Is being Christian Prolife or Antichoice?

“I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” ― Ronald Reagan

When Covid-19 struck, a protest sign that said “sacrifice the weak” quickly circulated through social media. Everyone was quick to condemn, regardless of beliefs or politics. Why did we not approve of this? Deep down, we know that life is naturally sacred and has inherent value.

Abortion is the name given to any of the procedures that ends the life of an unborn child. The Centers for Disease Control, a government organization, reported 623,471 abortions conducted in 2016. This means that for every four births in 2016, there was a fifth child who did not get to join them. Further, a little over 1 woman in a 100 women between the ages of 15-45 had an abortion.¹² Lastly, these statistics are based on data from states that choose to voluntarily report how many abortions are performed. Some states like California have often withheld this data. This means that the abortion rate is likely much higher than these already high statistics show. As Christians who value life, we are often asked about whether women who have been raped or were in an incestul relationship should be allowed to abort their child. The above statistics show us that the majority (99% and higher) of abortions are simply due to couples not wanting their child. The statistics show that this is a large issue that does include our own neighborhoods. The Guttmacher Institute (A pro-abortion group) extrapolates that 5 percent of U.S. women will have an abortion by age 20; 19 percent will have an abortion by age 30; and 24 percent will have an abortion by age 45.¹³ This means that nearly 1 in 4 women in the United States will have an abortion.

Is abortion murder? The biblical and scientific answer is simply yes. At the moment of conception, you have a new life with its own set of DNA that is different from both its mother and father. This baby is not just simply an extension of the mother, but a new life. Whether the baby in the womb is reaching week three, or in month eight, an abortion is the termination of his or her life. The womb should be a place of love and protection for the growing baby, a mother’s protection. Children need nurturing and protection, both outside and inside the womb. An abortion goes against that. Abortions are not just traumatic for the child, but often are physically and emotionally scarring for the mother too. Why are abortions such an emotional decision?—Because deep down we know this is a choosing to end a life. It is a complete rejection of the safety and love that a mother and father should envelope their child in. Abby Johnson was once a clinic director of a Planned Parenthood, and had even had two abortions of her own. She was a staunch advocate for abortion. She helped lead an organization built on profiting off of abortion. In this organization that she was once a director in, Planned Parenthood, she often helped men and women plan to not be parents. With an organization that gives its directors abortion quotas²⁴, contrary to its name, Planned Parenthood is actively against helping you plan to be a parent. In Abby’s memoir, Unplanned, she tells of the day that all changed. Due to short staffing, she had to step in to help with an ultrasound guided abortion of a 13 week old fetus (unborn child) that fought against being suctioned out of the womb. This encounter would push her to abandon all she had at Planned Parenthood. While she would once harass the pro-life group protesting outside her clinic, she now went to join them and find help.¹⁴ For Abby, she realized abortion wasn’t about what someone could or could not do with their body, but that it was murder.

Pro-life used to be the term to describe those who are against the murdering and taking of life, but media will now label this movement as ani-abortion or in more liberal outlets, as simply anti-choice. Our view of life does not get an inclusive pro-tag, but is almost always considered “anti.” The media that promotes tolerance, does not tolerate the Christian view that all life is sacred and valuable. A Rolling Stones writer recently claimed that being pro-life was being pro-rascist. This is a contradiction Christians cannot make about the world without being called illogical and ignorant, yet it is how the world will attack Christian ideals. We see Christians offering respect in calling the other side “pro-choice” when it is truly the denial of choice for the baby. We have a justification for calling our opponents “anti-life.” Yet, Christians will not receive such respect in return.

Atheistic humanism claims to value life, but it has no objective way to do so. A result of this is that these views do push for the ability to terminate life. They live in a contradiction. As Christians we are pro-life and recognize the life in danger. We are the ones who seek to give this new life choice and value. The Christian stance on this issue is that the baby inherently deserves life. In Psalms, David writes of God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.” As Christians we see each pregnancy as new life being knit together by the hands of God. We see that new life, male and female, as beautiful and of value and undeniable worth. Understanding abortion as murder is not standing against women’s rights. Since we are all male or female, half of the abortions that happen are going to be the murder of women. Christians are for the rights of both the mother and the unborn.

The emotional argument given for abortion is that women who have been raped are the ones who need the abortion. As the numbers earlier have shown, that is not the reason abortions are sought. The pro-abortion group Guttmacher reported that 98% of women who had an abortion said, “abortion is a better choice for me at this time than having a baby.” This is an emotional argument like we saw in chapter with the nazi, only we are now dealing with babies instead of jews. Rape is the reason given for why we need abortion, but it is not the statistical reason that it happens. Rape, while horrific, is not a valid reason for abortion anyway. If someone has to die for the rape, it should not be the child. Abortionists will often believe capital punishment is wrong, but abortion is okay. This is a morbid justice. In cases of rape, we should see that justice is served and that the rapist pays. We should also see that the baby is not sacrificed in the rapist’s place. As a community we should come to support the women who are in these circumstances, whether that is material support or even being willing to adopt the child. The raped woman in this situation has been incredibly wronged and hurt, her murdering her child is not going to bring her peace though.

The above emotionally charged argument is only a small almost statistically unoticeable reason for abortions. The primary reason people go for abortion is that they do not want the responsibility of parenthood nor do they want to insult their pride by placing their baby in adoption. This is statistically why abortions happen. There are many arguments abortionists may give about how messed up the foster care system is, but this is only an excuse. I have seen Christians trying to save the life of the unborn by telling those parents that they will adopt their child. These parents still often walk in to the clinic to get the abortion. These mothers will say that they could not live with themselves if they placed their baby in adoption, but will continue on into the abotion clinic. These parental concerns are not based on the child’s wellbeing or the hurt of rape, it is based on pride and a rejection of responsibility. These parents do not want to make sacrifices for their child by that child affecting their future, so they give up the responsibility of childhood altogether. They reject adoption because of a perceived view of shame it may bring upon them. They do not want to live with the knowledge that another took on their responsibility, nor have others knowing they placed their child up for adoption. Statistically this is the case of every abortion. Simply not wanting to be responsible is not an acceptable reason for abortion. While accepting responsibility to raise your child is almost always the best outcome, adoption is an acceptable and good route too. The reasons above on why someone may be against adoption, are weak and prideful ones.

One of the other ways that people try to justify abortion is by claiming that a fetus (latin for child) is not a child. Our conscience argues against this notion. I have a cousin who recently became a mother. For nine months all I would see or hear from her, was over her baby. She was ecstatic, constantly sharing plans, photos of her unborn baby, and so on. Imagine that while she was holding one of her sonograms, I told her she did not have a baby yet, and it was just a fetus. She would be hurt. There is no way that she would by that argument. Likewise, we shouldn’t buy into that argument either.

As Christians we know that all life is valuable, even animal life. We believe in the sanctity of life. We see the abortion movement as an anti-life movement. Parents say it is better that this child not live. Society says it is better that they not carry the burden of this child in taxes. They may say it is for the child’s own good. Hitler said what he did was merciful too. He thought it was a good thing to remove those who were a burden on society like the mentally ill. Today we see Hitler’s action as horrific, but abortion is equally as terrible. When we look at the horrific treatment of slaves, the people of the time would have replied, “It’s not a big deal, they are just black.” This is what we are doing to babies. The Christian response cannot be, “What’s the big deal, they are just fetuses.”

“Possibly the most dangerous place in the world to be right now, is in the womb.” - Jimmy Inman