top of page

Why Equal Protection?

What Does Equal Protection Mean? 

The U.S. Constitution says: 

​

​

"No state shall deny to any person the equal protection of the laws." [1]

​

​

Politicians who oppose equal protection for babies before birth either don’t really believe that a fetus is a person, made in the image of God, or they are okay with violating the Constitution.

Follow the Golden Rule

Equal protection just means following the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have others do unto you.[2] Equal protection just means obeying the Royal Law—the second greatest commandment—love your neighbor as yourself.[3] Equal protection just means that the same laws protecting preschool children and any other born person from being murdered should also protect preborn children from the same thing.

Do you believe a fetus is a person?

The current Code of Alabama defines “person” as “a human being, including an unborn child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability.”[4] The Abolition of Abortion Act would simply get rid of the abortion exception for homicide. This would have made the same homicide laws protecting born people protect people before birth. No one who truly believes that a fetus is a person should have any problem with that.

 

Even the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. As it said in the majority opinion of Roe v. Wade,

“When Texas urges that a fetus is entitled to Fourteenth Amendment protection as a person, it faces a dilemma… [I]n Texas, the woman is not a principal or an accomplice with respect to an abortion upon her. If the fetus is a person, why is the woman not a principal or an accomplice?”[5]

Actions speak louder than words. We can claim to believe that preborn babies are persons, but until we’re willing to act like it, we’re going to continue losing.

Duty to do justice

God commands civil officials to do justice.[6] He specifically tells them to give justice to the fatherless.[7] God also forbids officials from showing partiality[8] and from perverting the justice due to the fatherless.[9] Ultimately, denying equal protection violates God’s clear commands to civil officials, as well as the Golden Rule and the second greatest Commandment.

​

Politicians who oppose equal protection want to discriminate against babies who are not yet born. Those politicians do not want the laws protecting their own lives to also protect the lives of babies before birth. “Laws to protect me, but not for thee.” We need to repent of this sin and demand that our elected officials do the same.

References

  1. U.S. Const., amend. XIV

  2. Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31

  3. Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8

  4. Code of Alabama §13A-6-1

  5. Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 157-58 n. 54 (1973)

  6. Jeremiah 22:3, Amos 5:15, Ezekiel 45:9, Jeremiah 21:12, Matthew 23:23.

  7. Isaiah 1:16-17, Isaiah 1:23, Jeremiah 5:28, Psalm 82:2-3.

  8. Deuteronomy 1:16-17, Deuteronomy 16:18-20, Leviticus 19:15, Proverbs 18:5, Exodus 23:2-3.

  9. Deuteronomy 24:17, Exodus 22:22-24, Jeremiah 22:3, Deuteronomy 27:19, Jeremiah 7:5-7.

Copy used with permission from Abolish Abortion Texas

bottom of page