Abortion is arguably one of the most heated debates in America right now. With the Supreme Court having overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, tensions are continuing to rise between pro-life vs. pro-choice advocates. This leaves a unique opportunity to share the truth of life’s value with abortion proponents. Rather than leading with anger, the key in sharing pro-life views is to thoughtfully prepare for the hard conversations surrounding abortion pros and cons.
Studies suggest that people forget about 60% of the information they receive. So, with such a sensitive topic as abortion, the way to really make a lasting impact is by leading with truth in love. Consider Ephesians 4:15, which says, “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.” We want to leave all conversations having represented Christ well, listening with compassion and respect. And this is especially important with abortion because of how personal it is for many people. After all, 1 in 4 women will have an abortion by the time they’re 45.
Most pro-choice advocates believe a fetus is a clump of cells and not human; therefore, abortion isn’t murder. Others justify abortion with topics like women’s equality, overpopulation and freedom to use contraception. But, intentional, healthy conversations can reframe someone’s stance entirely. Here are a few abortion pros and cons, along with how we can approach them as followers of Christ and advocates for life.
Pro #1: "Pro-Life Just Means Pro-Birth"
Often, abortion debates tend to center solely around the baby’s birth. And while that is a core factor in being pro-life (and every child absolutely deserves to live outside of the womb), it only captures a fraction of our beliefs and support system. Being pro-life isn’t just about banning abortion – we envision a world where women don’t need abortion whether it’s legal or not. However, it’s also about seeing the life, value and equality in all people. The pro-life movement encompasses many amazing ministries, resources and support systems for women, children and families. Take a few of these topics for example:
- Adoption
- Foster care
- Elder care
- Special needs
- Racial equality (abortion has historically targeted minorities)
- Abortion pill reversal
- Parenting education and support
- Post-abortive care (see more on abortion complications)
- Support during and after pregnancy, including free pregnancy care, baby supplies, housing, mentoring and more
The ultimate pro-life goal is to meet the needs of women so well, the need for abortion doesn’t even cross her mind. Could you imagine how much the pro-life movement could do for women and their babies beyond birth if the tax funding for abortion (nearly 2 million dollars a day) was redirected to the list above? Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, we should all be fighting for the same thing: to see life thriving from the womb to the tomb.
Pro #2: "Abortion Solves Overpopulation"
The idea that overpopulation is solved by abortion is completely flawed. For one, there wouldn’t be a lack of sustenance without abortion. The U.S. has enough capacity to feed twice the amount of people it currently does. And if foreign countries were to simply tweak their agricultural processes, they wouldn’t need the food exports that the U.S. provides (and consequently, leave us with even more). Plus, we are only getting more efficient: food is made on the least amount of land than ever before.
Another consideration is emissions. Lower birth rates naturally lead to higher economic consumption and output. This means that even if abortions were to surge, carbon emissions 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 rather than exaggerate it.
Population Control
Though the points above debunk arguments about resources and climate, let’s assume a higher birth rate does cause overpopulation for just a moment. Population control has destructive consequences on a society. It promotes inequality and devalues human rights. Would we take someone else’s life to help ourselves? It seems like Thanos of the Marvel Universe had a similar idea – and he certainly wasn’t considered a hero. A society that sacrifices the innocent to benefit the strong is not a world we should want to live in.
It also leads to lack of pure and new life in a corrupted world. This reduces genetic diversity and stifles problem-solving and innovation. With the heavy cultural toll we’re currently experiencing – why wouldn’t we want new and fresh minds 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… but only 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 abortion, the majority 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 that women want to choose life. They shouldn’t have to dread a post-Roe world, and certainly shouldn’t dread it so much that they would rather risk their lives than choose to parent or place for adoption. As I said before, 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 people believe 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 a repetitive 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 growing 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 argument in abortion pros and cons is “my body, my choice.” At first glance, it’s not too hard to see 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 the pro-life movement isn’t about taking away those personal rights. Instead, it’s about drawing a line when it takes another’s rights. Consider, for example, when a pregnant mother is killed. It’s typically labeled as a double homicide, because of the second little life that’s also taken. 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.
