Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. – Ephesians 5:31
Central to the Pro Abundant Life approach is the recognition of marriage as a powerful force in deterring abortion and providing hope after the choice of life. Marriage deters abortion because children who grow up with married parents are less likely to engage in the risky sexual behaviors that lead to unplanned pregnancies. Marriage’s benefits continue into adulthood. We know that 86% of abortions are among unmarried women.
The possibility of a high-quality and low-conflict marriage for the woman and man involved in an unplanned pregnancy can act as a deterrent to her abortion choice. Research shows that women consider the father of the baby to be the most influential party in her abortion decision. He’s also the person she’s most likely to tell about her pregnancy before she gets an abortion. Her very act of involving him in her decision reveals her desire for him to step up to his responsibility to the unborn child she’s carrying.
Even if a couple doesn’t marry, we must help them link marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, sex, and pregnancy so that they will adopt this worldview. To break the intergenerational abortion risk, we want parents to choose life and model God’s design for sex and family.
The way to ensure that children not only survive, but thrive, is for them to be raised by their own two married parents. Our goal can’t be creating a generation of children raised by single mothers. Yes, we celebrate the saving of a life and providing a single mother and child with the support needed. But when the pro-life movement leaves marriage and fatherhood out of the conversation, we are creating situations that we’ve spent decades trying to reduce: unwed childbearing, father absence, and the breakdown of the family.
We should embrace the truth that children in father-absent homes are two to four times more likely to live in poverty, use drugs, drop out of school, be abused or neglected, be obese, become incarcerated, and have emotional or behavioral problems. They are more likely to be sexually active and, therefore, more at risk for abortion for future generations.
In other words, the work of the Pro Abundant Life movement doesn’t end when the baby’s life is saved from abortion; it only begins there. The work of providing parenting, relationship, and financial support to parents who have chosen life must be integrated into every aspect of the pro-life movement.
God, thank You for the institution of marriage and its role in shaping healthy families. May our efforts lead to thriving families and children who know Your love.
Find encouragement like this post, along with many more days like it, when you download Care Net’s 365 Days of Pro Abundant Life devotional. This devotional is a daily invitation to grow in your faith, understand the sanctity of life from conception, and be inspired by Christ’s promises.