Melling goes on to opine on the continuing stigma attached to abortion. Melling seems perplexed that after decades of feminist propaganda, people continue to feel an inexplicable moral repugnance towards abortion. Melling thinks that this is a sad state of affairs—given our post-modern enlightenment—and that movies like “Obvious Child” help folks to see that abortion really should not be a big deal at all. In fact, we might do well to laugh about it.

Louise Melling describes the new movie “Obvious Child” as a romantic comedy that tries to make abortion sympathetic and funny (view trailer here). Melling writes:

In it, main character Donna has an abortion after a drunken one-night stand. But unlike most other characters who grapple with this question, Donna doesn’t torture herself. She makes the decision without angst, guilt, or extenuating circumstances. And like millions of American women, Donna follows through, then moves on with her life.

A movie about an experience this common – nearly one in three American women will have an abortion in their lifetime — shouldn’t feel so revolutionary. But it does.

Melling goes on to opine on the continuing stigma attached to abortion. Melling seems perplexed that after decades of feminist propaganda, people continue to feel an inexplicable moral repugnance towards abortion. Melling thinks that this is a sad state of affairs—given our post-modern enlightenment—and that movies like “Obvious Child” help folks to see that abortion really should not be a big deal at all. In fact, we might do well to laugh about it.

Finally, Melling argues that “abortion stigma causes real harm” and “hurts women” seeking abortions. Thus anyone with a moral objection to killing unborn children is doing real psychological damage to women and may even be complicit in denying them proper “healthcare.”

The irony of this piece is the usual one that we get from abortion rights proponents. Melling gives no attention whatsoever to the life-destroying harm perpetrated against human babies in every abortion. She can’t do that and won’t do that as it would undermine the abortion license she seeks to defend. Nevertheless, the issue just won’t go away. And that’s why so many in our wayward country still feel pangs of conscience when it comes to abortion. My hope and prayer is that those consciences will stay intact in spite of propaganda like “Obvious Child.”

Denny Burk is Associate Professor of New Testament and Dean of Boyce College, the undergraduate arm of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminar. He blogs on matters concerning politics, theology and culture. This article is used with his permission.