Former NFL player and current author and SEC football analyst Benjamin Watson recently stated that he believes one of the most critical components for success within the pro-life movement is men reclaiming their rightful, God-given roles in society. And that gets a hearty “amen” from me. Men are to be leaders in the home, in our culture, in our churches, and in our government. And not authoritarians either. I’m talking about sacrificial Christ-like leadership. Leaders who live like that can change the world.
“Since the very beginning, manhood has always been under attack,” the 43-year-oldThe New Fight for Life author said in an interview with The Christian Post. “The reason why is because God ordained the role for men to be protectors, providers, priests and prophets in their household. In order to create disorder, you attack families. This is nothing new to the United States. This has been going on for a very long time.”
The former professional athlete then placed emphasis on the fact that responsibility for men begins well before they have kids of their own, going all the to supporting the mothers of their children, creating safe environments, and showcasing sacrificial love.
“If you don’t use your voice to protect women and children, there are other men and other people who will step in and do that to the other side and will look to snuff out that life,” he stated during the conversation. “Men have to understand who they are, they have to have the courage to speak out, and also realize that when men speak out … other people see that. It’s amazing how, when one person stands up and lights a fire, others see that and believe that they can do it as well.”
In a cultural landscape that often sidelines male voices on issues like abortion, Watson said he sees an urgent need for men to step up with conviction, courage and compassion. This calling has shaped his own life — from his career as an NFL player to his work as a public advocate for life, most recently with the Human Coalition, an organization “committed to an audacious mission: to transform our culture of death into a culture of life — to end abortion in America.” Engaging men in the pro-life cause is essential, not just to protect the unborn but also to uplift and support mothers, especially those who face difficult circumstances, Watson said.
“Men have to use their voice. The narrative out there is that this is not a men’s issue. Biologically, it is a men’s issue. By chromosomes, men have a role in this. You can’t have a child without one, so you do have a role in it,” the father-of-seven explained to CP.
"*" indicates required fields
“Men are only told to stay out [of this issue] when they have the view that life should be protected and supported,” he continued to elaborate. “They’re not told to stay out when they have the view that abortion should be on demand, for whatever reason, at any stage of development. It’s not that [they] don’t want men involved, [they] just don’t want certain men involved.
“We need men. Abortion and so many other social ills will not end or not be curtailed until men make it so. And that’s not to say that women don’t have incredible power. You do, but it goes the way that men allow it to go. The reason why we’re at this point when it comes to abortion is because men have allowed it to be so.”
Watson, who is the son of a minister, stated that his deeply held belief in the dignity of human life started in his household as a child, which celebrated the value of life. He then spoke of his parents who modeled for him what compassion for others looked like, regardless of their background.
“I always understood that God made people in His own image and that we had inherent value and dignity, no matter our ethnic background or our economic status or our stage of development,” Watson stated. “That was something that was talked about at home, not necessarily from a political pro-life lens, but […] upholding the dignity of all life. […] I truly believe that people have dignity and that God cares, and that as believers, it’s our job to take care of primarily the most vulnerable people. We see that throughout Scripture.”
Watson has taken what he has learned from God in His Word and applied to it to life by funding — alongside his wife — ultrasound machines for pregnancy resource centers in several cities where he played professional football, including Baltimore and New Orleans.
This hands-on involvement quickly garnered attention, eventually leading to Watson’s public role within the pro-life movement, including speaking at the March for Life and joining the Human Coalition’s advisory board.
“A lot of men don’t feel like they have what it takes, perhaps because they’ve made mistakes in the past, perhaps because maybe they didn’t have a great role model as a father. And so, they doubt that they can do the things that they know are necessary,” he said during the interview.