Share Tweet By Billy Hallowell Editor
January 17, 2023
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (R) use of Scripture on billboards to promote abortion last fall sparked no shortage of controversy. Now, a coalition of pro-life organizations has come together to respond to the governor’s “blasphemous” placards.
Listen to the latest episode of CBNs Quick Start podcast ?
The Democratic governor riled critics when he employed Jesus words in Mark 12:31, placing the following message on billboards advertising abortion in at least two states: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.
Now, the Coalition for an Abortion-Free Future, a collection of nationwide pro-life groups assembled by the Life Legal Defense Coalition, is hitting back with its own billboards.
“In response to Newsoms blasphemous billboards, a coalition of pro-life organizations is placing billboards in the exact same locations as Newsom posted his pro-abortion billboards,” a press release reads, noting one of these messages will be placed in Ohio.
The billboard messaging, which addresses abstinence, reads, “Save sex for marriage. Plan your future, not your abortion.”
The placard also includes the link: AbortionlessFuture.com.
Mark Harrington, a spokesperson for the Coalition for an Abortion-Free Future, said the groups hope their messaging helps remind people about the real reasons women seek abortions.
“We need to have a conversation in this country including in the pro-life movement about the true cause of most abortions,” he said. “The billboards are intended to remind people of the inconvenient truth that the main driver of abortion is irresponsible sexual activity.”
A statement announcing the campaign cited statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to show that most abortions happen among unwed mothers.
“If men and women stopped having sex outside of relationships truly committed to protecting the lives of the babies they create, the demand for abortion would largely disappear,” the statement continued. “Pro-life resources could then focus on helping families welcome their unexpected additions.”
An accompanying campaign website further explores the call for abstinence, explaining why saving sex for marriage protects hearts, minds and lives.
“When you have sex, you give something to someone that you can never give back,” it reads. “The more often you have sex with different partners, the less of yourself you have to give.”
This latest billboard move by the Coalition for an Abortion-Free Future comes after others vocally criticized Newsom’s decision to try and use Jesus’ words to justify abortion.
Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, delivered a scathing open letter last September to the governor, accusing him of rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous.
The Sept. 29 missive, seemingly sparked by Newsoms decision to place pro-abortion billboards in conservative states, took aim, among other grievances, at the liberal governors use of the Bible on those placards.
In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:1316; Isaiah 45:912), MacArthur wrote. You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants.
Read the full response here.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwires daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***