COLUMBIA, SC – Palmetto Family Alliance President Steve Pettit made the following remarks regarding H. 4760 when he testified to the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee earlier today:
“The heartbeat of the pro-life movement has always been clear: all human life is sacred from conception. This is not merely a political stance; it is a moral conviction rooted in God’s design, affirmed by our nation’s founders, and upheld by people of faith throughout history.
In the Jewish tradition, there is a principle called pikuach nefesh—the saving of life. The rabbis taught that saving even one life overrides nearly every other commandment, because life itself is the foundation of all other values. Without life, there is no freedom, no justice, no faith, no future.
And today in South Carolina, we face a sobering reality. In 2024, 3,200 abortions were performed in our state. Eighty-four percent of those were chemical abortions. That means thousands of children—tiny lives made in God’s image—were lost primarily through pills sent through the mail or dispensed in clinics. If we do nothing, thousands more will perish.
We must ask: What is the wisest course of action? Some in our movement want the strongest possible bill, even criminalizing the woman who undergoes an abortion. We share their passion for protecting life. We agree that no exceptions should be carved into the sanctity of life from conception. But wisdom requires us to pause and ask: Will such a bill pass? Will it save lives today?
Jewish wisdom gives us the answer. It is better to take the law that actually saves lives now than to cling to a principle that cannot pass and, in the end, saves no one. The Talmud says, “He who saves one life, it is as if he saved an entire world.” By that measure, every child spared from abortion is a world restored.
That’s why we must act where the greatest loss is occurring—on chemical abortions. If 84% of abortions in South Carolina are chemical, then a strong law with harsh penalties against chemical abortion providers is not only just, but also urgent. This bill—H. 4760—will save lives immediately.
At the same time, we must also support a Human Life Protection Act that establishes the principle that life begins at conception. That law sets the moral framework for South Carolina’s future, anchoring us in the truth that every human being deserves protection.
But let me be equally clear: attaching the criminalization of women to legislation like HLPA will not only misdirect justice, but it will also doom the bill entirely. In Scripture, when a woman is harmed, the aggressor is held accountable—not the vulnerable one under pressure or fear. The penalty belongs with the perpetrator, the provider, the trafficker, the seller—not the mother in crisis.
Friends, we must always proclaim the full truth: that all life is sacred, from conception to natural death. That truth is our north star. But even as we proclaim it, we must legislate in ways that are achievable and lifesaving now. This is not compromise—it is wisdom. It is faithfulness. It is the Jewish principle of pikuach nefesh applied to our day.
So I urge you today:
- Pass a bill that protects life from conception.
- Pass strong penalties against chemical abortion providers.
- Do not attach measures that will prevent passage and cost thousands of lives.
If we act with conviction and wisdom, South Carolina can become a witness to the nation—showing that it is possible to honor principle, save lives, and chart a path of compassion and truth.
The rabbis taught, “He who saves one life saves an entire world.” Together, let us save not just one life, but thousands, and let our state be remembered as a place where life was defended with both courage and wisdom.”
