On Election Day, Arizona voters approved Proposition 139, a measure that will amend the state Constitution to establish that every individual has the fundamental right to abortion before fetal viability, the point in a pregnancy when a baby can potentially survive outside the womb. Previously, abortion was legal for up to 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona.
Before the election, an op-ed in The Baptist Paper pleaded with voters to consider Psalm 139 in opposition to Proposition 139.
“God is the author of life and He alone is the one who knit us together in the womb,” wrote Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists.
“As Southern Baptists, we believe each person is ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (v. 14). Whether you agree with our theological beliefs or not, surely any Arizonan can see how that statement communicates that every person has innate value that should be both acknowledged and respected… Our laws should reflect that.”
Unfortunately, Arizona voters did not see the issue according to the Word of God or according to a pro-life viewpoint. The measure passed with 61 percent of the vote.
In addition to its radical change of the state Constitution, Proposition 139 also provides for the right to an abortion after fetal viability if it is done to protect the life, physical, or mental health of the pregnant individual, in the judgment of a treating health care professional. The measure also prohibits any law penalizing a person who helps someone get an abortion.
It could be a while, however, before the new legislation is enacted. According to Axios, Arizona laws that currently ban or limit abortions will not automatically be enjoined when the constitutional amendment takes effect later this month. Supporters of Proposition 139 will have to challenge those laws in court and have a judge rule them unenforceable or the Legislature can repeal them when it reconvenes in January.
In their op-ed, Leatherwood and Johnson say that the authors of this constitutional change intended nothing less than an abortion revolution in Arizona. They contend that the language of Proposition 139 eliminates any safeguards for the health and well-being of women facing pregnancy decisions.
“What other conclusion is one to draw when they read that no regulation — including medical safety standards — ‘can infringe on an individual’s decision’ to get an abortion; [Proposition 139] ensures that nothing — no arguments for the defenseless child’s life, no objections from parents, no conscience exemptions for medical providers, no safety standards for the mother — will stand in the way of the abortion mills’ ability to target vulnerable mothers and line their pockets by taking the lives of children.”
Despite the setback with Proposition 139 in Arizona, the truth of God’s word remains forever settled. For Roland Warren, the CEO and President Care Net, Psalm 139 undeniably makes the case for the sanctity of life.
“God was intentional in every aspect of our individual creation. He has a plan and purpose for every human life from conception,” he said. “Psalm 139:13 is one of the most famous pro-life passages in Scripture. This passage, along with other sections of Psalm 139, provides clear evidence that we are made in the image and likeness of a loving God who values us from the moment we are conceived. Human life is worthy of protection.”