To be pro-life is all about the 'long game', and the game is far from over!
Voice For Life commentator Holly Anne explains why being pro-life is all about the ‘long game’.
“Antis play the long game...the fight for fundamental human rights is never really over. That’s why we’re here. We play the long game too.”
If I didn’t know better, I would have assumed this was the heartfelt plea of a pro-life organization: an impassioned declaration of no-surrender in the fight for justice for unborn children.
The claim that the “fight for fundamental human rights is never really over” is a hard reality for us.
Just as soon as we make one victory, a new public opponent raises its head to attack the irrevocability of basic human rights.
The “long game” feels like the game that never ends.
And so, I would have related to this seemingly pro-life sentiment...if I didn’t know better.
This quote was in fact taken from a recent article by the ALRANZ, a staunchly pro-abortion organization here in New Zealand.
In summary, the article was expounding the dire times we live in, and especially the laws that are being passed in the States to preserve the sanctity of pre-born life.
These laws include an Oklahoma ban on abortions, except if the mother’s life is endangered, and the Texas ‘Heartbeat Bill’ which bans abortion after 6 weeks.
Also held up as an example of a victim of these ‘abusive’ bans on abortion, was Lizelle Hererra, a woman arrested for murder with ‘illegal abortion’.
However, as USA Today reported, “State law exempts women from criminal homicide charges for ending a pregnancy”, and therefore the charges against Herrera were dropped and she was not prosecuted.
According to the ALRANZ piece, these newly-passed laws and case studies show what the world would be like if the ‘anti-abortion types’ (commonly known as pro-lifers) had their own way.
However, in Texas, there are nearly 200 pro-life pregnancy centers, for women experiencing unexpected pregnancies, or in need of prenatal care.
This amount of support for the value of life, including both mothers and pre-born children, is a huge step forward in achieving a society that supports women and children.
Although we are not American, and our culture does not function the same way (and nor would we want it to: New Zealand has a unique and beautiful culture in and of itself), we can gain a lot of insight and encouragement from the success that pro-life advocates are seeing in some states, and around the world.
The fact that these laws were passed, despite Roe v. Wade, shows that the ability to change the hearts and minds of a nation is never destroyed completely; even a minority voice, if backed by truth, facts, and justice, can sway the public opinion in the fight for life.
And that ‘minority voice’ is growing louder and stronger each day as more people see the innate value of all human life.
We do play the long game, and in fact, Christians have been active in preserving newborn and pre-born life since the Roman Empire.
Although this may be merely a ‘long game’ for abortion activists, it is a life-and-death struggle for us; and as we have been fighting for the sanctity of life for near 2000 years now, we are not ready to back down any time soon.
As we look to preserve and sustain human life, there will be difficulties, victories, and failures.
But the success comes not so much from simply which laws are passed, or how many lives saved, but from the bigger picture and the knowledge that we are persistently standing up for life, come what may.
There have been, and there will still be times when it feels as if we never have the upper hand, as if the fight for life may be futile in the end.
But if we are willing to keep standing for life, keep speaking the truth, and keep on supporting and providing for mothers and children in need, then we can rest assured that our efforts will not be futile overall.
We do play the long game; and so long as there is one more life to save, one more mother to help, one more family to support, we will continue to play that long game.
The sanctity of life (and thus human rights) begins at conception. And ironically as the ALRANZ said, “The fight for fundamental human rights is never really over”. I could not agree more.
This sentiment is shared by pro-choicers and pro-lifers alike, but the definition of human rights could be more different; whilst ALRANZ fights for the right to choose, we will continue to fight for the right to life, because without the universal right to one’s own life, there is no basis for a right to choose.
And so, here at Voice for Life, we will continue to create resources, provide care and information, and help women and pre-born children in need.
The game is not over yet.
