I’ve always considered myself pro-life.
I strongly believed, and fully understood, that abortion took the life of a human being. I
wasn’t shy about debating fellow believers, often arguing at casual house parties that there are no
biblical exceptions.
In 2022, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, Starbucks came out in full support of
abortion “health care,” going as far as to say they would pay for employees to fly to another state
if theirs outlawed abortion. I was justifiably outraged. I vowed that day never to give another
dime to Starbucks, and I started an Instagram called Latte Fluent. My goal was to show believers
all the other local coffee shops they could support instead. While I believe my heart was in the
right place— looking back now, it wasn’t God’s best.
Fast forward to April 2025. I was asked by my brother in Christ (Loukas Papaioannou) to
create a promo video for a debate entitled Immediateism vs. Abolition. While he had shared a
little about his Abolitionist beliefs, we hadn’t discussed them deeply. While I truly admired how
his passion led him to action, I felt that the “approach” of Abolitionism wasn’t for me.
As the event got closer, more friends started reaching out about it. I felt led to attend not
for myself but for those I had invited. That Saturday afternoon, as I was driving through
downtown traffic, the Lord drove me to tears. To pass the time, I started listening to Allie Beth
Stuckey’s audio book, Toxic Empathy, and the very first chapter . . .was on abortion.
The Lord started by opening my eyes to the true, unmistakable, heart-wrenching horror
that is abortion. I began to see the true gravity of abortion. I realized we offer up toxic empathy
to women who have abortions, while we neglect the life of the child being snuffed out.
I parked at Moody Bible Institute, fixed my mascara, and began the mile walk up La Salle
to Moody Church where the debate was being held. That walk started marinating the truth I had
just heard—and with each step toward the debate — God was preparing to move me from tender
to tenderized.
I walked in as a pro-lifer.
The first speaker was pro-life. He laid out his case—calm, composed, and reasonable. I
wasn’t moved, but I was satisfied. I found myself zoning out during his speech — prepping a Q
& A question about why abolitionists use such explicit signage instead of more “approachable”
messaging.
Then T. Russell Hunter took the stage. He spoke with boldness and clarity—without
mincing a single word. He wove Scripture throughout, guiding the audience through truths I had
never heard before. His claim? The pro-life position is against God because God is against all
murder. With that, my question — Why is abolitionism so explicit with graphic signs? — was
answered. God hates sin more than believers should hate causing discomfort.
His words shocked many.
Some found them outrageous.
Others, empowering.
For me, they didn’t just break my heart—they absolutely crushed it.
I couldn’t articulate it then, but looking back now,
for the first time, I felt the full weight of the sin of abortion.
I left the debate dumbstruck and broken.
As I walked the mile back to my car, I passed a Planned Parenthood.
I had passed it on
the way there as well—but this time, I felt physically sick. A tangible representation of what had
shifted in my heart.
I had walked up La Salle Drive as a pro-lifer.
I walked down La Salle Drive as an abolitionist.
The following month, as I began exploring the differences between pro-life and
abolitionist theology, I started to see holes in the faith and reasoning of many leading pro-life
voices—Right to Life, Live Action, Kristan Hawkins, and most shockingly, Charlie Kirk and
Doug Wilson.
They all stand on the idea of "Love Them Both" and incrementalism—the belief that we
should support legislation that “reduces abortion" rather than solely abolishes it.
The more I studied Scripture, the more I saw:
Incrementalism says: “We are called to do what we can do.”
Abolitionism says: “We are called to do what God calls us to do.”
The debate opened my eyes.
The pro-life movement is often more concerned with political feasibility than with
obedience to God's Word.
God brought me into a week-long depression as I grappled with the reality of the holocaust
happening around me—1,000 babies killed daily in our country. But I praise Him for bringing
me here. And I thank Him for what He’s yet to do.
I want to thank AHA Chicago and their diligent prayers and partnership with Moody Church
to make that debate possible. I want to thank T. Russell Hunter and Abolitionist Rising for boldly
speaking truth in the face of opposition.
I later heard T. Russell Hunter say the debate was “a bust” because the other speaker wasn’t
well-informed. But I’m here to testify that God used that debate for His glory. He brought one
apathetic pro-lifer to a place of right standing with His Word.
How To Get Involved
- Share God’s truth about child sacrifice
- Educate others on the worldliness of incrementalism
- Provide clear next steps for believers convicted by the Spirit
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For more information visit abolitionistsrising.com