Abortion: Some Stats (Pew Research 2023)

Here is simply one article. I know there are millions more. My intention here is not to be exhaustive or to present this as being infallible.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/01/11/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-u-s-2/

Just in case anyone was wondering (let’s call them “ballpark”) numbers to these questions, here they are. Not all significant questions are raised, and we should not use these to bolster our arguments “clobber” anyone into the dust with their puny thoughts.

If anything, the first chart should give us pause.

First, I am as grieved as anyone about the 60+ million lives that we have murdered throughout the years. 

But second, that chart brings remarkable hope. The number has dropped “slowly but steadily” over the past few decades. How could this be when the law was just overturned in 2022? (Not to mention most states still have legalized abortion at some point in the pregnancy.) 

And how could this be, considering leaders, presidents, Supreme Court, etc has changed so much in the past few decades? 

I don’t want to make a solid, fool-proof argument…maybe just something to chew on.

Could it be that we have turned a heart issue into a legal battle? (The whole phrase “culture war” deserves another post entirely.) Why are there so many steps between legalizing morality and discipleship or mentorship or valuing the lives of individuals to the point of serving them no matter what?

Today this is the side debate about making abortion illegal and making abortion unthinkable. The latter may be impossible or too idealistic, but when we put all our chips into the former goal, we may come across as heartless, prideful, or distant in our argument. 

The problem began long ago when these debates sparked. There is no quick solution, but through time, I trust that all perspectives on the issue can do more listening. Perhaps we can agree on the value of life. Perhaps we can strive to create safe atmospheres for women, young families, children. 

And I hope that number of abortions continues to fall year by year. 

The other stats of demographics, costs, and locations only enable us to serve our communities better while working toward this goal. I’m not saying the time for information is over. But for the most part, people know the stats. They know what we think. It’s time to show that we value them as humans, too.