DEFINING ABOLITIONISM:
From introducing bills to abolish abortion in 17 states, to abolitionist resolutions being affirmed by some of the largest Christian denominations, to abolitionists all over the country organizing and mobilizing, the Abolitionist Movement is picking up momentum - and national headlines - at a pace that would have seemed impossible only a few short years ago. Abolitionists are rising!
Former Oklahoma State Senator Joseph Silk's words from the 2020 Abolition Day rally are coming true:
"When I was first elected, somebody told me, 'Be careful, because culture and politics change very, very slowly. It's like molasses running across a table.' Which is typically the case except for this movement. It is absolutely not slow and it's spreading like complete wildfire across the nation. A movement like this will not slow down and it actually cannot be stopped. It's going to continue until it has completed what it set out to do. Abortion will be criminalized. It's only a matter of time."
For many, abolitionism's rise will beg the question: what exactly is abolitionism? Some may not yet have encountered abolitionism, many misunderstand the ideology based on straw men set up by opponents, and still others may not realize how theologically rich and historically informed abolitionism is.
Put simply, abolitionism is the doctrine that answers the question: how does the bride of Christ address and combat great societal evils?
The Norman Statement is a declaration of the essential distinctives of how the Abolitionist Movement combats abortion and the culture of death. As members of the Abolitionists Rising coalition, co-signers of this statement affirm the following foundational tenets and applications of abolitionism.