Can a Christian be pro-choice?

Yesterday I was a part of a panel that answered questions for a youth group. It was a great experience, one which I wish more youth groups would do. The questions asked by the students were tough and raw, but they were topics that need to be discussed.

One question was, "Can a Christian be pro-choice and advocate for abortion?"

As I prayed through this question in preparation, I felt this question is one that needs to be discussed on a larger scale. I'm sure some people will disagree with my answer, and some may even be offended, but God's Word is clear on this topic even though the world has "muddied the waters." It can be difficult to speak the truth about topics like this one but I feel its extremely important for us to talk about.

So, can a Christian be pro-choice and advocate for abortion?

In short, no. Here's why...

There is a difference between someone knowing about God and truly knowing Him. Many people call themselves Christians, go to church, and even serve in the nursery or on a committee, but don’t have a real relationship with God.

The word “Christian” in Greek is Christianos, which means “Little Christ.”

If we are not simply calling ourselves Christians, but actually walking in right relationship with Christ, reading His word, worshipping Him, praying, seeking Him daily, etc, we will slowly become more and more like Christ which means will start to view things through a Biblical lens.

The Bible is very clear that life is precious to God, from the womb to the tomb.

Jeremiah 1:4-5 says “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Psalm 139:13-16 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

So, the question shouldn't be can someone be a Christian and be pro-choice or advocate for abortion.

The questions should be, "Is Jesus pro-choice? Would Jesus advocate for abortion?"

God is 100% pro-life because He created humans in His image.

Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.'” 

When God says, “Our Image” He is referring to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So, Jesus is just as pro-life as God because humans were made in His image also. 

Jesus would never advocate for something that would destroy those precious lives.

He would also never advocate for something that harms women so deeply. He loves His daughters too much for that. He knows abortion is damaging to men as well, and He loves His sons too much to desire that for them either.

If, as Christians, we are “little Christs” then our beliefs and what we advocate for should reflect Christ.

If we are in a relationship with Jesus, drawing near to Him, and becoming more and more like Him, then we will value all life as He does.

We will also be unable to advocate for something that destroys the lives of babies and women because we will realize that abortion breaks the heart of the Father and should break ours as well.

Proverbs 6:17 tells us that God hates the shedding of innocent blood. If there was ever anyone that is innocent, it’s a preborn baby, which would mean that God hates abortion. Even in crisis situations, when someone is raped, when there is a medical condition, or when it’s just not the ideal situation, God hates the shedding of innocent blood. The things that God hates; we should also hate.

There are many people who call themselves Christians but are staunchly pro-choice, advocating for the right to abort a baby. There are also many that are just not educated on the topic and believe what the media says or are pro-choice because they think everyone should be able to choose for themselves. The problem with that justification is that God holds all of us accountable for the choices of our nation. 

Just as noted in Leviticus 20, not only will God set His face against those who abort their children, He will also turn His face against those who sit back and do nothing about it. Abortion being freely available and legal in our country makes it an issue between the entire nation and God.

Thankfully, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross paid for the sin of abortion and for the sin of closing our eyes to the tragedy happening all around us. Because of His great love for us, we can repent, turn from our ways, and be forgiven. For those of us who have been affected by the shame and pain of abortion, there is healing available. God desires for all of His children to walk in freedom!

The issue of abortion is complex, but for true Christians, who walk daily with Christ and desire to see the world the way He does, abortion is not a topic to be wishy-washy about. It's also not a topic to support or advocate for. 

Bottom Line: If we are truly "Little Christs," according to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we have the mind of Christ, which means we will hate abortion, not advocate for it. We will also be unable to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of abortion because we will realize how valuable all life is and want to help save women and babies from the devastating effects of abortion.