Southern Baptist Theologian On The Supreme Court's Abortion Case: 'National Divide Coming To A Decisive Moment'

"Stop Abortion" sign

According to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) president Albert Mohler, this week will be a watershed moment in the struggle for the sanctity of human life.

The oral arguments over the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case are poised to begin before the Supreme Court, and pro-life activists from throughout the country gathered for a statewide prayer session organized by the Family Research Council in Jackson, Mississippi, Charisma News reported.

Many pro-life advocates reportedly believe that this abortion case might lead to a reversal of the famous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established the right to abortion in the United States.

"America is again at a defining moment as the court considers the future of abortion in America," FRC President Tony Perkins stated. "We are gathering to pray that the U.S. Supreme Court makes the right decision. Across ethnic lines, denominational lines, generational lines, and political lines, we will gather in one accord, with one mind to pray for America and a return to an understanding that every life has value because it is created in the image of God."
Mohler, president of the SBTS, also weighed in, saying that all sides agree on the significance of the case.

In his podcast for The Briefing on Monday, he said,"The basic logic of abortion, the claim that it is a constitutional right even though, of course, it's not mentioned in the constitution, we are looking at this great national divide coming to a very decisive moment."

Abortion rights advocates understand that this is the most vulnerable time since Roe v. Wade in 1973, when the Supreme Court decided in favor of women's freedom to choose.

"This is the point of Roe v. Wade's greatest vulnerability in a generation, indeed going all the way back to the case itself in 1973," Mohler observed. "We are looking at a case that is now almost 50 years old. We are looking at a case that has had some of the most deadly consequences imaginable. We're talking about tens of millions of human beings extinguished in the womb simply because of the Roe v. Wade decision."

This will also be a topic of discussion on Wednesday's episode of The Briefing. Afterwards, on Thursday, Mohler plans to review the legal arguments as they were given before the court.

"It's going to be a very big week when it comes to matters of the constitution, human rights, human dignity, the sanctity of life and the future of this country," he said.

CBN News reported that the U.S. Supreme Court would hear arguments in the abortion issue on Dec. 1.

According to the court's schedule, its verdict is due in June. Even if that doesn't happen, they may still keep Mississippi's legislation in place. Abortion beyond 15 weeks of gestation is illegal in Mississippi, save in cases of medical emergency or serious fetal abnormalities, which the Supreme Court will be examining.

Mississippi reportedly asked the court to uphold the rule of law and even explicitly challenged precedents in Roe and the 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood, which argues states cannot restrict "pre-viability abortions," abortions performed before the child's birth.