The Australian Christian Lobby is an important institution. They have a huge platform and witness, with over 300k Facebook followers, as well as special access to our nation's leaders. We particularly remember the bold gospel witness of Martyn Iles during his time of leadership, through his Covid-era podcast The Truth of It and his speaking tours. The ACL is in a particularly prime position to be as modern-day prophets to our wicked and rebellious rulers.

Last week, I attended the Sydney screening of the ACL's new documentary Born Alive, Left to Die, part of their Truth Revealed series. The documentary aimed to expose and publicise the reality of children being born alive after failed abortions in Australia and then denied medical or palliative care. The ACL promotes this documentary as a resource for churches to host watch events and spread awareness about this issue. There was much that was good and fruitful in this documentary that I would like to share, along with a few criticisms that are worthy of consideration.

The legally permitted murder of our preborn neighbours in Australia is the greatest moral evil of our time. It is the issue which ought to determine how Christians vote in elections, for it brings God's wrath and judgment upon us (Deut. 20:1-5, Is. 1:12-17), making our national repentance more urgent and important than any economic reforms. Of the 90,000+ preborn children that are murdered each year, those who survive the procedure at all are very few, around 110 annually, and those that could survive beyond their birthday if given proper medical care are a small fraction of this number. These cases may have a particular emotional pull because they are more mature child, typically killed beyond 20 weeks of gestation. Moreover, even within the pro-choice philosophy that human rights are only recognised from birth, such children ought to be protected. Thus, it is understandable why the ACL would seek to highlight this tragedy and why pro-life lawmakers would write bills that tighten regulations to protect these children.

Overall, this documentary is well-researched and well-produced. It includes clips and testimony from experts in their fields, as well as personal anecdotes from politicians, including WA MLC Nick Goiran and a woman who has survived to adulthood after two attempts on her life before she was born. The documentary doesn't neglect to mention key issues such as the fact that abortion is murder, the sanitisation of language surrounding abortion, the help that is available for mothers in crisis, the need for adoption reform, and the issue of abortion more broadly. These things are commendable. However, two glaring omissions ought to be considered.

My first concern is the primary focus of the documentary itself. When there's a whole log in our nation's eye, why focus on one particular speck of it? Those children who momentarily survive the attempt on their lives account for 0.1% of all abortion procedures. Why not focus on the problem as a whole, which is still greatly neglected in churches and society? Why not focus on IVF, which destroys more than twice the number that abortions destroy? Why not focus on abortifacient hormonal contraceptives, which 2 in 5 Australian women are using, generally ignorant that they may be guilty of involuntary manslaughter as a result?

Is this part of a broader effort to support born-alive protection bills, like Maryka Groenewald's, in Western Australia? Such bills are of zero effect in terms of saving lives or deterring abortionists, as decades of evidence from the United States have shown. Since the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA) was passed in 2001, not a single abortionist has been prosecuted, even where they are shown to routinely kill infants born alive. A Regent University Law Review article explains why this type of legislation fails:

No one in an abortion attempt, save the child, gets what he wants unless the child is killed. And once the abortion procedure begins, the entire life experience of the child from that point on is under the sole observation and direct control of those who want him dead.¹

It may be that a few children are born alive in Australia after a failed abortion, but to focus on this is to miss the issue: preborn children are being murdered by the myriads annually, and it remains legal. You cannot save these children by merely regulating abortion; you can only save them by criminalising it entirely. For as long as child murder is tolerated in any respect, those who desire it will find the loopholes and make the jump. This is a far greater work that first requires a spiritual transformation of the Australian people. To bear good fruit, we must become a good tree, and that comes only from abiding in Christ (John 15:4).

Secondly, and more importantly, for a documentary that is produced by the Australian Christian Lobby, there was very little that was explicitly Christian about it. One of the interviewees was a pastor, and at the event, the screening was followed by a time of prayer and reflection, but that's about it. In the film itself, there was no Scripture, no Christian theology, no mention of the gospel, and no Christ. I understand that they may be seeking to appeal to a broader audience and so leave out Scripture as an unrecognised authority to establish a common ground with the unbelieving viewer, but whether they recognise it or not, God's word is authoritative over them. Moreover, apart from Scripture, there is no solid foundation for morality, nor any transcendent authority that demands their obedience. Consequently, the documentary relies on evoking sympathy to convince the viewer. Sympathy has its place in persuasion, but it can only go so far. How will you convince the atheist pro-abort to sympathise with the unformed child (when most are slaughtered) over the desperate mother's desire to destroy them?

We must recognise that abortion will never be abolished through such tactics, but only through repentance, revival, and reformation. Abortion is the fruit of secularism; secularism can never abolish it. We will not abolish abortion through evoking sympathy and compromise. Only Christ can destroy the foul fruit of abortion, and he must do so by felling the bad tree of secularism.

One missed opportunity was when one interviewee mentioned that the human beings in the womb are of the same value as born human beings. Who says? The materialist has no grounds for value beyond his subjective viewpoint. On what grounds will you convince him that the unformed child is worthy of protection? He provides him no economic value. He has no relationship with him. His death will not cost him anything. There is but one ground for the objective and innate value of every human being - the image of God. But to accept this, the materialist must repent of his materialism - an empty and fruitless philosophy that leads to death and destruction, and he must turn to Christ, in whom there is life and peace.

Furthermore, what hope does the murderer have outside of Christ? If we forsake him, what comfort have we to offer? There is no forgiveness or cleansing for her in any other name. Therefore, the gospel must be front and centre of Christian witness. The word of God commands sinners to repent and receive reconciliation with God through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, "the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). God works to change hearts through the proclamation of his word. This is why the abolitionist movement is explicitly gospel-centred and biblical. We urge the ACL to consider the same.

It is good that many ministries and movements are making resources to help the church in her mission of making disciples. This documentary series from the ACL could have been a great contribution. However, the church's witness and ministry should never be divorced from God's word but rooted and grounded in it. For this reason, I cannot recommend it for churches and Christians.

The Australian Christian Lobby has marvellous potential to produce high-quality resources to equip the church and to be a great prophetic witness on behalf of the church to the civil-political sphere. But if you believe that Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, act like it! There is no loss to you; "Christian" is in your name. Those you speak to should expect you to espouse Christian theology. Your job is to lobby in the political sphere that the Christian worldview is the best and only ground on which to build our nation - as our constitution testifies to! Without the blessing of almighty God, we are doomed to destruction. We humbly rely upon him. It is your task to make sure that every politician is aware that we shall not receive his blessing while we spit in his face and murder his children. Speak as the prophets did - they are your example of faithful witness to wicked rulers.

Therefore, brothers and sisters at the ACL, be strong and courageous. Don't compromise on God's commands. Seek faithfulness over respectability. Christ is King. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. On this basis, he has commissioned us as his ambassadors. Remember who you serve and represent to the politicians. Be unashamed.

¹ Roger Byron, “Children of a Lesser Law: The Failure of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act and a Plan for Its Redemption,” Regent University Law Review, vol. 19, December 12, 2006, https://regent.edu/acad/schlaw/student_life/studentorgs/lawreview/docs/issues/v19n1/08Byronvol19.1(corrected).pdf.