Just as many people today claim pro-life advocates are one-issue voters who only care about pre-born babies at the expense of others, many people in Wilberforce’s time claimed he was a one-issue politician who only cared about slaves at the expense of others. 

Ahead of next month’s American election, Christian pro-life advocates are being criticized for repeating much of the same things Christian abolitionists said about politics in their time.

Actually, more than that: many of the Christians criticizing pro-life advocates are repeating much of the same things pro-slavery advocates said about Christian abolitionists 200 years ago.

In other words, if William Wilberforce was an abolitionist against abortion today, many of the people—including Christians—who celebrate him would criticize or condemn him.

That’s because dead heroes have always been less controversial than living heroes. We like justice advocates better when they’re dead—when they’re not in a position to challenge or offend us.

Many of us have become wary of Christians who actively campaign for a political cause. And that isn’t an illegitimate concern. There are too many examples of Christians who forget they are more than advocates for a cause—they are ambassadors for Christ. Nevertheless, as ambassadors of Christ, we should pursue the repentance of sinners and what William Wilberforce called “the reformation of manners”.

Meaning, we should obey God. We should hate evil, love good, and establish justice. And what’s politics other than the pursuit of justice—or injustice—in society? Wilberforce and the abolitionists understood this. That’s why they became politicians to establish justice for slaves.

Wilberforce said: “God Almighty has set before me two great objects: the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.”

But many professing Christians in his time were severely opposed to his abolitionist campaign, including prominent members of his denomination, the Church of England. In fact, their opposition to Wilberforce was remarkably similar to the kind of opposition pro-life Christians receive from other Christians today.

Read More