How 'Jane Roe' Became a Pro-Life Warrior

Like Norma, we must all set out to right this horrific wrong, which devastates all family members of murdered babies. We’re far from alone.

While representing millions of Americans, over 500,000 people will gather in Washington, D.C., for the National March for Life on January 24, 2020. We’ve had the privilege of attending the National March for Life and it is a powerful experience. People peacefully yet passionately march in support for unborn babies and their families.

The National March for Life visually reminds the world that multitudes of people believe in the value of every unborn life and that abortion must be stopped. (If you can’t be at the National March for Life this year, please join our March For Life Through Prayer online event to pray for those marching and to pray for the end of abortion. Learn more here.)

As more and more young people discover the horrors of abortion, the topic of how it became legal often arises.

Roe v. Wade was the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in 1973. It occurred 47 years ago and enabled over 61,628,584 babies to be killed under the lie that it was pro-women. No exaggeration: abortion is a genocide within our own country which also harms women in countless ways.

How Abortion Became Legal

The story begins with Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade.

Norma’s mother was a violent alcoholic and her father abandoned her family. She was eventually declared a ward of the state and sent to various state-run institutions. Tragically, Norma was sexually assaulted multiple times by her mother’s cousin. It was horrific. Norma dropped out of school and, by the age of 16, she married a man who proved to be physically abusive. The couple ultimately divorced. Later, Norma also battled alcohol and drug use.

By 1969, Norma was pregnant, homeless, and alone in Dallas, Texas. She was desperate. Norma wanted an abortion, but she did not have the money to travel to one of the few states that offered abortions. She was vulnerable when two individuals with misguided agendas took advantage of her.

Two recent law school graduates desired a case they could use to overturn the anti-abortion laws in Texas. These young lawyers recruited Norma; they treated her to pizza and beer and made plans. During the meeting, they chose the legal pseudonym “Jane Roe” for Norma McCorvey.

How “Jane Roe” Gave Up Her Baby for Adoption

At the time, Norma did not realize what an abortion involved. The lawyers that recruited Norma assured her that abortion was simple: They lied to her that it was just removing a piece of tissue (not killing a baby). After their first meeting, the attorney duo only met with Norma one more time to have her sign a one-page affidavit that she never read. Norma never appeared or testified at the trial of Roe v. Wade. And “Jane Roe” never had an abortion. In fact, she delivered a baby girl and put her up for adoption long before the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade. (She was later deeply thankful for that decision.)

On January 22, 1973, seven justices sided with "Roe" of Roe v. Wade. They declared that the right to privacy somehow included a mother having an abortion. The mother's "right" should not be balanced against the life of the child nor the interests of the baby's father. Thus, the Supreme Court restricted state interference based upon the unprecedented concept of trimesters. Roe v. Wade reflected an astonishing divergence from the U.S. Constitution and the moral perspective of the American people. Since Roe v. Wade, there have been moral and political debates that flood the courts and legislatures to this day.

The years following Roe v. Wade continued to be tumultuous for Norma McCorvey: She worked in numerous abortion clinics, made public appearances celebrating Roe v. Wade, and kept company with pro-choice celebrities.

How “Jane Roe” Became a Pro-Life Warrior

Yet everything suddenly changed: Operation Rescue, a pro-life Christian ministry, opened an office next door to Norma’s abortion clinic. Her past misconceptions of Christians were replaced with the reality of Christ and His love exhibited by this ministry. Yet the major media mostly ignored this fact. Listen to her own words from her book, “Won by Love:” “It's as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth — that's a baby! I felt crushed under the truth of this realization.”

Norma surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and experienced His peace, hope, love, and healing from her past. Through her faith in Christ, Norma became a bold pro-life warrior. Sadly, she passed away on February 18, 2017.

Norma would want you to pick up the torch and shed light into the darkness to end abortion.

Our hearts go out to mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents whose lives have been devastated by abortion. (If you’ve been broken by abortion, there is redemption and healing in Christ!)

May we be the voice of the voiceless. Never give up. Keep praying, keep speaking, and keep sharing God's truth with love. Help mothers in crisis and their babies thrive. And cry out for the babies who cannot cry.

Whether singing for U.S. presidents from a young age or launching national outreach events for veterans, Stacie Ruth and Carrie Beth Stoelting have desired to share God’s love and hope in order to unite the USA in a positive way. They have appeared repeatedly on major media, founded Unite the USA, written and been featured in books, and recorded albums in order to share God’s love, hope, and help for veterans and citizens. Whether hosting a weekly radio program or launching an outreach for veterans and their families, Stacie and Carrie are Millennials on a mission. Currently, they are in doctoral programs and feel excited to share a thoroughly Christian, patriotic, and positive message with America. Carrie and Stacie, along with Stacie's husband, Jim, live in the beautiful state of Iowa. Sign up for their monthly newsletter at UnitetheUSA.org and a weekly devotional at PrayingPals.org. To read more of their reports — Click Here Now.