Woe to Those Who Decree Unrighteous Decrees: A Call for Repentance in Connecticut

On October 11, 2024, I stood in front of the Connecticut Legislative Office Building in Hartford to deliver a message rooted in the eternal truth of God’s Word. As the Director of the Connecticut Foundation to Abolish Abortion, I came with a burden—a burden to speak for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, who are daily denied justice and stripped of life under iniquitous laws. Today, my message is centered on Isaiah 10:1-2:

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless.

This passage could not be more applicable to our day. Connecticut’s legislature, governor, and Supreme Court have legalized the greatest atrocity of our time: the murder of innocent babies in the womb. These laws are nothing short of “unrighteous decrees,” and they bring a grievous judgment upon our state.

The Historical Parallels: Slavery and Abortion

We’ve seen this kind of injustice before. There was a time in Connecticut when slavery was legal—a wicked practice upheld by the legislature, the governor, and the courts of that era. The Bible clearly condemns slavery as a violation of God’s law (Exodus 21:16), yet the state’s leaders decreed laws that allowed one human being to own another. It took the courage of abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison to confront these iniquitous decrees and demand the eradication of slavery.

Today, we face a similar evil. Just as slavery dehumanized African Americans, abortion dehumanizes unborn children. Science and Scripture affirm that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5). Yet, Connecticut’s laws permit the wholesale slaughter of these innocent lives.

The Failures of Our Leaders

The state’s leaders bear a heavy burden of guilt. Senator Lisa Seminara and Paul Honig, who is running against her, represent two different forms of complicity. Honig openly supports abortion, both personally and legislatively, making him consistently evil in his stance. Seminara, on the other hand, claims to oppose abortion personally but refuses to act against it legislatively, catering instead to perceived public opinion. This hypocrisy—saying one thing and doing another—is perhaps even more grievous than Honig’s outright support of child sacrifice.

Both these leaders, and many like them, fail to recognize the transcendent authority of God’s law, which declares, “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). They also violate the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law. How can we claim to uphold justice while denying the most basic rights to the unborn?

The Hypocrisy of the Pro-Life Movement

The pro-life movement has failed as well. While claiming to oppose abortion, it frequently compromises by supporting incremental laws that regulate abortion rather than abolish it. These compromises allow the continued slaughter of children under certain conditions. In every state where abolition bills have been proposed, it has been pro-life organizations—not pro-choice groups—that have blocked them.

As abolitionists, we reject these compromises. We stand on the Word of God and demand equal justice and equal protection for all human beings, from the moment of conception. We will not make deals with the devil that allow for the murder of some children in exchange for saving others. Such compromises are abhorrent to a holy God.

A Call to Repentance

The blood of every child murdered in Connecticut stains the hands of our legislators, governors, justices, and even our churches. As Isaiah 1:15 declares:

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood.

This indictment extends to every silent pastor, complacent church, and indifferent Christian. As Francis Schaeffer once said, “Every abortion clinic should have a sign in front of it that says, ‘Open by permission of the church.’” The church’s failure to speak boldly against this evil makes it complicit in the slaughter.

But there is hope. God’s Word offers forgiveness to all who repent. Isaiah 1:18 proclaims:

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Conclusion

Connecticut is under the judgment of God for its complicity in child sacrifice. But there is still time to repent. I call on our leaders, our churches, and every citizen to turn from their sin, to uphold God’s law, and to fight for equal justice and equal protection for the unborn. As Proverbs 31:8-9 commands:

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The time to act is now. Let us rise as a state and as a people to defend the defenseless, to repent of our complicity, and to honor the Lord by abolishing abortion once and for all. Amen.

Norman Harold Patterson Jr

You can view the original video here.