You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; – Matthew 5:21-22 NRSV
In the United States, murder is illegal and subject to severe punishment, but there are still about 25,000 homicides per year, almost three per hour. About half of those murders go unsolved, the killers unidentified and unpunished. We don’t have a measure of how much unsatisfied murder-motivating anger there is.
Abortion legality is mixed and currently left to the states to regulate. About 190 Million people (57% of the population) live in states with no abortion restrictions. About 65 Million people (20%) live in states with gestational restrictions. About 80 Million people (23%) live in states that have banned most abortions. Under these circumstances, abortion is quite common in the USA, about 25 abortions for each reported homicide or more than 600,000 per year.
Tagging abortion as murder is inflammatory and pretty much shuts down rational discussion of the issue but could it be possible to at least get general agreement that abortion is termination of human life at an early stage of development? If so, surely we could get general agreement that such action is at least regrettable since no one knows what those undeveloped unique humans might have contributed or accomplished or what kind of friends or parents or teachers or leaders or inventors they might have become.
Anti-abortion efforts are typically aimed at getting restrictive laws passed, blocking access to abortion clinics, and praying for an end to abortion. Are prayers for an end to abortion prayed with faith or in desperation or just with a sense of obligation? If such prayers were considered answered with total outlawing of abortion, would there still be abortions just like before abortions were legalized by Roe vs. Wade in 1973. Yes, of course there would still be abortions.
Perhaps, considering the current situation and Matthew 5:21-22, focus should be not on reducing abortions, but on reducing the desire for abortion. If there were no desire for abortion, abortions would be rare, only for serious medical reasons.
So, imagine a culture in which there is no desire for abortion. Family structure is strong with generations linked and loving and caring for each other. Every child conceived is conceived by a man and woman who would welcome a child. Family formation is a priority, valued over such as travel and wealth accumulation. The economy is strong and self-supporting, providing meaningful jobs of obvious value for all women and men who can and want to work. Education, even at the high school level, is aimed at preparing girls and boys to be productive, qualified for available jobs. Medical expenses are all covered by universal insurance. There is a network of loving homes available for children whose birth parents are unable or unavailable to serve. And even the most destitute, those ill or handicapped or unable to work, are supported at a reasonable level instead of just being kept barely alive with a few hundred dollars a month of food stamps or social security. There would be little or no desire for abortion in such a culture.
Maybe we should be demanding government support and development of that loving culture instead of government outlawing of abortion.