On Saturday (June 25), Christian author and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Dr. Tony Evans released a statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Evans expressed gratitude for the Supreme Court’s ruling and called upon Christians to embrace a “Whole Life Agenda.”
“I join with the countless voices heard today, as well as those yet to be heard someday—those who will now have the opportunity to do so through the gift of life, in giving God the glory for His sovereign hand in this historical decision by our Supreme Court,” Evans said. “Christians everywhere ought to humbly celebrate this decision to overturn the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade. This decision removes the federal constitutional right to an abortion and returns abortion laws to the states, some of which plan to restrict or ban abortion altogether.”
The “Kingdom Man” author explained that abortion is a direct attack on God, because “all life is created in His image,” urging Christians to continue to ask for God’s mercy on the nation.
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Evans said that “in addition to the saving of countless lives of our collective humanity, this decision also positions us more fully to intercede on behalf of God’s mercy on our nation in order to reverse the crime epidemic. This is so because Scripture states that when innocent blood is shed, we can expect more innocent blood in the society to be shed through violence and oppression,” citing Psalm 106:36-42 and Joel 3:19.
“Thus, a decrease in the number of abortions can lead to a decrease in violent crime,” Evans continued.” At the heart of the abortion debate stands the imago Dei. Attacking the unborn is tantamount to attacking God since all life is created in His image (Genesis 1:26-28), including the life developing in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16).”
Referencing James 3:9 and Psalm 8:4-5, Evans encouraged Christians “not lose sight of the fact that the imago Dei equally applies to protecting the dignity of people once they are born.” The pastor explained that because God values all life, the same “fervor and passion” that Christians have applied to the saving babies in the womb must also be given to working against anything that demeans the value of life at any stage.
“All forms of the denial of justice and human dignity, whether racism, classism or degradation of any kind, must be viewed and addressed in terms of, and with respect to, the image of God,” Evans wrote.
Evans urged Christians to be the leading advocates for a “Whole Life Agenda,” which means advocating for all life from “womb to tomb.” Evans further argued that the importance of that message should be shared alongside the gospel message and the “gift of forgiveness [God] offers to all who come to Him for it.”
