Tipping Point Quick Hits (12.28.23)

Abortion access, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Pope's same-sex blessing

Access to Abortion Pills is Growing

It’s now been 18 months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But instead of reducing the numbers of abortions, abortion rates continue to rise. Specifically, abortion via telemedicine has increased by 85 percent compared to pre-Dobbs.

A majority of Americans now support the availability of medication abortion, allowing women to use it at home to end early-stage pregnancies. One Data for Progress survey found that nearly 60 percent of voters (including 40 percent of Republicans) want the medication to remain legal, especially as a Supreme Court challenge against the abortion medication mifepristone makes its way through the courts.

Here’s how one media outlet describes the current moment:

Since the June 2022 decision, abortion rates in states with restrictions have plummeted, and researchers estimated last month that the Dobbs decision led to “approximately 32,000 additional annual births resulting from bans.”

The total number of abortions in the US, however, has increased since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, driven by more people ending pregnancies in states that have laws friendly to abortion care.

A new kind of “underground railroad” has formed to make it easy for providers and organizations to ship pills directly to pregnant women living in states where abortions are restricted. “International volunteer networks” are also expanding to help women end their pregnancies, as are more formal organizations like Aid Access. Telehealth abortion care allows doctors to prescribe abortion medication, delivered through the mail, after a virtual consultation.

And more than two dozen e-commerce websites have formed in order to sell and ship abortion medications inside the United States. According to this article, most of these sites don’t require prescriptions or medical consultations.

The Associated Press reports that the “total number of abortions provided in the U.S. rose slightly in the 12 months after states began implementing bans on them throughout pregnancy.” Most Republican state have enacted restrictions, but Democrat-controlled states have extended protections for those seeking abortion from restricted states.

The good news is that the numbers are down in states that restrict abortion—thousands of babies have been born since that decision that otherwise might have been aborted. That’s worth celebrating and an answer to prayer.

But it’s clear that people are traveling from pro-life states (like Texas) to pro-choice states (like New Mexico) to get abortions, and people living in pro-choice states are trying to make it as easy as possible to send abortion medications to those in pro-life states.

In other words, one of the impacts of the Dobbs decision is that it has become easier than ever to get an abortion—even in states where abortion is no longer allowed. Evil finds a way.

I still believe the Dobbs decision repealing Roe v. Wade was necessary. I’m thankful for it. But the Church needs to continue helping young women with unplanned pregnancies find a path forward for their unborn children. Women in desperate enough circumstances to consider terminating a pregnancy need to know that they are loved. They need hope. They need to know they can find emotional, social and financial support when it comes to raising children. They need to see light rather than darkness when they become pregnant—and only the Light of the World can provide it.

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Hamas: The Massacre Was About Al-Aqsa Mosque

As Israel and the United States continue to warn nations like Iran—and Iranian proxy Hezbollah—against escalating the situation in Israel, leaders in Iran are throwing fuel on the fire.