Iowa has a Republican governor, a near-Republican supermajority in the House (64), a Republican supermajority in the Senate (34), and a Supreme Court where all justices have been appointed by Republican Governors. It doesn’t get much redder than that!
Surely, this Republican majority is part of what sparked Governor Reynolds to call for a special session to address the baby murder that is happening in Iowa.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade Iowa has become one of the “sanctuary” states for those who wish to murder their babies; both by ripping them limb from limb in surgical abortions and by poisoning them to death in chemical abortions. Iowa has become a safe haven for some of the most brutal and heinous acts in the United States. I am glad that Governor Reynolds is keen to address this issue; it is truly the right thing to do.
As an Iowan, I desire to see an end to the violence. I love my pre-born neighbors who made in the image of God. From the moment of conception, these precious children possess a unique genetic code. However, don’t simply take my word for it. Consider what embryologists Ronan O’Rahilly and Fabiola Müller as stated in their book, “Human Embryology and Teratology”: “Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed.” These unborn children are human and distinct from their mother’s body, each equipped with their very own genetic code.
These children are also very much alive, too. Four criteria for a cell to be considered to have biological life: metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction. At the point of fertilization this new distinct human checks all of the marks and is scientifically alive. To drive this point a home I will quote Dr. Keith L. Moore in his book “The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology” “Human development begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete or sperm (spermatozoo development) unites with a female gamete or oocyte (ovum) to form a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marked the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.” Certainly you would have to be a “Science Denier” to think that a child is not alive, not human, or not distinct from their mother at the time of conception.
What does all of this mean? It means that abortion is murder! Not just any murder, it is murder of the most innocent among us. It is murder of the vulnerable in our midst. It is murder in some of the most brutal ways. This is why I am a member of the Republican Party of Iowa, after all their platform says, “We move the Iowa Republican party aggressively support a ‘life begins at conception’ bill without exceptions. We believe that all human beings, from conception to natural death, have a God given and constitutionally protected right to life, which cannot be infringed.”
This is where confusion and disappointment set in. Although Iowa is governed by Republicans across the board, including a near-supermajority in both chambers, the bill presented at this special session doesn’t align with the party’s stated position on when life begins.
What could be holding back the Republican Party of Iowa? There are ample Republicans in the House and even more in the Senate. We also have a governor who frequently asserts her pro-life stance. Fear of the judicial branch shouldn’t be a factor since all its members were appointed by Republicans. The party’s position is clear: life begins at conception — not six weeks after — with no exceptions. Will there be more Republicans in January or after the next election cycle? Will there be a more explicit statement in the party platform? The answer to these questions is a resounding “No.”
The only thing that will increase in the coming year or election cycle is the number of murdered babies, if Republicans merely pass a heartbeat bill and postpone dealing with this critical issue. Iowa doesn’t need to become “redder.” What it needs is for its elected Republicans to fulfill their mandate and defend their pre-born constituents. They should strive to protect these innocent lives under the law by abolishing abortion! If not now, when?
I call upon the Iowa Legislature to do the right thing, and to end abortion immediately without exception.
Author: Sam Jones
Pastor Sam completed an intense pastoral internship at Hagerman Baptist Church and served as a chaplain at Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls, Iowa before accepting the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Hudson, Iowa. He loves people and his goal is to make disciples of Christ by personally, prayerfully, and persistently investing the Word of God into others.
