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Joseph BackholmFamily Policy Institute of Washington / YouTube

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OTTAWA, Canada, May 17, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – Speaking at the Canadian National March for Life Youth Conference, Joseph Backholm described how the issue of abortion has been transformed into a political one, when in fact it is part of a “spiritual battle,” and based on opposition to a Biblical world view.

Backholm is the Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at the Family Research Council based in Washington, D.C., where he combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way Biblical truth cultivates human flourishing.

Addressing the live-streamed Youth Conference following the 2021 National March for Life in Canada, he outlined the manner in which abortion has been portrayed as a political conflict, when in fact it is a religious matter, which has its roots in adherence, or rejection, of God’s word in the Bible.

When political issues aren’t political issues

Backholm noted that the political label is the reason it is often hard to get religious bodies to engage in matters of abortion, homosexuality, or gender ideology. But, he argued, the conflict is in fact not about politics, but about reality itself, and is based upon conflicting worldviews. 

He pointed to the Bible, mentioning that the book of Genesis shows what God intended the world to be in its perfect form. “Male and female He created them” read the opening chapters.

But there is no extra explanation about the relation between being male and the possibilities of feeling female, or being female but identifying as male, as transgender ideology proposes. There is simply the definition of male and female.

Scripture also adds that God gave a directive to be fruitful and multiply, as well as to rule and subdue the earth. This is yet another divine command which is rejected by the abortion advocates, explained Backholm, as they call for contraception and the use of condoms in order to “save the planet.”

The argument of “my body, my choice” is commonly used in defence of the abortion position, yet Backholm suggested that the catchphrase was also underlying the LGBT arguments in defense of same-sex relations, gender ideology and transgenderism, assisted suicide, and prostitution.

Backholm argued that underlying all these issues is the belief that one is allowed to act in whatever manner will make a person happy, and hence the mantra of “my body, my choice” in all such matters, not just abortion. 

All these issues are referred to as political issues. However, politics is a “process” not an “issue,” commented Backholm. Politics has become a place where we debate competing views of reality, he explained. In the political realm the Biblical world view is placed in opposition to the secular world view.

St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians calls men to walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but warns that humanity can easily fall into being ruled by the “deeds of the flesh,” instead of adhering to the rule of God. 

Yet, if secular culture’s claims about reality are true and “my body, my choice” is indeed the best way to live, then the world should be a widely happy place. On the other hand, if the Bible is indeed true, and God is in charge instead of man, then all of the “rebellions” against the law of God would lead only to “pain.”

Backholm said that the goal should not be merely to have a theoretical Biblical view, but to live according to this plan of God, having a worldview built upon the divinely created reality. 

Differing world views

Backholm said that views about the world depend greatly upon individual assumptions, of which the most prominent are on the subjects of “origin, meaning, morality, and destiny.” 

Each of these issues are interconnected and inform each other, causing us to ask questions such as: “Where did I come from? Does my life matter – why? How do I know what is right and wrong? What happens when I die?” 

“The things I say I believe about each of these things will have a dramatic impact,” Backholm stated. 

Pro-life cause ultimately a spiritual battle

Yet, the danger of not basing oneself in Scripture is seemingly great, as Backholm noted that the number of Christians is declining, and not even all of those who profess to be Christian hold a Biblical worldview. 

They object to the Biblical stance on moral issues such as abortion, thinking that “it’s mean to be Christian,” having mistaken religious discussions for political ones. 

A key factor in life, Backholm stated, is doing the “right thing” despite one’s personal opinion or fear about the matter. 

“We are ultimately engaged in a spiritual battle and we have been from the beginning. It’s not surprising and don’t be scared of it. We’re in a spiritual war, you’re ultimately not arguing with a Republican or a Democrat about a political issue. These are conflicts over the nature of reality.”

If our positions are not in conjunction with what we profess, then Backholm stated that we have to “fix” them, “because we have to make sure that God is the foundation of what we believe.”

“We are in a spiritual war over truth, about the nature of reality,” he declared. “All of these political debates are just a reflection of that ultimate question.”