by Mike James

In early September, the Supreme Court allowed a Texas statute to remain in effect before lower courts battle to see if it is constitutional. The statute prohibits most abortions in Texas after six weeks of pregnancy. The Court voted 5-to-4 to allow the statute for now.

The statute also empowers private citizens, not state officials, to enforce the ban on abortions after six weeks. This innovation helped the statute stay viable and not be struck down. Other states have been unsuccessful in doing what Texas has done because they lacked this innovation.

Antiabortion groups are monitoring anonymous tip lines about possible violations of the new statute. Violations could include health care workers who assist in abortions after six weeks and individuals who fund, transport, or counsel patients after six weeks.

Texas Right to Life, which helped pass the law, has set up an online portal to collect anonymous information about possible violations. Bob Lehman, a board member of Pro-Life Waco, said empowering regular people to report illegal abortions "puts teeth in the law."

Some believe the conservative-leaning Court could impact the Roe v. Wade decision when they rule in the fall on a restrictive abortion law from Mississippi. Others feel the Supreme Court's recent decision was based on legal procedure, and it went out of its way to say abortion providers and civil rights groups "raised serious questions regarding the constitutionality of the Texas law at issue." I guess we will need to see what happens on the Mississippi ruling.

The Mississippi case deals with a law that forbids almost all abortions after 15 weeks. This is considered far below the standard set in the Roe case and the Casey case. Roe and Casey stated that a state may not place undue burdens on a woman's choice to have an abortion before the fetus is 22 to 24 weeks old.

Let's be clear; abortion is still legal in the United States. For a period of time there will be less abortions in Texas due to this ruling, but that may change as the opposing side begins to bring cases to court against the Texas statute. On the other hand, other states may try to copy what the state of Texas has done.

Officials in Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio are thinking about reviewing or amending their states' laws based on what Texas has done.

A number of states have passed "trigger bills," which would possibly outlaw all abortions within these states if Roe is overturned. Abortion providers in southern states believe the Texas law could be replicated in legislatures across the South. The impact of this new Texas law could potentially energize abortion-rights activists and antiabortion activists.

"I predict there will be greater intensity on this issue," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an antiabortion group. Dannenfelser also believes her opponents will get intense too. "They have everything to lose," she said. "Their activity, of course, will be intense as well."

Jennifer Palmieri, who served as Hillary Clinton's communications director, said voters react forcefully to the threat of existing rights being taken away.

"Do I feel like it will be motivating? Yes, I do," Palmieri said. "I'm totally freaked out. If I lived in Texas, I would just be filled with rage all day."

The Justice Department filed suit on September 9 in federal court in Austin asking a judge to declare the new Texas law unconstitutional.

The point I'm trying to make is our culture wars are still persisting. That very fact lets me know that we have not gotten to the bottom of the hill yet. We may still be on the way down, but as long as these battles continue to be waged, we have not yet reached rock bottom.

The reminder for Bible-believing Christians is to continue to witness and warn people what is coming if we don't change the direction of this country. There are still enough people out there who will listen and possibly turn their lives around.

For those of you wishing and hoping for the Kingdom now, I understand your wish. But we have to live our potential out fully while God gives us the opportunity. Things will get worse before they get better. In Genesis 6:5 God decides to destroy humanity because "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." I don't think we are there yet. Keep working to be a witness to the gospel message!

Sources:

"Activists Weigh Next Steps in Abortion Battle," by Ann E. Marimow, Matt Zapotosky and Caroline Kitchener, The Washington Post, September 3, 2021.

"Supreme Court Order on Texas Abortion Ban Shows Threat to Roe v. Wade," by Robert Barnes, The Washington Post, September 2, 2021.

"Abortion Providers in GOP-Led States Fear What's Next," by Timothy Bella, The Washington Post, September 2, 2021.

"Texas Abortion Law Forces Both Parties to Abruptly Recalibrate Their Strategies," by Annie Linskey, Colby Itkowitz and Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, September 2, 2021.

"A Sad Day For Women, but Also for the Rule of Law," by Ruth Marcus, The Washington Post, September 2, 2021.

"At Least 7 States Move to Follow Texas on Abortion," by Meryl Kornfield, Caroline Anders and Audra Heinrichs, The Washington Post, September 4, 2021.

"Abortion Law Faces Federal Challenge," by Devlin Barrett and Ann E. Marimow, The Washington Post, September 10, 2021.