Recent polling data from the Pew Research Center suggests that 59% of Americans support legalized abortion in all or most cases. This is one percentage point lower than it was at this time in 2020, but it is still a tragically high number. If this poll is representative of real views, a majority of Americans would vote to keep this murderous practice legal.

The pro-life movement has spent decades fighting to make abortion not just illegal, but unthinkable, and we will continue to fight until that is the case. In order to successfully eradicate abortion, the fact that the majority of Americans are ambivalent or supportive of abortion needs to change. So we have to ask ourselves, what can we do to change people’s hearts and minds on abortion?

First, we need to recognize opportunities. While it is true that many Americans would describe themselves as pro-abortion, it is also true that the majority of Americans have given little thought to the subject, have had few, if any, opportunities to discuss abortion, and often lack a solid understanding of what abortion does. Last summer Dr. Tricia Bruce at Notre Dame released an analysis of Americans’ attitudes toward abortion. In her conclusion, she wrote,

Most Americans don’t know for themselves what they believe about abortion. No one has ever asked them, beyond a narrow dichotomy. Many are still figuring it out. Americans also find themselves bereft of scientific, legal, and moral lexicons to reason through difficult topics. Most work with a limited set of facts and tools in moral reasoning, leading them to positions without having contemplated the extent of implications.

As Bruce was conducting her research she also found that many participants expressed gratitude afterward for the opportunity to have a conversation about abortion. We must not underestimate the power of winsome engagement to change people’s hearts and minds.

Considering that many Americans have never engaged in a conversation about abortion, it is not surprising that many Americans also hold deeply misinformed views. The majority of Americans incorrectly believe that abortion is rare. The reality is that roughly one in four women have an abortion at some point in their lives and nearly 900,000 babies are killed in abortion every year. Similarly, many Americans incorrectly believe that abortion is already banned in many states. Although the pro-life movement has been making strides, many abortion bans are struck down by the courts before they can go into effect. There is only one state that no longer performs abortions.

On top of misinformed views of abortion’s prevalence and legality, Bruce’s research found that many Americans also lack an understanding of fetal development. The abortion industry has falsely insisted that abortion victims are just “blobs of tissue” and their propaganda has worked. The pro-life movement must combat these lies and help people understand the reality of abortion.

Secondly, we must refuse to become numb to this issue. Abortion has been legal in all 50 states for nearly 50 years, and in that time, too many people have ceased to be horrified. This is true even of people who describe themselves as pro-life. Marist released polling data earlier this year which found that 9% of pro-lifers support first-trimester abortions. Life begins at conception and supporting abortion in the first trimester is not pro-life. The fact that almost one in 10 self-described “pro-lifers” do not object to babies being killed in abortion during their first 13 weeks of life reveals a deep ambivalence that is beginning to grow within the pro-life movement.

Nearly 100 babies are killed every hour in the U.S. In the time that it takes you to read this article, at least four babies will have been poisoned, starved, or torn limb from limb. We must not become numb to this horrific evil and we must use our voices to awaken the sleeping conscience of our nation.

Finally, it is vital that we engage Generation Z on this issue. Pew’s research includes a breakdown of abortion views by age cohort and young adults are more likely to be pro-abortion than any other generation. Not only that, but younger generations are more likely to support radical abortion positions. National Review points out that members of previous generations who describe themselves as pro-abortion were willing to support legislation like the Hyde Amendment that prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used in abortions. Younger members of the pro-abortion movement support increasingly radical abortion laws.

The rising generation of pro-lifers is engaging with peers who are often hostile toward the pro-life movement. We must equip them to engage winsomely and boldly. If abortion were put to a vote today, America would probably vote to keep it. Let’s change that.

At Minnesota Family Council, we believe it is vital that we raise up the next generation of champions for life, family, and religious freedom. Send your teen to LEAD this summer to give them an opportunity to engage with tough issues, deepen their faith, and gain hands-on skills to equip them to become tomorrow’s leaders!

(Image: Flickr, Adam Fagan, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)