Earlier this year, a Michigan state representative admitted to having surgery in order to prevent herself from conceiving children. Fearing the fate of her “reproductive freedom” under the Trump Administration, she chose to have the sterilization surgery. She claims to worry about things such as insurance coverage and access to contraceptives, but the main issue is that she is part of a culture that doesn’t want children and idolizes self. Why would our culture take such drastic measures to avoid having children?
This is a chilling example of how fear and extreme political ideologies shape personal decisions and views on family and children when a more significant issue is at the heart of the matter. Birth rates are declining worldwide, and pro-natalist policies designed to produce more children are failing. Although governments are attempting to reverse these trends with policies, the core issue isn’t a lack of policy but the rejection of the family unit as the foundation of a strong society.
Policies alone cannot shift people’s attitudes toward having children, as the underlying issue is one of the heart. More and more people are choosing not to have children because of what they must sacrifice in order to parent. Children are increasingly viewed as “burdens,” and individuals are unwilling to relinquish their personal preferences and freedoms to live out one of our most fundamental callings to be fruitful and multiply. We are living in an anti-family society that prioritizes fleshly desire and pleasure over responsibility and stewardship.
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Frankly, there is an even larger missing piece of the puzzle. Amidst the conversation about declining birth rates, abortion policies, and reproductive “freedom,” one solution, the most life-giving solution, is often overlooked: adoption. Adoption is rarely even considered, much less accepted as the most loving and life-giving solution for both child and mother in an unwanted pregnancy. The pro-life movement must not only focus on restricting abortion access but on presenting real solutions to support women in crisis pregnancies and providing resources and support to foster and adoptive families.
Our culture tells pregnant mothers that they have two choices — parent their child as a single mother or mercilessly end the life of the child before birth. We have to stop this lie from permeating, especially when there are other options like adoption.
Instead of only focusing on legislative solutions, we must build a culture where families are the foundation of a strong society. When families can thrive, they create strong communities, which in turn build strong cities, states, and nations. A culture that values children and family over individualism leads to lasting societal stability.
This is where the principle of subsidiarity becomes crucial. The most effective decisions regarding families are made at the local level. The local church must step up and take the lead in supporting parents and families and promoting adoption over abortion. Strong local communities are the key to reversing the decline in birth rates and nourishing a culture that values all life.
The decision of a state representative to sterilize herself out of fear or as a political statement is a symptom of a much deeper crisis: a society that fears children rather than embraces and protects them. If we are going to cultivate a truly pro-life culture, we must do more than simply oppose abortion. We must champion life in all of its forms. We must embrace strong families, promote adoption, and empower local communities to support vulnerable children, mothers, and families.
A genuinely pro-life society not only fights against death, but it builds the structures that make choosing life possible. If we want a flourishing future, we must begin by restoring the family as the fundamental building block of our nation.
Herbie Newell is the President of Lifeline Children’s Services, the largest Evangelical Christian adoption agency in the United States. The organization serves vulnerable children and families through private domestic and international adoption, family restoration, and pregnancy counseling. Herbie is also the author of Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-Birth to Pro-Life.
