Tennessee enacts one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation this week.

Tomorrow Tennessee is enacting one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation.

Under the new Human Life Protection Act, providers that perform an abortion opens themselves up to being charged with a class C felony. No matter the circumstances. A Class C felony is punishable with 3-15 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $10,000.

However if the provider is charged, they have an opportunity to prove that the procedure was necessary to save the mother’s life or to prevent irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. This is what is referred to as the affirmative defense.

In statement from Shannon Hardaway, a founding member of the Chattanooga Health Advocacy Team (CHAT), she said she believes most people don’t understand how encompassing the new laws are, regardless of rape, age, or incest. Hardaway said these new laws could be at the cost of Tennesseans’ lives.

“Chattanooga is classified as an abortion desert, it has been since 1993. What I think a lot of people don’t understand is how all encompassing this law is. No matter is it’s rape, incest, there’s not even an exception for the life of the parent written in the law. What does this mean for Tennesseans? Possibly their lives,” Hardaway said.

Suzanne Burns is Executive Director of the Pro-life non profit the foundation house in Cleveland, Tennessee. She said now is an opportunity for pro-life advocates to step up and be a helping hand.

“I think this is a prime opportunity for the church to show up as the church to show up in love and in assistance. There are real practical challenges to having a child out of wedlock and being in a single parent household there are practical challenges,” said Burns. “So many in the church for years and years have said ‘Oh, if only Roe v Wade were overturned, we would be doing all of these things and so many more children would would be born. Well, now we get to live in that truth. So now, how are you involving yourself in the lives of these women and their children? How are you pouring in? How are you advocating for the single moms around you? How are you helping your neighbor with with just simple childcare, so she can run to the grocery store without three kids asking for everything on the shelves? How are you helping? How are you being the the hands and feet of Jesus in practical ways?”

Burns said she is expecting an influx of calls in the coming weeks.

“As a ministry that serves mothers in crisis, I very much expect to see an increase in calls. We have consistently gotten more and more calls, year after year, especially since the pandemic, because of the increase in substance abuse, the increase in depression and hopelessness and in attempted suicides. The mental health challenges are rampant right now, in addition to substance usage,” said Burns. “So, I think that our challenges are going to be to continue to love these women well, and care for them to a place of stability, while they choose life for their children.”

Burns suggests those who want to make a difference and get involved in their own community go to foundationhouseministries.org and download the book, The Accidental Social Worker, it’s a free download on traumainformedchurch.com. Burns is the author and said it is aimed to help walk through how poverty mindset and addiction and trauma affect the lives of the people that can be served, and how to work with them in practical ways.

The Chattanooga Health Advocacy Team will be hosting a rally in Miller Park Thursday evening from 6 – 8 p.m.