ProGrace response to leaked Supreme Court majority opinion

Last night, when I heard that the Supreme court majority opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson had been leaked, I was skeptical. I took it more seriously when I woke up this morning to see this coverage in AP News. We still don’t know exactly what happened, and we still don’t know what the majority opinion will be in the next month or two. But we have this document, and we need to respond to it.

The ProGrace response has remained the same since we launched in 2016. Regardless of the outcome of this law, we need a new Christian response to abortion to see Kingdom change in this issue. Everything we’ve written in the 4-part series we started in February is still true:

1. Only 7% of women and 5% of men discuss the decision with anyone from a church or Christian pregnancy organization before an abortion. The status of Roe v. Wade does nothing to change this. Only we can work to transform our Christian response, so we are safe for people to approach. 
2. The change in the Texas abortion law that went into effect last fall only impacted the number of abortions by about 10%. Women went to other states or turned to medical abortions because the law does nothing to change why people seek an abortion. The Church being the community of grace and support Jesus intended us to be, can address the reasons of panic, isolation, and shame that cause so many people to think abortion is their only option. 
3. To be this type of community, we need to look inside first at how so many in our churches remain in hiding due to shame, and the ways in which grace is God’s only path to transformation for all of us. 

Thank you for being on this journey with us. We are at a critical point in history, and it’s more important than ever for Christians to embrace a new way to think, talk, and engage in this issue. As this leaked document stirs up emotions in us and those around us, consider any or all of these action steps to promote a third option to approaching abortion that values the woman and child equally:

1. Try having a different conversation. 
   When this law comes up in conversation, we can ask questions to discussion toward our desire to see Christians transformed in this issue.From experience, I can tell you that whether or not the person you are talking with is a Christian, they will be very interested in your perspective. The Church trying to act more as Jesus appeals to almost anyone we meet.
   
   
2. Enroll in the Transform course yourself or suggest it to your church.
   Our research shows pastors and church leaders wrestle as much as the rest of us with how to address abortion in a way that doesn’t get political but reflects the nature of Jesus. The theological mindset, language, and engagement ideas in this course can be a blessing to church leaders looking at how to make our congregations more like Jesus. 
   
   
3. Support the ProGrace Capacity-building campaign.
   We now have a scalable model and a 3-year plan to target the 38 US cities with populations of 500,000+. 
   Churches and pregnancy organizations in these cities make up the existing Christian infrastructure that can embrace a third option for approaching the abortion issue and value the woman and child equally. When this is happening in dozens of cities across the US, we can:
         - See Christians become a safe community for people to turn to when impacted by unintended pregnancy and abortion
         - Change the reputation of the Church as we more fully reflect God’s nature in our communities
         - Create communities of grace and support where God can defuse the panic, isolation, and shame that causes so many to believe their only options are abortion or overwhelming struggle
   
   
   
4. Read thoughtful opinions on the Supreme Court and the law.
   At ProGrace, we don’t take a political stance on abortion because we are called to focus on helping the Church become a safe place for the people impacted by unintended pregnancy and abortion. At the same time, we appreciate thoughtful, non-partisan commentary on the law to help us better understand what is happening. We offer this article by David French as suggested reading.

Thank you for being part of this community, more interested in promoting a third option for approaching abortion that values the woman and child equally rather than focusing on divisive politics.