The Passage of Louisiana's Love Life Amendment
Pastor Brian Gunter preaching outside of Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, Louisiana.
When it comes to the topic of abortion, some pastors do not wish to address the issue out of fear of dividing their congregation. That is not true, however, of Pastor Brian Gunter.
Brian Gunter is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Pollock, Louisiana. His passion is to unite churches across Louisiana in calling for an end to abortion. Gunter serves as the Director of Outreach for Louisiana Right To Life, in which capacity he organizes pro-life marches and events across the state. Gunter also is the Founder and Board President of Cenla Pregnancy Center in Alexandria, Louisiana where they have two free medical clinics in Central Louisiana to help mothers and fathers with various resources from the point of pregnancy up until their child’s second birthday.
In the November 3rd General Election residents of the State of Louisiana voted on a pro-life initiative called the Love Life Amendment. The amendment passed overwhelmingly.
Since Pastor Gunter was involved in advocating for the Love Life Amendment we decided to reach out to him and get his thoughts on what the passage of this amendment means for the State of Louisiana and the fight against abortion.
CRIT-LARGE: Pastor Gunter, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. What is the abortion culture like in the State of Louisiana?
PASTOR GUNTER: There are three abortion clinics in Louisiana, located in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. These clinics legally killed 8,144 babies in 2019. Louisiana is considered to be the most pro-life state in America, and we have some of the strongest state laws against abortion. In particular, the Human Life Protection Act (aka “The Trigger Law”) is a Louisiana law passed in 2006 which states human life begins at the moment of fertilization, and this law includes criminal penalties for any physician who performs an abortion. This law is not currently enforced due to Roe v. Wade, but in the event that Roe is overturned, this law will immediately go into effect and abortion will become illegal throughout Louisiana.
CRIT-LARGE: Louisiana is known by many to have many Pro-Life Democrats. Can you speak on that phenomenon and is there any record of just how many Pro-Life Democrats there are in Louisiana?
PASTOR GUNTER: The majority of Democrats in the Louisiana Legislature have a pro-life voting record. The reality is that most legislative districts in Louisiana will not elect a politician to office unless he or she runs as a pro-life candidate. Our polling shows that 46% of registered Democratic voters consider themselves to be pro-life, whereas only 44% consider themselves to be pro-choice. When polling Louisiana voters across all political parties, 70% consider themselves to be pro-life. Consequently, pro-choice politicians have only been elected in the most liberal districts in Louisiana. It is virtually impossible for a pro-choice candidate to win a statewide office.
CRIT-LARGE: In your own words, what is the Love Life Amendment?
PASTOR GUNTER: The Love Life Amendment ensures that no Louisiana state court will rule that there is a right to abortion or the taxpayer funding of abortion, such as in the US Supreme Court cases of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. The Louisiana Constitution now removes the possibility that a state court could nullify the pro-life laws which have been duly enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
CRIT-LARGE: How did the Love Life Amendment get on the November Ballot?
PASTOR GUNTER: The Love Life Amendment was introduced in the Louisiana Legislature by Senator Katrina Jackson, a pro-life Democrat. As required by the Louisiana Constitution, the Amendment received a 2/3 vote in both the House and the Senate. This super-majority vote demonstrates the overwhelming pro-life stance of lawmakers in Louisiana.
CRIT-LARGE: What is the significance of the Love Life Amendment passing in Louisiana?
PASTOR GUNTER: The 62% majority of voters who passed the Love Life Amendment proved that Louisiana truly is the most pro-life state in America. The Love Life Amendment received the largest number of votes of any statewide ballot measure in Louisiana history, including all candidates for public office. When the voters were simply asked if they want to protect unborn babies from abortion, they answered with a resounding “YES!”
CRIT-LARGE: Now that the Love Life Amendment has passed, what do you believe is the next goal for the Pro-Life movement in Louisiana?
PASTOR GUNTER: The next goal is to overturn Roe v. Wade at the United States Supreme Court. Once this happens, the Human Life Protection Act will immediately go into effect, and all abortion will made illegal throughout Louisiana. The confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett places us closer than ever before to seeing Roe overturned, and we are hopeful that this will happen very soon.
In the meantime, we are building upon our culture of life in Louisiana to prepare for the day when abortion will be a relic of the past. We are starting and strengthening pregnancy centers which help mothers during a crisis pregnancy. We are recruiting foster families throughout the state, and we are setting new records each year for the number of children adopted out of the foster system. Our goal is to welcome every baby in Louisiana into a loving home, so we are preparing for the additional 8,000 babies per year that will need to be cared for once Roe is overturned.
CRIT-LARGE: If anyone says “you only care about children before they are born” they do not know what they are talking about. Thank you for your time Pastor Gunter.
While abortion rights activists are not excited about the passing of the Love Life Amendment, the majority of the voting community has spoken and the Love Life Amendment is now officially a part of the State of Louisiana’s Constitution.
