Is it possible to be Christian and pro-choice at the same time? Subscribe to our Question of the Week: Question: "Is it possible to be Christian and pro-choice at the same time?" Answer: Abortion has been a hotly debated topic in American culture for the past forty years. Proponents on both sides wave statistics and viewpoints that many sincerely believe to be the only right way. For the sake of clarity, let's define the terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life.” For the purposes of this article, “pro-choice” will be defined as “the belief that a woman should have the legal right to abort her unborn child at any point in the pregnancy.” Pro-choice advocates believe abortion is a personal decision and should not be limited by the government or anyone else. “Pro-life” will be defined as “the belief that every human life is sacred and no one, including the mother, has the right to end an innocent life.” Pro-life advocates hold the view that life from the moment of conception should be protected. So, should a Christian be pro-choice or pro-life? A Christian, according to the Bible, is someone who has accepted God's offer of forgiveness through Jesus' death and resurrection. Salvation is a gift of God through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). What we believe about other things is a matter of growth, not of salvation. However, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." When we give our lives to Christ, He begins to change us: our way of thinking and our way of behaving (see Isaiah 55:7). Our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Our minds are renewed through the truth of God's Word (Romans 12:1-2). Our attitudes, perspectives, and behaviors gradually change to be more like those of Christ (Romans 8:29; Galatians 5:22). This transformation doesn't happen overnight. Many Christians are still what the apostle Paul called "carnal" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Romans 8:6). Carnal Christians trust in Jesus for salvation, but they still think, act, and react like the world. Often, they are new to the faith or simply have not allowed the Holy Spirit free access to every area of their hearts. They are trying to live the Christian life in their own strength, while still being heavily influenced by the world's way of thinking. The carnal mind has not been fully renewed by the Word of God and still seeks compromise with the world (James 4:4). Carnal Christians allow the persuasive viewpoints of the ungodly to sway their opinions on many things, including abortion. Spiritual growth requires us to shed our old ways of thinking as we become more like Christ. We begin to see things the way God does, and the closer to Him we become, the less we agree with the world's system (Psalm 1:1-2). If a person continually refuses to allow the Word of God to transform his thinking, chances are great that he is not really a Christian (Romans 8:14). Pro-choice advocates state that the Bible does not address abortion, so the decision should be the individual’s. While it is true that the term "abortion" does not appear in the Bible, the principles about the value of life are there. In Exodus 21:22-23, God wrote into His Law protection for the unborn. If a pregnant woman was injured, causing her to lose her child, then the one who caused the injury was to be executed: "a life for a life." The phrase "life for a life" says a lot. God considers the life of the unborn just as valuable as that of a grown man. God said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you" (Jeremiah 1:5). It was God who created him for a specific purpose. Psalm 139:13-16 gives us the clearest picture of God's viewpoint on the unborn. David writes, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. . . . My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret. . . .Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." The Bible is clear that all human life is created by God for His purpose and His pleasure (Colossians 1:16), and a Christian who truly wants to know the heart of God must align his or her viewpoint with God's. When we start justifying evil according to our understanding, we dilute the truth of God's Word. When we rename adultery an "affair," homosexuality an "alternative lifestyle," and murder of the unborn a "choice," we are headed for serious trouble. We cannot redefine what it means to follow Christ. Jesus said we must first "deny ourselves" (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). Part of denying ourselves is letting go of comfortable lies the world has fed us. We have to let go of our own understanding and allow God to change us (Proverbs 3:5-6). Some pro-choice advocates argue that they are not pro-abortion. They say they hate abortion, but support a woman's right to choose. This makes as much sense as saying that you personally hate rape, but support a man's right to commit it. The rhetoric sounds nice—the mention of “choice” makes it more appealing—but underneath is a direct conflict with God's viewpoint in Scripture. Pro-choice advocates often state that their position is "compassionate" and that pro-lifers don't care about the woman or her child. This argument is a red herring. Whether pro-lifers “care” or not is irrelevant, just as it is irrelevant whether those opposed to robbery “care” about the banks being robbed. Robbery is against God's moral law. So is abortion. And that’s the issue. The Bible is clear: since God is the Creator of human life, only He can determine who lives or dies. And every person who claims the name of Christ has the obligation to make certain his or her views line up with His Word. Is it possible for a born-again Christian to be pro-choice? Yes. Is it likely that such a person will remain pro-choice? Not if he or she is allowing God’s Word to transform and renew his or her mind (Romans 12:2).Recommended Resource: The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf Related Topics: What does the Bible say about abortion? How can a woman experience healing and recovery after an abortion? Does the Bible teach that life begins at conception? Is abortion murder? Do the souls of aborted babies go to heaven? Return to: Questions about Apologetics and Worldview Return to:GotQuestions.org Home Is it possible to be Christian and pro-choice at the same time?
And yet we kill innocent babies in war as collateral damage, we have the death penality, etc. I'm not stating my views on war or the death penalty just giving an example.
I don't see that it matters whether you're a Christian or not ! Belief is belief - I used to be against abortion until I saw many examples of why it should be allowed in certain circumstances. Not 'only' Christians have morals - not 'all' Christians have morals
I was just replying to something you quoted in this topic. That's okay, I'm done with it anyway. All that matters is how I feel and those views I'll keep to myself.
For me it has to do with when life begins in the womb. When does the baby become a living, human being. At that point, for me personally, it is taking a human life. I do believe there are reasons an abortion has to happen, one is of course, if the fetus had died. Which brings another thought to mind which is in order for the fetus to die, it had to be alive. Lastnight I watched a doc on a man arrested for aborting babies that were allowed to be aborted up to 24 months in that State. Although he went way beyond, and was actually having to murder babies that were several months along, and 9 months was also true of some. He continues to claim his innocence, and that he was helping poor women. He was also charged with murder of "I think" she was 23 ish. I will try and get his name right and google it: here's the link to the book, but there are also plenty of free articles when I googled. This happened in 2011 but I first heard about it lastnight on FNC. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EEQ9D0I/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
But it does matter to a true Christian Patsy. For if Christians have chosen God for their Father, and Jesus for their Savior, they have also chosen the Bible as God's Word and Truth for what they believe and how they live their lives. Christians are not perfect, but they do strive to live as God's Word tells them to live. And what He says is right and wrong in the Bible is the moral compass that Christians strive to live by. Christians cannot just change God's Truth like the World does because it doesn't suit them, etc. The only Truth that can be truth for Christians is God's Word on something.
Guess I won't be checking "Christian" anymore then on any forms I fill out...and that's okay too. I have my own personal beliefs and I'm good with them.
Life begins for a woman the moment that pregnancy stick or test says you are pregnant. For God life begins the moment the baby was conceived.
I guess we'll end up with a vote on roe v wade one day, I hope, as I would vote against "abortions on demand". I believe most of the abortions performed are killing human beings, and that there are few comparatively speaking, for health reasons, or the fetus dying. Some things just aren't allowed to be posted, or people aren't willing to show the gruesome details, such as the holocaust of Hitler's doing. Education is important, sooooo important, but it can only enlighten if a person is willing to see the evidence. Sadly, some go with what their head tells them instead of doing the research, being objective as well, read both sides. I'm glad some are at least willing to discuss it and not just be indifferent to the "problem" which is putting it very mildly.
I think science has proved this, and some scientists, I'm sure, argue that it's not true. It seems simple for me that when an egg is fertilized by the sperm, the life begins, the embryo begins to grow. I don't know when the embryo actually has nerve development or "feeling". In The Silent Scream, that baby reacted to touch. I can't more highly recommend watching that film if you are going to be discussing this all. It's a brutal awakening for some, but if you have no knowledge of the procedure of abortion, and the life of the child, you are uninformed.
It would be a fool who would start a topic about something they know nothing about...unless the topic was one of something they wanted to learn about.
Yes, I agree, unless it's a question to learn about that very thing. I've done that a few times here. What I was talking more about is that people can sometimes jump on the soap-box on a thread without knowing enough or possibly anything about the topic. I've been in church most of my adult life, and was blessed enough to understand the bible. I don't know where you found something that says life begins at conception, but I have no reason not to believe you. I've read the bible and I believe two things I know for sure are that we were made, man, than woman, and we were to populate the Earth. I also know the commandments and the Sixth says "thou shall not kill". So if a true believer in Christ, and would "so" then follow Him as closely as a human is capable of, they would know that commandment. I do run into problems about war, and killing to protect your family etc. I'm sure there are more things we could go into, but I will try to stick just with your topic. I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but unless a person knows the bible, and believes it, they can't understand the question. On anything except their opinion on "what they think" christianity is. I realized I hadn't answered your question and so I will now, no, not in the sense that law was passed. Any woman that is pregnant, no matter what, she can have an abortion. When I see that, I see babies well into their lives. Children ARE living before they come out the womb, living on their own, no, but they are living.
Christians should know what the Bible says about things. But even alot of Christians just let their Bibles gather dust these days. And many Christian churches aren't teaching much from the Bible anymore either. Yet with the internet you can just go online and type in the search engine what the Bible has to say on just about any subject...and many web pages will come up to show you.