Abortion: Is it a Gospel Issue? – April 29,
2020
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Yesterday was the 52nd anniversary of the Abortion Act
coming into effect in Great Britain (27 April 1968). Many of us have been moved
in recent months by Heidi Crowter, a young woman with Down’s Syndrome who has
initiated a case against the UK government because abortion law discriminates
against babies with disabilities. It has been a rare moment when our media have
allowed us a tiny glimpse of the meaning of a procedure that is tragically
common. But it is only a tiny glimpse, and only a part of the meaning of
abortion in the UK. Since the Abortion Act came into effect, almost 9 ½ million unborn babies have been killed.
That is one child dead every three minutes for 52 years.1 But
it is not just children; the mothers damaged by abortions, physically,
emotionally, mentally, spiritually are another of the abortion industry’s
guilty secrets.
In
contrast with the situation in the United States and perhaps in part in
reaction to the way American Christians have addressed the issue, evangelicals
in the UK have remained largely silent on the issue of abortion.2 It
was therefore encouraging last week to attend an online event organised by
Brephos: “Abortion: Is It a Gospel Issue?”3
The
event began with Glen Scrivener interviewing Vaughan Roberts about a new book
on abortion, co-authored with Dr Lizzie Ling.4 This
arrived on my desk today and looks like an excellent short resource (I’ll post
a short review soon). Vaughan and Glen helpfully explored ways in which
ministers can speak about abortion and connect it to the gospel by speaking of
the uniqueness and value of humans as God’s image-bearers. Vaughan also spoke
helpfully about why we might be nervous of “going there,” but how his
congregation, and not least women in his congregation, have found it helpful
when he has. In short: given the statistics, there will undoubtedly be women in
our congregations who have had abortions, and others who would consider it.
Addressing the subject with courage and compassion is therefore a pastoral
necessity.
This
was beautifully illustrated by a fabulous testimony from Laura Mann. Laura
spoke movingly of feeling pressured into having an abortion at the age of 19,
and of the terrible trauma she experienced for years afterwards: nightmares,
night tremors, shame, overwhelming guilt, secrecy. She spoke passionately about
the need to help women (and men!) understand abortion, and understand why it is
wrong and damaging. She also observed how the church’s silence does nothing to
help those trying to come to terms with having had an abortion. In her words:
“If we keep quiet, we won’t help people deal with stuff. What will happen is we
will have broken people playing at church.” We have begun to realise this in
pastoring people with same-sex sexual desires. But it is true in every area of
life. When we shy away from loving people with God’s truth, the pastoral
consequences for individuals and churches are disastrous.
Finally,
Dean Gavaris from New Jersey spoke about the gospel-centred pregnancy advice
service he leads. Dean’s zeal for the gospel and love for women and unborn
children was evident, and it was encouraging to be reminded that zeal for
evangelism and zeal for human life do not conflict with one another, and that
abortion is a gospel issue not primarily a political one.
However,
through no fault of his own, this was probably where the cultural differences
between British and American evangelicals became most apparent. Much more needs
to be said, theologically, ethically and pastorally about abortion than it was
possible to cover in a few hours online. And if we are to speak into our own
social, political and ecclesial contexts on this side of the Pond, much of that
work will need to be done by us. If the British Church will not speak up in
protection of the unborn, who will? If we will not speak to warn and protect
men and women and teenagers who might otherwise offend God and harm themselves
in providing and seeking abortions, who will? If we will not minister the
gospel directly and winsomely to those who have already had abortions, who will?
And
if we will not speak now, what will we say of the next 9 ½ million children to
die?
[1] This is, of course, an
average figure. In reality, as the www.righttolife.org.uk article linked
above notes, in 1969 there were 54,819 abortions. Since then “there has been a
270% increase in the total number of pregnancies ending in abortion in England
and Wales.” In fact, “Almost 1 in 4 (24%) pregnancies in England and Wales now
ends in abortion.”
[2]
John Stott, Issues Facing Christians
Today (Leicester: IVP, 1st pub.1984)
is a notable exception, as is the excellent work of brephos.
[3]
A recording of the event is available here.
[4]
Lizzie Ling and Vaughan Roberts, Abortion (London:
The Good Book Company, 2020).
