Q&A with Abby Johnson: Abortion must not be illegal, but unthinkable
On the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, My Faith Votes gathered alongside hundreds of thousands of pro-life supporters in Washington DC to stand for life. We marched down Constitution Avenue to the steps of the Supreme Court armed with a new approach to the anti-abortion movement — pro-life is pro-science.
My Faith Votes sat down with Abby Johnson, one of the keynote speakers of the March, and she explained the power behind this year’s March for Life theme, “Unique from Day One.”
“As science becomes more advanced, we know more about the person in the womb, more about what makes them unique,” Johnson said. “[Science] reaches everyone. For people of faith like me, I know science comes from my Creator.”
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Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood Director, experienced a complete perspective change herself after witnessing a 13-week old fetus struggle for his life during an ultrasound-guided abortion procedure. “I realized there was humanity in the womb, and abortion was taking an individual human life,” she said.
As science strengthens the debate for pro-life activists, it supplies greater evidence to the workings of God the Creator. This shift reminds today’s pro-life supporters they have the opportunity to rewrite history, protect the most innocent and ultimately, change how Americans view abortion.
While Johnson continues to lobby for efforts to eliminate abortion, she recognizes this pro-life movement demands a radical culture change that legislation alone cannot solve.
“Our end goal cannot be to simply make abortion illegal; our end goal must be to make abortion unthinkable,” Johnson said, “so that when a woman experiences an unplanned pregnancy, she never even thinks about darkening the door of a facility that will exploit her, manipulate her and take the life of her child.”
According to Johnson, one in three women are affected by abortion — which also means one in three men are too. This is why Johnson’s ministry “And Then There Were None” advocates for the pro-life cause and serves those affected by abortion through a personal experience or through work at an abortion facility.
As to how pro-life advocates, including Christians, should engage with pro-abortion supporters, Johnson encourages a spirit of love and tenderness.
“The majority of people I know who support abortion do so because they themselves have had abortions,” Johnson observed. “We have to remember that someone who’s yelling in our face or giving us a piece of their mind on Facebook is someone who’s deeply wounded and broken. It’s not about winning an argument. It’s about reaching the heart of the person you’re speaking with and showing them love goes further than throwing facts at them.”
My Faith Votes has partnered with Johnson’s upcoming film, Unplanned, which shares her story as a Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life activist after a life-changing experience. The film premieres March 18 and hits theaters nationwide March 29.
Jason Yates is CEO of My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and mobilizes Christians in America to take action to transform our communities and impact the nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square. Gov. Mike Huckabee serves as the organization's honorary national chairman.
