What does the Bible say about abortion?
What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion?
Abortion is the issue that defines Christian politics in modern America.
And it’s complicated in part because it’s an issue that exists at the intersection of a lot of other controversial topics.
Topics like social welfare, personal responsibility, racial justice, criminal justice, Christian nationalism, trust in government, gender roles, women’s rights, sexual ethics, the nuclear family, economic growth, and the environment— just to name a few.
What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion?
That’s why it’s important to explore these topics scripturally before discussing abortion
What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion?
Now that you’ve done that…
It’s time to explore the ways in which these topics shape how Christians across the political spectrum think about abortion. Then we’ll look at various scriptural perspectives on when life begins and the ethics of ending a life before leaving you with some questions for reflection and discussion.
What does the Bible say about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortion?
How Christians across the political spectrum see Jesus’ politics and abortion
“Christianity shouldn’t be political, that’s not what it’s about. We need to be kind to each other like Jesus wanted and stop fighting about divisive issues like abortion.”
Jesus transcends our political concerns. His life and ministry were not political and we shouldn’t try to make them political. People who do that are self-serving and have an agenda.
Jesus’ message was about forgiveness, turning the other cheek, and treating others the way we want to be treated. That means that we need to come together and stop fighting. No issue is more important than our ability to love each other by showing kindness.
Read the scripture again
“Jesus’ message was about justice and compassion for the poor and marginalized. That means we have to stand up for people who want or need to end a pregnancy.”
Jesus ministered to the most vulnerable people around him. Who’s more vulnerable than pregnant survivors of rape or incest, prospective parents who know that their child won’t survive outside the womb, people who can’t afford to have a child, women who don’t want to be forced to have birth, or people who don’t want to be forced into parenthood? Jesus’ ministry calls us to care for people who want or need to end a pregnancy.
Jesus calls us to stand up for what’s right and to be the “salt and the light.” That means that Christians must take a stand on this issue, vote accordingly, and vocally support policies and politicians who protect the right to abortion.
Read the scripture again
“Jesus’ message was about justice and compassion for the poor and marginalized. That means we have to stand up for the unborn.”
Jesus ministered to the most vulnerable people around him. Who’s more vulnerable than an unborn child? Jesus’ ministry calls us to care for the unborn.
Jesus calls us to stand up for what’s right and to be the “salt and the light.” That means that Christians must take a stand on this issue, vote accordingly, and vocally support policies and politicians who oppose abortion.
Read the scripture again
“Jesus’ message was about personal responsibility, the dangers of sin, and the power of faith. That means that people need to resist the temptations of culture, take responsibility for their actions, and only have sex when they want children. Abortion is irresponsible and sinful.”
Jesus demonstrated through his life and ministry that he blesses the faithful. That means that people have a responsibility to behave faithfully by only having sex when they intend to have a child. God provides for the faithful, so people should have faith that any pregnancy is part of God’s plan.
The enemy tempts us with the sins of culture. Modern culture tells people to prioritize themselves instead of sacrificing like Jesus did. Abortion is one of those tempting sins that we’re called to resist.
Read the scripture again
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How Christians across the political spectrum see government, power, and abortion
“I don’t trust the government to make decisions about my healthcare. Abortion is a decision between me and my doctor. Christian nationalists should stop trying to force their views on everyone else. ”
The Bible is not pro-government and Christians should not be looking to give the government more power over people’s personal choices and bodies.
Jesus did not want Christians to try to control people’s decisions by taking over the government. People who want to outlaw abortion support Christian nationalism, which is not biblical.
Read the scripture again
“I personally wouldn’t get an abortion, but I don’t think I should force my views on everyone else. Didn’t Jesus teach forgiveness? People who get abortions should not go to jail, that seems extreme.”
Jesus didn’t promote controlling others, Christian nationalism is not biblical.
Regardless of what your view is on abortion, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. That means that we’re called to forgive people who get abortions— not put them in jail.
Christians who care about this issue should attempt to reduce the number of abortions in ways that don’t involve government/force. Educate people or provide material support to people who have children. Isn’t that what Jesus would have done?
Read the scripture again
“Jesus calls us to bring about a Christian society through government policies that promote morality. That means we need to vote for politicians who support outlawing abortion. People who get abortions should go to jail.”
Jesus calls us to spread Christianity by making disciples of all nations— that means we’re called to make America a Christian nation by outlawing abortion.
A Christian society punishes criminals to the fullest extent of the law. That’s the best way to deliver justice. We must prosecute people who get abortions and they should go to jail.
Read the scripture again
“Black women seek out abortions at a higher rate than anyone else. The fact that Black women are pressured to get abortions is racist and a sign that abortion is a tool of systemic oppression— Jesus calls us to speak out against this.”
People in power want there to be fewer Black children in society. That’s why they support a right to abortion. It’s the same kind of persecution that Jesus stood against in his lifetime.
Racists believe that fewer Black children will lead to lower crime rates. Efforts to promote abortion are an extension of a racist criminal justice system that disproportionately incarcerates Black people. Jesus would clearly be against this.
Read the scripture again
“Black women seek out abortions at a higher rate than anyone else, which is why the effort to outlaw abortion is racist and systemically oppressive— Jesus calls us to speak out against this.”
People in power want to control Black women’s bodies and choices. That’s why they want to outlaw abortion. Outlawing abortion leads to higher Black maternal mortality. This is the same kind of persecution that Jesus stood against.
Racists are looking for more excuses to put Black women in jail. Efforts to outlaw abortion are an extension of a racist criminal justice system that disproportionately incarcerates Black people. Jesus would clearly be against this.
Read the scripture again
How Christians across the political spectrum see tradition and abortion
“Abortion undermines the traditional nuclear family and encourages sex outside of marriage. Christians are called to get married and have children, not have abortions.”
It’s important that Christians uphold the Bible’s teachings on gender, sex, and marriage. These are central Christian teachings that are not compatible with abortion.
The normalization of abortion in our society is part of a broader trend in modern culture away from the traditional nuclear family. That trend has led to all kinds of bad outcomes— more crime, more loneliness, more self-centeredness. That’s why the Bible’s teachings on this are still relevant today.
Abortion rights advocates often focus on the need for “women’s rights,” but more rights haven’t made women happier. A return to tradition is the solution to women’s problems in the modern era— not feminism.
Read the scripture again
“The Bible is primarily a book about loving your neighbor, not sex or the traditional nuclear family. Christians are called to show love to everyone, not judge people for their personal choices.”
The Bible’s teachings on gender, sex, and marriage should be read as a product of their time— it’s not even clear what exactly these teachings meant in their own time, let alone what they should mean for us today. It’s definitely not clear if the Bible promotes the traditional nuclear family.
What’s very clear throughout the Bible is that we are called to love our neighbors— that’s the main takeaway for Christians today. That means we shouldn’t judge people for having abortions or try to control their sexual behavior.
Christians who want to outlaw abortion want to control women’s bodies and to return to traditional gender roles. This harms women and is an antiquated way of viewing the world. Loving your neighbor means supporting women’s rights.
Read the scripture again
How Christians across the political spectrum see creation and abortion
“Abortion leads to fewer children being born, which is bad for our economy and our society. Christians are called to be fruitful and multiply.”
God created humans to faithfully rule the rest of creation, which means it’s our duty to take dominion over the Earth. That means we need to have more children.
Historically, people who promote “population control” have been behind racist efforts to forcibly sterilize people of color in the US and around the world. Population control is inherently racist because it focuses on reducing the birth rates among marginalized populations. That’s clearly not biblical.
If we don’t have more children then our economy will suffer and Christianity will eventually die out. The Bible promotes economic prosperity and the spread of Christianity, which means that its teachings are clearly incompatible with abortion.
Read the scripture again
“The world doesn’t need more people in it. Not everyone needs to have children, especially as we start to see the impact of climate change. Christians are called to conserve and care for the environment.”
God created humans to exist in solidarity with the rest of creation, which means it’s our duty to respect the environment. We don’t need to have more children or take dominion over creation.
“Population control” is not the same as acknowledging that not everyone needs to have children. Having a lot of children is not a primary concern in the Bible and we shouldn’t pressure people to have children if they don’t want to.
The Bible promotes the downfall of empires, not economic prosperity. This idea that humanity needs to grow and that Christianity needs to conquer the world is not a Christian one— it’s based on ideas about dominance that clearly contradict the Bible’s teachings about empire.
Read the scripture again
Ok but when does life begin?
All of the viewpoints explored above consistently come up in debates about abortion. But many of those viewpoints rely on certain assumptions about when human life begins.
For example, if you believe that life begins at conception, you’re more likely to see abortion as murder. If it’s murder, then you’re more likely to think about “justice” in terms of protecting “unborn lives.” If you believe that life begins at birth, on the other hand, you’re more likely to think about “justice” in terms of protecting the rights of women and prospective parents.
But it’s not that simple.
Many people’s views on abortion don’t fall neatly into these categories. Some people think that life begins at some point after conception but before birth. A number of people don’t think there’s a clear answer to the question of when life begins or that it depends on the circumstance.
Is there a difference, for example, in how we think about “life” when parents miscarry at 8 weeks versus when parents have an abortion at 8 weeks? In one case the parents intended and wanted to have a child, and in the other case, they did not. Does the presence or absence of grief in these situations impact how we think about when life begins? In other words, is there a “loss of life” in both cases or just one? Defining life based on people’s feelings, however, comes with its own dangers. What kinds of lives are we more likely to “feel” are lives?
Some people have argued for definitions of when life begins based on brain function or the ability to move. Others argue that those types of definitions are ableist— what about disabled people who don’t have a certain type of brain functioning or cannot move after they are born? Would we not consider them to be alive?
In discussions about abortion, the concept of the “potential for life” often comes up. What if a fetus isn’t “alive“ in the same sense that we are, but there’s a “potential for life” there? What does it mean for something to have the “potential for life” and how should we weigh that potential in discussions about abortion?
In sum, there is no consensus among scientists, philosophers, or theologians about when life begins.
What does scripture say? Let’s explore.
The Bible & The Beginning of Life
Unlike the other topics covered in this Bible study, the question of when life begins is not addressed in depth scripturally. Abortion specifically is mentioned nowhere in the Bible. There are, however, a few passing references to women’s wombs that some Christians interpret as confirmation that life begins before birth. In Genesis, two “children struggled together within” Rebekah before they were born. In the Psalms, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Galatians, there are references to how the Lord knows people while they are still in the womb or before they are in the womb. And in Luke, there is a description of how Jesus “leaped in [Mary’s] womb.” None of these verses provide us with an explicit definition of life, nor do they spell out that a fetus is alive in the same way that we think of a child as alive.
There are also verses that some Christians interpret as confirmation that life begins at birth. In Genesis, for example, Adam became the first living being when God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living being.” Some Christians interpret this to mean that life begins at first breath. In Exodus, one of the laws handed down to the Israelites says that “When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” This seems to suggest that Mosaic Law did not view fetuses as alive in the same way that people are alive after birth, but again, neither of these passages address the question directly.
Overall, there isn’t a strong scriptural case for when life begins. That said, as you read these passages, consider how they inform your view.
Read the Bible passages
Ok but is abortion murder?
The Ten Commandments clearly state, “Thou shall not murder.” This instruction is echoed throughout the Bible. But what does it mean to “murder”? Some people define murder as “any time a person intentionally ends an innocent person’s life.” If that’s your definition of murder and you believe that life begins at conception, then yes, abortion is murder.
But many people think it’s not that simple.
Let’s explore an alternative viewpoint for a moment.
Many people believe that there are situations that involve ending a life that are not “murder.” For example, if you were to kill someone in self defense, would that be murder? Is a soldier who kills someone in a war a murderer? What about someone who executes a convicted criminal? What if a person were in a lot of pain and they begged you to end their life and you agreed? Would that be murder?
Some people might argue that, in the self defense, war, or execution examples, the people killed are not innocent. That begs the question, what does it mean to be “innocent”? Is a soldier who is conscripted into war “guilty”? In many cases of “self-defense,” it’s not clear who is the aggressor. Do criminals “deserve” to die for their crimes? How do we parse the innocence or guilt of people caught in a web of complex circumstances? Questions like these lead some people to conclude that the concept of “innocence” is not always a helpful one when attempting to define murder because the reality of a given situation is often more complicated.
Beyond that, what does it mean to “intentionally” kill someone?
Here we’ll explore a few examples that might seem like a stretch but that illustrate this point.
For example, companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Apple have been repeatedly accused of using slave labor to manufacture their products— and they’re far from the only companies accused of this. If you purchase products that are manufactured by slave labor, and some of the slaves who manufacture those products die prematurely as a result of their working conditions, does that make you a murderer? What if you were to walk past a homeless person without stopping to help them to the best of your ability and later they died as a result of their situation? Would that be murder? Do you need to physically walk by a homeless person in order to be complicit in that person’s premature death? What if you live in a wealthy area where there aren’t homeless people, but you’re aware that homeless people exist in the world and that they die prematurely as a result of their circumstances? Is that awareness enough to make you complicit in their deaths? What about people who remain ignorant of homelessness in the world because they choose to insulate themselves from it? Are those people complicit? If you drive a car, or use electricity, are you complicit in the deaths of people who die from pollution? How do we weigh the deaths of animals or plants that result from pollution? The deaths in these cases are not obviously intentional, but are consumers and bystanders still culpable? What does it mean to “intend” to kill someone?
Are we all, to some extent, complicit in murder by simply participating in modern society as it exists? And if so, how are we realistically supposed to live out the teaching “thou shall not murder?”
None of these examples are directly comparable to having an abortion. But, then again, is abortion comparable to the murders you hear reported in the news? Some people think so. But many people don’t. Many people think that pregnancy— a situation where a fetus/child (depending on your definition of life) is growing inside of another person who may or may not have intended to create that fetus/child— is a unique situation that is not comparable to any other situation that people find themselves in. So then what does that make abortion?
The point is: defining “murder” is not necessarily straightforward.
Many people believe that there are circumstances in which ending a life is the right thing to do and many people believe that it’s impossible to avoid our complicity in ending other people’s lives as participants in modern society. These people believe that the most we can do is make individual, messy, complicated choices that weigh a number of factors against each other, and then do our best to reduce the harm that we inflict on others.
This way of looking at murder scares some people because it eliminates hard and fast rules about what it means to murder. Some people think that that’s dangerous— if we don’t have a clear definition of murder, they argue, bad actors will take advantage of that and commit murder without repercussions. Is a clear definition of murder necessary in order to guard against the worst outcomes?
Again, there’s disagreement. And that disagreement plays out in the abortion debate. Many people who oppose abortion believe that all abortion is murder. But others disagree.
If you believe that life begins somewhere between conception and birth, in what circumstances could “ending a life” be the right or necessary thing to do?
Some people get an abortion because their doctor tells them that their child won’t survive outside the womb. Others do so because there’s a risk to the life of the mother.
Some people get abortions because they’re not ready to be parents or they can’t afford another child.
Some people have been raped or are victims of incest.
Some people don’t want to go through the physical trauma of pregnancy and childbirth.
Many people have sex without intending to have a child, accidentally become pregnant, and do not want to bring a child into the world.
Are abortions under these circumstances “murders”?
As with all parts of this Bible study, Christians disagree on the answers to these questions.
What does scripture say? Let’s explore.
The Bible & The Ending of Life
The commandment not to murder appears throughout the Bible. But what exactly does it mean to murder? There are a number of examples in the Bible of murders that were clearly wrong. One famous example is Cain, who murdered his brother Abel, but there are other examples that hit home a similar message— the story of David and Uriah for example, or Herod’s murder of John the Baptist. Jesus was, of course, murdered by the state.
In addition to these murders, however, the Bible features stories about a number of killings that are much more morally ambiguous. Moses, for example, killed an Egyptian who he saw beating a Hebrew, Samuel killed the Amalekite King Agag, Jael killed a Canaanite by stabbing him in the head, and Samson killed himself and a group of Philistines. Saul even asked an Amalekite to kill him— and the Amalekite obliged. Were these killings murders? Maybe. But most of them are portrayed positively, unlike in the story of Cain and Abel. What makes these killings ok?
Killing is often justified in the Bible if it’s in the context of war or conquest, or if it’s in retribution for something. Moses, for example, led a war against the Midianites after God asked him to “avenge the Israelites.” Later, Joshua led the violent conquest of Canaan and David killed and beheaded Goliath. The Bible treats these instances as justified because, according to the text, the “killers” were responding to God’s call.
That’s a theme that we see in another type of killing in the Old Testament: child sacrifice. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, various prophets insist that child sacrifice is never acceptable and that it violates the law. This is, in part, because child sacrifice was a ritual in other religions, and taking part in it amounted to idolatry. There are, however, multiple instances in the Bible where child sacrifice is portrayed positively. Jephthah, for example, sacrificed his daughter so that God would grant him a military victory. Abraham famously brought his son Isaac to a mountaintop to sacrifice him in response to God’s command. While God ultimately spared Isaac’s life, Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son was a sign of his faithfulness. According to the Bible, child sacrifice is wrong— unless, seemingly, it’s commanded by God.
Finally, what were Jesus’ thoughts on murder? Jesus reiterated the law “thou shall not murder,” but he went further. In the Sermon on the Mount, he compared anger and hatred to murder and warned that people guilty of these things would “be liable to hell,” in the same way that murderers are.
What can we take away from this array of teachings and stories about murder and killing? As you read these passages, consider their relevance to the modern abortion debate. How do they impact your thinking about what it means to “murder” and under what circumstances ending a life might be the right or necessary thing to do?
Read the Bible passages
So where does that leave us?
If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed right now, that’s ok. You don’t need to have all the answers.
Abortion, after all, is a complex topic.
And that doesn’t mean that we can’t or shouldn’t have strong opinions about it. It just means that there are so many factors to consider and Bible passages to think about and Christian perspectives to engage with that it takes awhile to wrap your head around the whole thing.
This Bible study wasn’t created to give you all the answers or to tell you what to think. That’s between you, your community, and the Lord.
But if there’s one thing you should take away from this it’s that there is not one obvious Christian perspective on this issue— nothing about this is obvious.
My hope is that as you go out into the world and engage with other Christians that you feel equipped to do so humbly and lovingly.
Our politics are broken, but the Spirit can work through your community to begin to heal our divisions.
It starts with a conversation— one where we can disagree and still find a way to love each other.
That’s something that Christians should be able to do.
So get out there! Ask people what they believe, listen to what they have to say, read scripture together and discuss what you think it means because that’s the only way we’re going to figure out how to live together.
I’ll be praying for you.
Now that you’ve read the scripture…
Reflect
What are you thinking and feeling right now?
Request
Ask God to open your heart and your mind to a different perspective. Challenge yourself to see another point of view— even if you don’t agree with it.
Respond
Thank God for working through scripture and through the people around you. If you’re about to discuss this section with other people, pray for them and for your time together.
Questions for reflection & discussion
Do you think that scripture gives us clear answers when it comes to questions about abortion?
What role do you think that scripture should play in our politics, especially given its lack of clarity on many issues?
How do your views on Jesus’ politics, power, tradition, and creation shape your views about abortion?
What scripture do you think is most relevant to consider when we talk about the issue of abortion in Christian communities?
Discussions about abortion are generally framed by the tension between the rights of “the unborn” vs. the rights of women/childbearers. Do you think that’s the right framing in a Christian context, why or why not?
When do you think life begins?
How would you define “murder”? Do you think abortion is murder?
Do you think abortion is a sin? Do you think it should be illegal?
What role do you think Christians should play in discourse about abortion?
What role should churches play in this issue? Should churches speak out on political topics, including abortion?
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