Initial Thoughts

On July 14^th, 2026, Tennessee Right to Life (TNRTL) released their second article in a series concerning the Abolition movement in Tennessee. One of our members responded to their first article here. In last week’s article, TNRTL claimed that this week they would answer the question, “Can we protect unborn children while abandoning compassion for their mothers?” However, that question is not addressed anywhere in this week’s article. Instead, they responded to a different question: “How do we continue to save babies and their mothers while repairing all the damage done over the last 50 years?”

Before addressing their response, we want to first tackle two seemingly rhetorical questions TNRTL raised in the opening of their article. Their questions are in bold below with our responses following.

1. Why aren’t we all working together against Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry? Abolitionists are working to shut down the abortion industry entirely — an industry that is still thriving in Tennessee because of laws that TNRTL has championed. This is why there can be no “working together.” Abolitionists cannot and will not partner with those who seek to keep abortion legal, whether that is TNRTL or Planned Parenthood (2 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 5:11, Exodus 23:2).

If you are new to this conversation, this may sound shocking, but it is true. TNRTL will not support the passage of any law that makes abortion illegal for a pregnant woman. That is why abortion remains legal in Tennessee until birth for pregnant women and why the abortion industry continues to thrive here.

2. Why are Tennessee Right to Life and longtime, faithful pro-life Tennesseans coming under attack? What TNRTL calls an “attack,” we would call obedience to Scripture, which says that Christians must have no part in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead must expose them (Ephesians 5:11). We will expose any politician, organization, or group that helps keep abortion legal — which is exactly what TNRTL and the politicians they endorse are doing.

Truth from Error

To keep this article as concise as possible, we will pull out key sections from TNRTL’s article that we believe need correction and respond to them directly:

• For five decades, abortion was presented to women as a reasonable solution to an unexpected pregnancy. We agree. We would also add that TNRTL’s support for laws that keep abortion legal for pregnant women only perpetuates this narrative. This message was not presented only to women, but to the entire culture. TNRTL’s article goes on to discuss irresponsible men, but those men grew up in the same culture as these women. Yet TNRTL supports laws that criminalize men for their willful role in prenatal homicide while refusing to do the same for women.
• Today, that very work [that TNRTL did] and many of the people who faithfully carried it forward are being criticized and attacked. Shouldn’t those who never called for Roe to be ignored and nullified be criticized? Shouldn’t those who championed — and are still championing — laws that God calls an abomination be exposed?
• Rebuilding a culture of life requires restoring responsibility wherever it has been abandoned. We agree. For over 50 years, both the pro-abortion and pro-life establishments have told pregnant women that it is legally acceptable to murder their child, thereby allowing the abandonment of criminal responsibility and justice for the slain child. Justice must be established (Isaiah 1:17).
• We will continue to work with legislators to stop abortion chemicals from being shipped illegally into our state. And we will work tirelessly to inform and educate everyone in our state about the dangers and horrors of these deadly pills. The method of murder is not the main issue. The murder is the main issue. This is the same rhetorical tactic the left uses when speaking about “gun violence.” Guns do not shoot themselves, and pills do not swallow themselves. Moreover, while Tennessee law may deem it “illegal” to ship these pills into the state, as long as it remains legal for pregnant women to take them, the law has no teeth. It will never hold up in court that it can be illegal to ship a drug into a state that is legal for the recipient to use.
• The abortion industry must no longer profit from vulnerable women. In Tennessee, the abortion industry is profiting almost solely because of TNRTL-supported pro-life laws that keep abortion legal for pregnant women.
• Communities must continue strengthening pregnancy resource centers and every ministry offering life-affirming alternatives. Then why is TNRTL spending its time attacking Abolitionists? We are not aware of any group offering more life-affirming alternatives than abolitionists.
• This is why we believe the conversation must be larger than whether post-abortive women and girls should be prosecuted. No abolition bill that has ever been or will ever be put forward requires retroactive punishment, as this statement implies.

Questions Asked, Questions Answered

The article ends with another series of questions and statements, which we are happy to answer and address:

How do we save babies and their mothers while we root out the Culture of Death that has infiltrated our government and our medical and academic institutions? First, we do not do this the way TNRTL proposes — by keeping abortion legal for pregnant women. Abolitionists always look to God’s Word for our answer on how to fight this culture of death and establish justice for the fatherless. For practical applications, you can read more here.

How do we identify and prosecute those who are sending these deadly chemicals illegally into our state and how can we protect Tennessee women and girls from the abortion industry, which has preyed on them for nearly 50 years and is still running rampant in other states? To be frank, those sending the pills into the state cannot realistically be prosecuted because they are either overseas or in shield-law states. Even if mifepristone were illegal nationwide, overseas suppliers would continue shipping it because they are not bound by U.S. law. If TNRTL truly wants to protect women, the biblical and most effective way is to pass a law declaring abortion illegal for them, rather than continuing to support laws that keep it legal. There are millions of women who would never have murdered their child(ren) via abortion if it had been illegal for them.

What would it actually require to prosecute post-abortive women and girls under a so-called equal protection law? Constitutional Attorney Bradley Peirce has covered this extensively here.

What happens when a proposed law cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny? Constitutional Attorney Bradley Peirce is the one who reviews all abolition bills to ensure they can withstand constitutional scrutiny.

What risk can failed litigation create for existing pro-life protections? Pro-life “protections” do not protect babies or deter their mothers from aborting. Abortions have only increased since Dobbs. This is a moot point.

Can poorly constructed laws create damaging legal precedent or harden hearts against the very truth we are trying to advance? Yes, they can — but as mentioned previously, abolition laws are not poorly constructed.

As you continue following this series, we encourage you to ask yourself what it truly takes to rebuild a culture where abortion is no longer considered an answer. Abortion will always be considered an “answer” until Christ returns. But it would be considered much less of an option if the act were criminalized for all involved, in accordance with God’s Word.

Tennessee Right to Life has stated that changing laws and changing hearts must go hand in hand. If this is true, then how do they expect laws that tell women abortion is legal for them will change their hearts? Furthermore, no heart or mind is ever truly changed apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ — which is why Abolitionism is a distinctly Christian and Gospel-centered movement, unlike the pro-life movement.

Final Thoughts

If you are new to this conversation, we know you may have questions. Feel free to contact us at tn.abolition@gmail.com or visit the resources page on our website.