On Wednesday, December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which many predict could be the most pivotal abortion case since Roe v. Wade.
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization centers on a 2018 Mississippi law that banned abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy, except for in cases of medical emergencies or severe fetal abnormality. The law has been challenged as unconstitutional by those who argue the law violates the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, establishing the standard of fetal viability at 24 weeks.
Unlike the Texas Heartbeat Act, the law enacted by Mississippi would be enforced by the state. The Texas law, which bans abortion after six weeks and is enforceable only through private civil litigation, is also pending a Supreme Court decision in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson.
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These cases have invigorated pro-life activists, with many of them hoping that the conservative leaning SCOTUS will render a decision in favor of greater abortion restrictions. Many evangelicals cite President Donald Trump’s nominations of conservative justices to the Supreme Court as the reason for voting for him, hoping that a conservative SCOTUS would overturn Roe. Those nominations include Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanuagh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett replaced the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s decision, many evangelicals have been rallying together in prayer. On November 28, New Horizon Church in Jackson, MS hosted an event called Pray Together for Life. The historically Black congregation also broadcasted the prayer rally to locations around the nation.
While the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a ruling may not come quickly. Some are predicting that the justices will not announce their decision until “much later in the term.”
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Watch the livestream of the oral arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization below.
