Why many Republicans now oppose abortion exceptions for rape

Traditionally, Republicans against abortion have supported exceptions for rape and incest. But as Roe v. Wade teeters, a shift is taking shape.

Ryan Bomberger was 13 years old when his adoptive parents first told him he was conceived after his birth mother was raped.

He grew up in a devout evangelical family with 15 children, 10 of whom were adopted by his parents, who were committed to providing a loving home for his diverse array of brothers and sisters. “We all had our different stories, and our parents always shared with us the stories of our birth moms – it was a way to honor our birth moms – since we were toddlers.”

But learning about the horrific experience of his own birth mother left him reeling. “You know, 13 is a crazy time for any child, a tumultuous time of life,” says Mr. Bomberger, who, with his wife Bethany, runs The Radiance Foundation, a faith-based anti-abortion organization in Purcellville, Virginia. “So it was shocking. It was painful. It kind of rewrote the narrative I had of myself in my mind.”

Today, however, the narrative of his life has become a focal point in what has been a dramatic shift in the politics of abortion. In the recent past, Republicans and GOP lawmakers who opposed abortion generally made exceptions for cases of rape and incest. But for a growing number of those who have long battled legalized abortion, Mr. Bomberger’s life highlights what they see as a wrenching truth: innocent, unborn lives have value and purpose, even when they are conceived in violence.