Let me be clear: we long for a day when there is no more abortion. 

Care Net’s vision is to see a culture where women and men faced with pregnancy decisions are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and empowered to choose life for their unborn children and abundant life for their families.

In other words, we don’t want to settle for abortion just being illegal, we want abortion to be unthinkable.

However, over the decades there has been some confusion, even among dedicated Christians who are committed to the cause of life. In some cases, the mission has looked more like a quest to change laws than a calling to save lives.

That’s why Care Net doesn’t make its primary focus fighting political battles. There are multiple reasons for this. As discussed in this piece, political movements to prohibit behaviors don’t necessarily result in the discontinuance of those behaviors. Beyond that, even if the external behaviors change—attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices may not. This means that it’s only a matter of time before the behaviors return. Care Net President and CEO Roland Warren explains it like this: if we don’t continue to create infrastructure for compassionate care, any legal changes could backfire—sending the industry underground or asking couples facing unplanned pregnancies to step into a culture that, “is neither equipped nor inclined to provide them with the long-term support they need to live out their decision to keep their baby.”

The truth is, legislation can only change regulations. It’s love that changes hearts and minds. It’s love that changes behavior.

Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t continue to speak truth. The Gospel model is to speak the truth in love. We must be clear in our understanding that certain legislative decisions may bring harm to the pro-life movement. Other legislative mandates may lead the culture to a place where abortion becomes so easy to obtain, and so common, that our work to help people see that abortion has consequences will become more difficult.

Yes, overturning the landmark Supreme Court decisions that made abortion legal—Roe v. Wade—would be a win. But, it would not be the end of the story. For those of us who are committed to issues of abundant life, it could result in us having even more work to do. 

So what’s our goal? Roland Warren explains it like this: 

Therefore, the goal of the pro-life movement should be this: that every child, as much as possible, is welcomed into the world by a mother and father who love each other, love their child, and love God, therefore giving that child the opportunity to have an abundant life.

Our goal is that which Jesus set out in the New Testament. Our ultimate goal is to love God, and to love others. We don’t ultimately win when legislation passes, or lose when legislation gets overturned. Our victories happen each and every day—inside our call center, inside our Pregnancy Centers. We succeed when we love the unborn children and their parents facing unplanned pregnancies well.