For decades, many Christians have assumed that supporting the pro-life movement meant standing for the protection of unborn children. We donated, we lobbied, we voted—but what if the very organizations we trusted were actively preventing abolition of abortion? Pastor Jeff Durban, founder of End Abortion Now, has spent years exposing what he calls the “Dirty Little Secret of the pro-life establishment”: while publicly opposing abortion, major pro-life organizations consistently protect mothers who choose it, leaving unborn children without equal protection under the law.
The Shocking Truth About “Pro-Life” Organizations
Pastor Durban begins his testimony by warning that the truth may shock viewers:
“What you are going to learn here may surprise you. What you are going to learn here may actually shock you… let’s work together as the Church to expose actually the heart of the issue, the inconsistency, the unbiblical thing that’s keeping abortion alive.”
Even after decades of effort, the pro-life establishment has crafted laws that, on the surface, seem protective, but legally exempt the primary actor—the mother—from accountability. In state after state, abolition bills that would offer true equal protection to unborn children are opposed not by pro-choice groups, but by pro-life organizations themselves.
The Legal Loophole Keeping Abortion Alive
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, millions of Americans celebrated. Many pro-life advocates were told that 13–14 states were now “abortion-free.” But as Pastor Durban explains:
“A lot of people believe that abortion is illegal, but in spite of the fact that the pro-life lobby around the country is claiming that there’s 13–14 states that are quote-unquote abortion free, nevertheless they’re really not… it’s illegal for those clinics to be doing abortions, but there’re still abortions going on in those states… completely legally right now. And they are do-it-yourself self-managed abortions that are still happening.”
Why? Because every major pro-life bill is written with an exception for the mother, granting her absolute immunity. Laws target clinics, doctors, and abortion providers—but the woman performing her own abortion remains legally untouchable. This loophole ensures abortion continues, even in states where clinics have closed.
Firsthand Accounts From the Heart of the Pro-Life Movement
Pastor Durban recalls his early assumptions:
“I grew up in a Christian home… by default I always considered myself pro-life. I knew that abortion was wrong. I even knew it was murder.”
But at the National Right to Life Convention in 2017, he saw firsthand what major pro-life organizations were actually doing to combat abortion. The president of National Right to Life, Carol Tobias, explained the movement’s stance on mothers who undergo abortion:
“We’ve never seen mothers who kill their own children as guilty, but as victims.”
Durban recalls being stunned:
“It was coming from their own mouths, and I couldn’t believe my ears.”
He further recounts confronting Dr. Brent Leatherwood of the Southern Baptist Convention’s ERLC about whether mothers who intentionally abort their children should face consequences under God’s law or civil law. On multiple occasions, Leatherwood refused to answer, instead giving a stump speech about how pro-life the convention was—without addressing whether the mother should be held accountable.
“Dr. Leatherwood did not answer my question at all… he totally avoided it and decided to give a pro-life stump speech rather than answer whether or not the woman should be criminalized for killing her newborn or toddler. He’s not yet answered that question.”
This testimony exposes a theological and legal crisis: the Church has historically viewed abortion as the taking of an innocent life. Yet, major pro-life organizations deny that the mother has sinned, framing her as a victim rather than a perpetrator.
Abortion Bills and the Pro-Life Establishment’s Role in Blocking Abolition
Pastor Durban has tracked numerous abolition bills across multiple states, including Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Idaho, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. In each case, the opposition came from pro-life organizations, not Planned Parenthood or other pro-choice groups.
In Missouri, for example, when Senate Bill 356 was introduced—a simple bill granting equal protection to unborn children—the only opposition came from:
- Missouri Right to Life
- Campaign Life Missouri
“Not a single Planned Parenthood representative needed to testify. The pro-life lobby did their work for them.”
Similarly, in Louisiana, House Bill 813, the Abolition of Abortion in Louisiana Act of 2020, would have extended homicide laws to preborn children. The bill passed committee 7–2 and was on track to become a landmark pro-life bill. Then the national pro-life establishment intervened, sending letters warning legislators:
“Do not pass this bill. Do not criminalize women.”
As a result, the bill failed, and abortion continued legally in the state.
“This is not ignorance. This is policy. This is the official stance of the pro-life establishment: abortion is murder, but the one who chooses it isn’t guilty.”
The Theological Implications: Removing the Gospel From Abortion
Pastor Durban emphasizes that the pro-life establishment’s approach is not merely political—it is theological. By framing the mother as a victim and denying her guilt, they remove the need for repentance and the application of the Gospel.
“When we tell the mother who kills her own child by abortion that she’s a victim, we are depriving her of the Gospel… the only way the Gospel applies is if we confess our sin. The Gospel is a message for guilty people… women who murder their children in the womb need Christ, they need forgiveness.”
Without acknowledging guilt, the mother cannot repent, receive forgiveness, or experience true healing. Meanwhile, the unborn child is denied equal justice, leaving both mother and child spiritually and legally unprotected.
Why “Pro-Life” Laws Often Fail
State-level pro-life legislation often includes:
- Definition of life from fertilization
- Penalties for providers
- Explicit exceptions for the mother
“Every bill that they pass… they actually write into every single one of those bills an exception that says that this law does not apply to the mother of the child that’s aborted… you are still completely immune from any kind of legal liability.”
The result is a system in which abortion is technically illegal for doctors but fully legal for mothers, especially with mail-order chemical abortions. This loophole ensures that abortion persists despite decades of legislative efforts.
The Church Must Lead
“We need justice now… the Church needs to exercise her prophetic voice. The Church needs to take a center role in this fight… fighting for justice for the fatherless children.”
He emphasizes that abolition is not a political ideology—it is a Christian responsibility. The Church must speak truthfully about the image of God in the womb, the sin of abortion, and the necessity of both justice and the Gospel for mothers and children alike.
Abolition: The Only Biblical Path Forward
According to Pastor Durban, abolition is simple and consistent with Scripture:
- The unborn child is fully human from fertilization, made in God’s image.
- Equal justice must apply—laws that protect born people must also protect the preborn.
- Abortion must be illegal for all, including the mother.
- Mothers who commit abortion require justice and the Gospel. Accountability creates the conditions for repentance, not cruelty.
“I call you to establish justice. I call you to do your duty before God. I call you to repent, turn to Christ, establish justice, do what’s right before God. There’s a day of judgment in history ahead of us.”
Practical Steps for Christians
Pastor Durban encourages believers to:
- Stop funding pro-life organizations that oppose equal protection
- Support abolitionist organizations advancing equal-protection legislation
- Contact state legislators to demand laws that protect unborn children equally
- Equip churches to speak prophetically about abortion, sin, justice, and the Gospel
“Abortion is murder at any age and any stage. Only the Gospel will change our culture, yes—but it’s justice that restrains the hand set on shedding innocent blood. That’s what we have to fight for, and that’s what we have to demand.”
A Call to Action for 2024 and Beyond
“Next year 2024 is going to be our most important and busiest year yet. I want to ask you as a brother, as a friend, as a ministry partner, to partner with us… help us accomplish all that God has given us to establish justice for these fatherless children… end child sacrifice.”
With prospective equal-protection bills in 18 states, the next legislative session is critical. Christians are called to pray, give, and act—not wait for elections, ballot measures, or political compromise.
Conclusion: The Time for Half-Measures Has Passed
The transcript is clear: the pro-life establishment, despite its rhetoric, has failed to pursue true abolition. By protecting mothers who abort, they ensure that abortion continues. For Christians committed to the sanctity of life, the solution is clear:
- Abolish abortion completely and equally
- Ensure legal protection for all human life
- Offer justice and the Gospel to mothers
“Abortion is murder. The unborn child bears God’s image. God demands justice. The Gospel demands truth. And the Church must demand equal protection.”
Pastor Durban’s testimony is a call to courage, conviction, and action. The time for incremental regulation has passed. The time for true abolition, fully consistent with Scripture, has come.
