Psalm 100:3: “…it is [God] who made us, and we are his…”

Our Position

All life must be protected, regardless of age

God fashions each human life in his own image (Genesis 1:26). This bearing of God’s image bestows value and significance on each person; value is not based on a person’s size, location, sentience, intelligence, or independence.

The bearing of God’s image also carries communal responsibility – responsibility to care for others and to care particularly for vulnerable people. Preborn children, whether at conception or at full term of a pregnancy, bear God’s image. At bare minimum, a baby’s life must be protected.

We support public policy efforts to protect any and every preborn child

Minnesota Family Council supports legislative efforts to protect any and every preborn baby from murder. Current Minnesota statute, the so-called “Protect Reproductive Options Act”, passed in 2023, grants a fundamental right to abort a baby up to the moment of a baby’s birth in the state of Minnesota.

On begetting babies rather than making babies

Minnesota Family Council affirms the dignity and value of every human life, regardless of conception status. We hold that children are begotten, not made. A unique life begins when an egg and sperm fertilize to form a zygote, and each zygote is a distinct human. Each human is a subject of rights, not the least of which is the right to life.

Process of Abortion

Abortion is the process of ending the life of a preborn child. Various forms of abortion have existed throughout human history. Today in the United States, there are four primary abortion methods provided by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, various clinics, and nonprofits. The primary methods fall under the umbrella terms of chemical abortion and surgical abortion.

Chemical abortion

Various forms of pharmaceutical abortifacients have existed throughout time. In the 21^st century in the United States, the FDA approves of a two-step chemical abortion process up to a baby’s tenth week, with increasing failure rate the later part of that window. Chemical abortion is also prescribed off label for weeks after the recommended window. Chemical abortion is self-induced and administered:

1.  In the first step, the pregnant mother takes mifepristone by pill called RU-486. During a healthy pregnancy, the hormone progesterone lines the pregnant mother’s uterus to prepare it for embryo implantation, and progesterone also supports the mother’s placenta, which regulates nourishment and blood to the developing baby. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone from reaching the uterus, depriving the baby of nourishment and blood flow from the mother.

2. One to two days after taking mifepristone, a woman takes misoprostol, also called Cytotec. Misoprostol induces delivery of the dead baby and often comes with significant cramping and bleeding, which can last for an extended time. Planned Parenthood often advises women to “flush, don’t look” at the remains of their child, whose bodies are sometimes fully preserved in the pregnancy sac.

Note that a pregnant woman can seek prescription of chemical abortion through telehealth. Women who seek this path can get drugs without an ultrasound which helps determine whether the child has passed the FDA-recommended limit of ten weeks and can determine if the pregnancy is ectopic and not viable. If a woman does not receive an ultrasound and self-administers chemical abortion, she can face severe medical risk or fatality if the pregnancy is ectopic.

Watch this helpful video from Live Action for more detail.

Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, reports that “medication abortion” (chemical abortion) accounted for 63% of all abortions in the formal US health care system in 2023.

Another form of pharmaceutical abortion:

“Morning-after pill”, Plan B

If a woman is concerned that she has become pregnant after intercourse not blocked by hormonal birth control, a condom, or other pregnancy barrier, she might take Plan B, Levonorgestrel. Plan B has multiple functionalities, including preventing ovulation, preventing sperm and egg from fertilization, and preventing an embryo (fertilized egg, a nascent human life,) from implantation or attaching to the womb. In the case of taking Plan B in the early stages of pregnancy, a woman will expel the early life from her body.

Surgical abortion

Surgical abortion involves removing a baby from a pregnant mother’s womb for the purpose of killing the baby. Surgical abortion takes different forms depending upon the age of the baby:

1.  For a baby in the first trimester (up to 14 weeks pregnancy,) a dilation and curettage (D&C) abortion will be performed if the mother has not sought a chemical abortion. In a D&C abortion, the cervix is dilated before a tube is inserted to suction out the baby. There is risk of not suctioning out all the parts of the baby or placenta, which could lead to infection for the woman. The curette tool scrapes out remaining tissue, risking injury to the uterus or cervix. Watch this helpful video explanation.

*Note that the D&C procedure can also be used for miscarriage, sometimes called “spontaneous abortion” in state law language. If a baby has passed away in the mother’s womb, a D&C may be conducted to ensure that no remaining tissue of the baby’s body remains in the mother’s womb, protecting her against infection.

2. The second trimester abortion process occurs between 14 and 22 weeks, called dilation and evacuation (D&E). During this process, the cervix is dilated for one to two days before the abortion occurs, as the baby has grown significantly. A baby at 20 weeks is about 7 inches in length. A tube is inserted into the cervix to suction out the amniotic fluid before a clamp tool breaks apart and pulls out the limbs and parts of the baby’s body. A curette scrapes out any remaining pieces of the baby’s body and placenta. This process comes with significant risks of laceration, infection, and risks to future pregnancies for the mother. Watch this helpful video explanation.

3.  A third trimester abortion occurs during 22 weeks to term, 39 weeks. It is notable that babies can survive outside their mother’s womb (are viable) before 24 weeks pregnancy. If there are concerns about the life or health of the mother or baby at this stage in the pregnancy, an early induction (perhaps including a cesarean section) can result in the early birth of the child, preserving the life of both mother and child. The late-term abortion takes around 2-3 days to complete. A woman takes mifepristone to cut off nutrition, blood supply, and oxygen to the uterus. An abortionist inserts digoxin into the pregnant mother’s abdomen or vagina to induce a fatal heart attack to the baby. After dilation of the cervix, the woman waits a couple days for dilation before taking misoprostol or other medication to induce labor. The deceased baby may not be delivered whole; in that case, the abortionist then finishes the process with a dilation and evacuation (see the second trimester abortion process.) Third trimester abortions come with severe laceration and hemorrhaging risk, along with risks to future pregnancies for the mother. Watch this helpful video explanation.‍

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Current Public Policy Proposals in Discussion Regarding Beginning of Life

·  MFC Opposes: The so-called “Equal Rights Amendment” which would create state constitutional protection for abortion and so-called “gender identity.” It intentionally does not include protections for religious freedom. HF501 (2025)

·  MFC Supports: Restoring the right to life-saving medical care for infants born alive during failed abortions. HF24 (2025)

FAQ

Q: When advocating for protections of life in public policy, will you only support public policy to protect all preborn life, or will you support public policy which protects any preborn life?

A: Minnesota Family Council supports public policy that advances the goal of protecting preborn lives and redirecting state funding from abortion. Current Minnesota statute 145.409, the so-called “Protect Reproductive Options Act”, passed in 2023, grants a fundamental right to abort a baby up to the moment of a baby’s birth in the state of Minnesota, and the 2023 HF2995 removal of the statutory requirement (Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 145.423, subdivision 1) to protect lives of infants born during failed abortion attempts. Minnesota Supreme Court’s 1995 decision Doe v. Gomez requires the state to fund abortions for women seeking abortion on medical assistance.