Illinois lawmakers are once again being confronted with questions that strike at the very heart of justice, and State Senator Neil Anderson (R-Aledo) is forcing these questions to the forefront:

• Who counts as a person under the law?

• If science affirms that human life begins at conception, why do we not recognize their human rights?

• Are their constitutional rights of equal protection and due process eliminated because of where they reside? Their size? Their dependence?

Senate Bill 3572 — often referred to as the Abolish Abortion Illinois Act — addresses these questions directly and unapologetically. The legislation would define the terms “person,” “individual,” and “another” in Illinois law to include every living human being — including preborn children at every stage of development.

That is the issue being debated. Everything else is distraction. The question is whether equal protection under the law actually means what it says — and whether we will recognize that preborn human beings are entitled to these constitutional rights afforded to all other human beings, and indeed to the God-given human rights with which every human being is endowed.

Proponents of SB 3572 have emphasized a truth that is both morally obvious and legally foundational:

The right to life is an unalienable right from God alone and therefore must be secured by government.

Justice cannot change depending on who the law chooses to protect.

If human beings possess inherent dignity and unalienable rights (from God and not government) — as our founding documents declare — then those rights cannot depend on size, age, level of development, or location. Without the right to life, every other right is meaningless. That is why proponents of the legislation insist the matter is straightforward:

Because preborn children are human beings, they are entitled to equal protection. And if equal protection does not apply to them, then the phrase itself becomes empty rhetoric. As Senator Anderson put it plainly during his press conference:

“Equal protection must mean equal protection — or it means nothing at all.”

Watch the entire press conference:

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send your state senator an email asking him/her to co-sponsor SB 3572, legislation that would protect the human rights of preborn babies. Remind your senator that the right to life is endowed by God and that the U.S. Constitution exists to secure and protect that God-given right.

The Bible, Law, Science, and Moral Consistency

The push for human rights for preborn babies is being advanced by Christians with deep biblical convictions: God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17). He commands, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). And He calls us to rescue those being led away to death — to restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter (Proverbs 24:11).

In addition to these biblical convictions, advocates of the bill argue that three lines of evidence converge:

Biological science affirms that a distinct human life begins at conception.

Constitutional principle requires equal protection for every person.

Moral reasoning rejects partial justice based on arbitrary distinctions.

When all these assertions point in the same direction, lawmakers cannot credibly claim confusion. The issue becomes one of consistency — not uncertainty.

Illinois already recognizes that justice requires protecting vulnerable people from violence. The question is whether that protection extends to the most vulnerable of all — children who cannot speak, defend themselves, or survive outside the womb.

Throughout history, grave injustice has often depended on one critical move: Drawing a line between those considered fully human and those who are not. Societies have done this before — in slavery, in racial oppression, and in other systems that denied protection to entire classes of human beings. Today we see the willful selective abortion of the disabled – those with Down syndrome for example. Each time, injustice was justified by redefining who qualified as a “person.” Society was wrong then, as it is now.

SB 3572 challenges Illinois to reject that pattern. It asks whether the law will continue drawing a circle around certain human beings — declaring them outside the protection everyone else receives. Who will be next?

The Call to Stand Firm

Supporters of SB 3572 acknowledge the political reality: Illinois is not an easy place to advance legislation like this.

Yet Christians are called to do hard things – especially for the voiceless who are being sent to the slaughter. We are not to fear man but trust in the Lord entirely. (Prov. 29:25; 3:5-6). The God of the Bible is the God of the impossible. There is nothing too difficult for Him. (Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 1:37; Matthew 19:26; Ephesians 3:20)

This is not centrally a political battle. It is a spiritual battle. We would do well to remember that the Apostle Paul calls us to:

…be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… ~Ephesians 6:10-18

Our job is not to compromise what we know to be true to pacify the culture and those in power, but to speak truth and pursue justice – in this case, for innocent preborn babies — regardless of political cost.

We need to keep in mind that this debate is not merely about abortion policy. It is about the meaning of justice itself. If some human beings can be excluded from legal protection based solely on their stage of development, then equal protection is conditional — and any group could someday be excluded by the same logic.

No matter the naysayers and the critics, we must uphold the truth that every human life is created fearfully and wonderfully in the image of God and possesses eternal worth. As such, our laws must reflect that reality consistently. Illinois now faces a defining question:

Will the promise of equal protection remain a slogan — or become a principle applied to every human being?

SB 3572 demands an answer.

More ACTION: Pray that God would bless this legislative effort to stop abortion in Illinois.

• Pray that hearts and minds would be changed to recognize the full humanity of babies in the womb. This is, first and foremost, a spiritual battle.

• Pray that God would open eyes, turning people from darkness to light; that He would pour out a spirit of repentance so that people would come to their senses. (Acts: 26:18; 2 Tim 2:25-26)

• Spread the word at your church and within your spheres of influence!

• Meet with your local state lawmakers regularly – quarterly or even monthly if possible. Together with like-minded neighbors and church leaders, prayerfully and intentionally seek to build respectful relationships with your state lawmakers. Meeting with them a few times each year can be a meaningful investment of time and trust. Over time, these conversations allow you to graciously share your concerns about legislation while bearing faithful witness to the truth that every human life—born and preborn—is created by God and worthy of protection.