The Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

At InterVarsity's Twenty-First Student Missions Convention, the most stunning few minutes for me came during a video presentation about Christian "Creation Care." Of all the great moments at this convention, this was the only one that made my jaw drop in astonishment. It acknowledged the existence of global warming without question and quoted harsh words from Ezekiel against those who do not care for the Creation. I even recognized a few images from An Inconvenient Truth! The image of Earth rising above the lunar horizon, the pictures of receding glaciers, and the simulation of a flooded Bangladesh were all featured in the documentary by Al Gore.

After settling back in Ohio, I discovered that evangelical Christians caring for our home planet seems to be a growing trend. I had heard about the Evangelical Environmental Network and What Would Jesus Drive, but they had appeared to be small operations with outdated websites. Now, a group of evangelical Christians and environmental scientists, including prominent members of the National Association for Evangelicals, have met in Georgia and issued an "Urgent Call to Action." The call addresses many environmental issues, "including climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, species extinction, the spread of human infectious diseases, and other dangers to the well-being of societies." More on this story is available from Fox News, CNN, and the NAE press release.

If you have read this far, you are probably wondering why I am writing this on the anniversary of the infamous U.S. Supreme Court Decision about abortion. I am opposed to the practice of abortion, and I have never said otherwise. As I man, I realize that I can never fully understand the pressures, emotions, and choices faced by a pregnant woman. I do understand that I was once a fetus, that I rejoice when friends of mine become pregnant, and I grieve when one of them has a miscarriage.

Opponents of abortion have frequently been accused of having misogynistic or oppressive motives. If I was so motivated, logically, I would also be opposed to increasing opportunities for women in Physics. This is not true; if it were, I would not admire Marie Curie or the value the contributions of present and future women in my field. As my colleagues, they can critique, reproduce, and refine my results into a more accurate description of the Universe, and vice versa. As my successors, they will be able to build on what this generation of scientists has discovered and understand more than we ever could. However, they will be able to do none of these things if their lives are terminated before they are born.

This post contains both of these issues today because they are united by my concern for the welfare of generations yet unborn.