nearly half of Americans believe abortion should be legal, even when they consider it immoral.

These statistics are sad, but there’s no cause for despair. Christianity was birthed in a culture where abortion and infanticide were acceptable. Over time, Christianity reshaped the culture so the value of human life became assumed. Though we’ve lost ground, there’s hope we can change the culture again. It’s going to take a lot of careful counter-catechesis, beginning with our local churches, but the work is worthwhile.

Happy Reading!

Andrew Spencer

Associate Editor