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In a recent lecture in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dr. Matthew Tuininga said, “Letting the church be the church does call the church to be engaged in social justice, but in the right way.” I couldn’t agree more. Many of us in the Christian Reformed Church would agree that the practice of abortion needs to end, except when the life of the mother is threatened by the continuation of the pregnancy. But the way that we would like to go about ending the regular practice of abortion can differ greatly, depending on how we see the role of government in society.
Every life is created in the image of God, and has value regardless of socioeconomic status, ability, gender, or race.
Abortion is a social justice issue that I am passionate about because of my Christian faith, which teaches that every life is created in the image of God, and has value regardless of socioeconomic status, ability, gender, or race. As a Reformed Christian, I believe that my faith is meant to be lived in every area of life and that, as a Christian community, we are compelled to answer the call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God as ministers of reconciliation with eyes set on God’s restoration of all things to right relationship once again. The practice of abortion ends a life, and the ripple effects of that act can have consequences that are devastating for the women and men involved.
The practice of abortion ends a life, and the ripple effects of that act can have consequences that are devastating for the women and men involved.
Rachel Held Evans has written about how her pro-life stance compels her to seek an end to the practice of abortion. But the way that she seeks to see an end to abortion does not look like the way that most evangelical Christians have united against abortion since it was legalized in the United States in 1973. The differences are in what we see as the most effective strategy for ending the practice of abortion. In another article, Held Evans pointed out that the abortion rate in the U.S. dropped to its lowest since 1973 during the Obama administration. She writes, “I believe the best way to keep this trend going is not to simply make it harder for women to terminate unwanted pregnancies but to create a culture with fewer unwanted pregnancies to begin with.” She points out how countries where abortion is more heavily restricted or banned, the abortion rates are just as high, and in many cases, higher than in countries with less restrictions.
“I believe the best way to keep this trend going is not to simply make it harder for women to terminate unwanted pregnancies but to create a culture with fewer unwanted pregnancies to begin with.”
Yet, this does not dissuade Held Evans from seeking to unite with other Christians in these efforts. She writes, “It seems to me that Christians who are more conservative and Christians who are more liberal, Christians who are politically pro-life and Christians who are politically pro-choice, should be able to come together on this and advocate for life in a way that takes seriously the complexities involved and that honors both women and their unborn children.”
I invite you to join me in thinking creatively about how God has called us to work together to end the practice of abortion--in ways that honor the image of God in each unborn child, each man, and each woman.
So how do we, as Reformed Christians with a diversity of thoughts on how to end the practice of abortion, work together? We are called to remain united in our faith and in sharing the hope of the gospel and its meaning for our lives. We are called to speaking with one voice about the value of every human life, no matter how small. But God has also gifted us with a diversity of perspectives and understandings that need not undermine our unity. For some of us, seeking an end to the practice of abortion will mean supporting the advocacy group, Right to Life. For others of us, ending abortion means volunteering and giving generously to a pregnancy care center. And for still others, seeking an end to abortion means advocating for access to birth control and health care. All of these expressions fall in line with the Christian Reformed Church’s position on abortion. And there are many more ways to do so not mentioned here. So I invite you to join me in thinking creatively about how God has called us to work together to end the practice of abortion--in ways that honor the image of God in each unborn child, each man, and each woman.
Statistics reveal (more statistic links below) that access to health care reduces the rate of abortion. In light of this, we’d encourage you to contact your representative here about supporting a budget that supports access to health care for abortion-vulnerable women and cultivates a society where every life is valued.
The Reformed family is a diverse family with a diverse range of opinions. Not all perspectives expressed on the blog represent the official positions of the Christian Reformed Church. Learn more about this blog, Reformed doctrines, and our diversity policy on our About page.
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