Abortion is arguably one of the most heated debates in America right now. With the Supreme Court having overturned Roe v. Wade, tensions are undoubtedly rising. We now have a unique opportunity to sharing the truth of life with love and respect to those for abortion. Consider Ephesians 4:15:
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Rather than leading with frustration, the key in sharing pro-life views is to prepare for the inevitable conversations surrounding the pros and cons of abortion. Studies suggest that 60% of information presented to someone is forgotten – so truth and compassion must shine through memorably when discussing such a sensitive topic. We want to leave all conversations as followers of Christ having made the other person feel loved, valued and heard. And this especially applies to abortion, because it’s so personal for many people.
Abortion proponents typically believe a fetus is not a human; therefore, it isn’t murder. Because of that, losing abortion rights recognizably creates fear about the loss of women’s equality – something this country has fought so hard to preserve. But, specific, healthy conversations can reframe points of view entirely. Here are a few abortion pros and cons and how we can approach each one as followers of Christ and advocates for life.
Pro #1: "Pro-Life Just Means Pro-Birth"
Often, the debates on abortion tend to center solely around birth. And while every child certainly deserves to live outside of the womb – that’s not all the pro-life movement is about. Instead, being pro-life encompasses many amazing ministries and support systems for women, babies and families. This includes things like:
- Parenting education
- Housing
- Mentoring
- Special needs
- Prison ministry
- Elder care
- Foster care
- Adoption
- Baby supplies
- Post-abortive care (physical and emotional abortion complications effect one-third of women)
- Equality and race (the history of abortion is steeped with dark issues, including eugenics)
Additionally, if the tax dollars (1.5 billion) given to abortion are instead redirected to post-birth resources, it would significantly relieve the burden of parenting or adoption. The pro-life movement could take those already-allocated government resources and fill the desire for abortion with love and support for families, whether Roe is overturned or not. Women shouldn’t have to fear a world without abortion.
Pro #2: "Abortion Solves Overpopulation"
The idea that overpopulation is solved by abortion has a few flaws. For one, the U.S. has enough capacity to feed twice the amount of people it currently does. Additionally, if foreign countries tweak agricultural processes, they won’t need the food exports that the U.S. provides. So food will certainly not be scarce if abortions cease to exist.
Another challenge to the overpopulation argument is that lower birth rates naturally lead to higher economic consumption and output. This means that even if abortions continue or even increase, carbon emissions will remain consistent. In fact, studies show that couples with no children can produce even more harmful emissions, so children can actually be thought to benefit the issue at hand rather than exaggerate it.
But even considering the points above, let’s assume a higher birth rate negatively impacts overpopulation. Would we take the lives of those outside of the womb to improve life for the rest of us? I’d sure hope not. And since the pro-life movement believes a child is alive before birth, there is no difference when comparing the two.
Plus, with all the environmental, physical and emotional toll on our current culture – why wouldn’t we want even more fresh minds coming together to help solve those issues? The gift of life is not obstructive, as some may say. It can instead be a breath of fresh air for our hurting world if we allow it.
Pro #3: "Banning Abortion Only Reduces the Number of Safe Abortions"
We’ve all seen protestors with a symbolic hanger, indicating a time before Roe v. Wade when abortions were self-performed. Understandably, the concept of reverting back to that method strikes fear in many women. But the statement, “banning abortion doesn’t reduce abortions, just illegal ones,” is not entirely true. In a study that reviewed women who were denied abortions because of gestational age limits, two-thirds carried their pregnancy to term. Similar focus groups in other countries reveal nearly the same results.
In addition, the year abortion was legalized in the U.S. (1973), more women died from legal abortions than illegal abortions: 19 died from a back-alley abortion, and 25 died from a “safe” abortion.
Regardless, though most women will carry their child to term rather than attempting to illegally abort, the goal is to eliminate the need for it entirely. Women shouldn’t have to dread motherhood or adoption, and they certainly shouldn’t risk their lives to avoid it. As mentioned in above – we must support women and families beyond birth and cultivate a positive and supportive experience to protect women and preborn children.
Pro #4: "Abortion is Contraception"
Some advocate that the difference between birth control and abortion is minimal, or even non-existent. About half of the women receiving abortions have undergone one or more abortions previously, which can also indicate the cultural reliance on it as contraception. But the reason abortion and birth control are not the same is simple: life is defined as constant growth. Egg and sperm will remain dormant forever if they do not meet. However, the process after fertilization leads to life outside the womb when uninterrupted. One is a life, one isn’t.
Since growth begins at fertilization and ends at death, why would life in the womb be any different than another stage of life (i.e., toddler vs. teenager vs. adult)? Because dependency varies between life stages, it doesn’t mean value should. Therefore, personhood status should begin at fertilization rather than a blurred line somewhere between viability and birth. This would entirely invalidate the concept that abortion is another form of contraception.
Pro #5: "My Body, My Choice"
Perhaps the most common case for abortion is that it’s “my body, my choice.” At first glance, it’s not too hard to fathom why someone would support such a statement. After all, women’s rights are objectively crucial to our society, and women should have bodily autonomy. But what the pro-life movement believes isn’t about taking away those rights. Instead, it’s about drawing a line when it takes another’s rights. Take, for example, when a pregnant mother is killed. It’s considered in some places to be a double homicide because of the second life to account for. A similar parallel can be made with abortion.
We champion equality for all, regardless of their stage in life, dependency, gender, race or needs. It’s about indiscriminate value for every single human life. And just as any other human rights movement, advocates must speak up for the victims of prejudice. Since preborn children cannot defend their rights, pro-lifers are dedicated to magnifying the injustice of abortion for preborn children and the families it wreaks havoc on.
Each life is granted inherent value by the God who delicately crafted them in their mother’s womb. Christ was the ultimate advocate, always standing up for the vulnerable or those seen as “less than.” Abortion is no exception – it breaks His heart because it breaks ours. We have a unique chance in a freshly post-Roe world to dive into the pros and cons of abortion and educate others. We can shine light into a broken world, showing people that there is hope. And we can do it together.
