For decades, Southern Baptists have affirmed the biblical institution of the family and a desire to see families flourish in accordance with God’s design. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states the family is the “foundational institution of human society” as ordained by God.
In a post-Dobbs world, being pro-life includes being pro-family. In a 2021 resolution “On Anticipation of a Historic Moment in the Pro-life Movement,” Southern Baptists once more reaffirmed this belief by tying it into the ERLC’s pro-life advocacy and urged Southern Baptists to “continue our faithful pro-life advocacy by … enact[ing] pro-life and pro-family policies that serve and support vulnerable women, children, and families” and “eliminate any perceived need for the horror of abortion.”
As a nation, our policies incentivize what we want more of and disincentivize what we want less of. The allocation of resources, as well as how we structure our tax code, reveal where our national priorities lie. Currently, many of our policies economically disincentivize marriage. Similarly, our laws make abortion incredibly less difficult and less expensive than adoption. According to Planned Parenthood, the cost of an abortion is generally less than $750. Meanwhile, the average cost of an adoption can run between $20,000–$50,000. Little has been done to combat the soaring costs of childcare, housing, food, and other necessities that greatly affect families. Due to inflation, it is estimated that raising a child through high school now costs approximately $300,000. Moreover, financial insecurity is cited by 73% of women who choose to have an abortion as the primary driver of their choice.
The ERLC continues to affirm creative efforts to help lower-income parents choose life, support families, and further resource abortion-vulnerable families. Though there is much to still be debated on which policies are best and which can find bipartisan support to become law, it is encouraging that many members of Congress are beginning to recognize a need for programs that support families in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision. For example, the ERLC is broadly supportive of the Child Tax Credit, which was expanded in the House Ways and Means Committee’s 2024 tax bill and would help lower-income families financially provide for their children.
The ERLC continues to advocate for policies that promote family, life, marriage, and the flourishing of all of our neighbors. We pray for a world where abortion is unthinkable and where families are valued as the life-giving institution they are, raising up children to know God.
