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Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center is a faith-based organization, meaning that our Christian faith informs everything we do to serve the community. As Christians, we desire to not only offer services to women and men, but also to mobilize the Church to do what God has called it to do in the Bible.
By “Church” I mean those people who put their hope and trust in the God of the Bible. Not buildings or programs, but the people who have been adopted into God’s family by putting their faith in Jesus (his perfect life, death, and resurrection) and now seek to love and follow Him with their lives.
Because the issue of abortion is so divisive and politically charged, many may feel uncertain as to the role the Church should play regarding abortion. What is the true biblical response?
Research indicates that 65% of women who have had an abortion believe that churches judge single women who are pregnant, and almost the same percentage think church members are more likely to gossip about a woman considering abortion than they are to help her understand her options.1 These numbers suggest that the Church is perceived to respond negatively not only to abortion itself, but to the women wrestling with the very real crisis of an unplanned pregnancy. So there’s a much needed conversation that should happen here!
While the term “abortion” is never mentioned in the Bible, it is very clear on this issue. I’d like to take a few blog posts to pinpoint some of the practical ways Christians can respond to abortion in our American culture and in our community. This week we’ll look at three:
Speak
Again and again the Bible addresses the responsibility of believers to speak up for the weak, for those who cannot defend themselves. Proverbs 31:8-9 says:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 24:11-12 echoes the same concept:
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”
We can easily identify unborn people as the voiceless, but this can also apply to the women faced with the decision of abortion. Oftentimes, they may feel cornered into a decision, as if their opinions and desires don’t really matter when compared with the preferences of the father of the baby or close family members.
An important thing to pick up on in these verses is that not only should Christians stand up for others, but Christians will also have to answer one day for what they have and have not done. James 4:17 says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Silence on this issue is never really silence at all. In fact, sometimes our silence—our refusal to speak up, stand up, or show up—is more deafening and telling than we could ever know.
The above scripture references are only the beginning. One need only to look at the life of Jesus and his personal ministry to see that he placed great importance on caring for those in need and loving others as we would ourselves.
The temptation for Christians can be to remain quiet on such an issue in order to avoid being labeled as confrontational, intolerant, or bigoted. Believers desire to be known for what they are for rather than what they are against.
Yes, we want others to know what we as Christians are for — this is biblical. However, problems arise when we avoid being vocal about the things that grieve the heart of God. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (emphasis mine).
Rather than only avoiding “works of darkness” (in this case, abortion), which is something we should do, we must also expose or shine light on the same works of darkness. Which leads me to our second response.
Engage
One of the most practical things a Christian can do on this issue is to reach out to young women in unplanned pregnancies. Chances are you won’t have to search for long. You probably have women and men within your own church in this situation. Rather than ignore or discuss how their situation is “such a shame,” engage these women and men. Invite them into your home. Be a mentor. Go out for coffee. Offer insight and wisdom. If you need help getting started with this, check out our mentorship program, the Titus 2 Initiative. We can help you connect with young women in a way that reflects the biblical model laid out in Titus 2:3-5.
Research states that 52% of churchgoers who have had an abortion have no one at church who knows that they’ve had one.2 This means that there are probably women (and men) within your very own church who may be silently suffering the aftermath of an abortion experience.
Abortion always pushes a false message. It promises to wipe away the consequences of an unwise decision, but it always ends up making it worse, instead. What better way to proactively stand against the lies that abortion perpetuates than by connecting with and caring for women and men who are faced with that decision or have already made it?
Educate
To be completely honest, lack of knowledge on the issue of abortion used to paralyze me into silence. I felt strongly about it, but wasn’t quite sure how to verbalize those feelings. So I said nothing. I thought that being silent was better than talking about something I really didn’t know much about.
Looking back, I realize what an invalid excuse this was, especially considering how easily information can be accessed in our world today. Now I am much more confident to discuss this issue, not because I know everything there is to know on the topic (far from it), but because I’ve read and studied and armed myself with foundational information.
So if you don’t know much about this topic, make it your aim to find out more. No one magically becomes well-versed in any subject. It takes focus and research and learning and time. A good place to start is our website, which talks in detail about the different kinds of abortion.
Our Goal
Our goal at Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center is to be a conduit for the Church to serve the community and make disciples. If you want to be more involved in advocating for life and standing against abortion, then the above ideas are good places to start. As always, give us a call if you’d like to talk more—we’d love to partner with you in serving women and men at all stages of life throughout our community.
Mary Holloman is the Communications Assistant at GPCC. When she’s not at the Care Center she’s probably chasing her 18 month old, spending time with her handsome hubby, or serving at Lawndale Baptist Church. You can follow her on her personal blog at www.AllMySpringsBlog.com.
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