At a far away glance, pro-life and abolitionist members look alike. They both hate abortion. They both confront places like Planned Parenthood. And often times, they’re both full of Christians (albeit the pro-life movement is explicitly not Christian, whereas the abolitionist movement IS explicitly Christian).
But often times, people who are pro-life, when they hear of the abolitionist movement, come to find they align with abolition, and simply never knew it was an option. Therefore, first let me distinguish that the pro-life establishment does not represent every pro-life organization, or individual. Yet the pro-life establishment has immense power and influence over the culture, including Christians.
My criticism is first and foremost of their ideology and leadership. And to bring those who call themselves “pro-life” into a biblical response to abortion. If every pro-life Christian in this nation converted to abolitionism, abortion would be abolished, and in many states within months. But with pro-life leadership, our nation will continue in child sacrifice indefinitely. Or at least until God judges our nation for child sacrifice as he did to the Amorites. He is slow to anger… forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who by no means clears the guilty Exodus 34:6-7.
So let’s look at a few of the main topics where these two groups disagree:
| Pro-Life | Abolitionist | |
| Worldview | Humanist: Although there are individual Christians who have a biblical worldview, authority over the fight against abortion has primarily been delegated by Christians to a non-biblical leadership. In other words: “If God’s way makes the most sense, we’ll definitely do that. But if it doesn’t, we need to be pragmatic and come up with our own plans, even if they contradict God’s biblical commands.” The pro-life establishment puts the wisdom of man above the wisdom of God, to build a coalition with believers and non-believers, to trust in the goodness of mankind to say no to abortion. But not to criminalize it. Often, biblical wisdom is criticized as being impractical, outdated, only applying to Israel, politically naive, immoral, or blood thirsty. Therefore, trust in political matters is not put in God, but in professionals. | Biblical: Although we recognize that God’s Word may not teach us things like how to fly a jet plane, God’s Word is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Without a biblical foundation, no one can logically say that abortion is evil or sin. But God says that murder (regardless of how developed the human is) is sin. And as Christians, we believe the Gospel is the only answer to sin. Therefore we look to God and His Word as our moral compass, our power, our rock. If we have to leave God at the door to fight sin, then we are idolaters. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 |
| “Abortion is Murder” | Although some may agree in principal, many refuse to call it murder because the pro-life establishment (not necessarily all pro-life individuals) fundamentally believes women who abort their children are victims, and should never face any legal consequences. Written into every pro-life law is an exception which grants immunity to mothers who choose abortion, granting a legal right to abortion for mothers. | As per God’s Word, every human is created in God’s image. God knits us in our mothers’ wombs. Embryology teaches us that a unique human being is created at fertilization/conception. The definition of murder is: the unlawful killing of a human life with malice aforethought. In other words: the intentional and planned taking of innocent human life. Mothers who take a pregnancy test, see they are with child, voluntarily seek abortion, and either execute it themselves or pay an abortionist to kill the child in the womb: they are guilty of murder. |
| “Justice and justice alone” | Pro-life laws do not apply as other laws would. Justice is meant to be blind. Yet they give immunity for a certain class of humans to commit murder. When it comes to abortion, murder is regulated. Heartbeat laws, or X-week bans allow murder in some cases. Requiring women to have an ultrasound still gives license to kill. But when would such laws apply for born people? Would a man ever be allowed to murder a toddler? What if he was a she? Or if the child was in a coma? Or if the child was suicidal? Would that make it okay? No… yet their laws all seek to regulate something God hates. | Abolitionists seek equal and blind justice regardless of any attribute used by some to dehumanize them. Value is given, by God, at conception. A 1 cell zygote is no more or less human than the president of the United States. God commands impartiality in judging. He commands to never turn a blind eye to child sacrifice. He says that murder deserves the death penalty. But he also says that there must be witnesses, and evidence must be examined. Never take a bribe. Hear the small and the great alike. Never be partial to the wicked or deprive the righteous of justice. Yes – blind justice. Likewise, whomever with malice of forethought kills a child in the womb is guilty of murder or being culpable of murder. Whether it’s the mother, a father who encourages it, an abortionist who provides it, or a man who sneakily or forces a woman to take an abortion pill. The same laws, investigation, preponderance of evidence, and legal system shall be afforded for the preborn as for the born. |
| Rape and incest conceived babies | Seeking to slowly whittle away at our culture, pro-life laws sacrifice children conceived in rape and incest. Because it is more palatable, they hope to find favor with man. | Our culture says that rape conceived children do not deserve the same rights as those conceived in love. Yet God hates when children are punished for the crimes of their fathers. So instead of punishing the innocent child, put the guilty rapist to death. |
| Capital punishment | Under pro-life laws, no woman shall be punished in any way for an abortion. And those who are found guilty under pro-life laws of practicing abortion are given lesser punishments than if the child was born (such as in states where surgical abortions are banned, but self induced abortions are not). It’s as if the pro-life establishment thinks abortion is bad because the child is only kind of human. So while the principal-agent is typically given legal immunity (mothers), abortion providers are only kind of punished for murder. | Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. In other words, the commandment of capital punishment given to Noah in Genesis 9:6 still applies today. But to quell concerns about retroactive justice, no, abolitionists are not trying to pass laws to make abolish abortion, and then put everyone who’s ever had an abortion to death. Once the line is drawn in the sand, then capital punishment may be administered. But while God’s law forbids abortion, US law allows it. So we cannot use the U.S. justice system to punish retroactively. |
| Incrementalism vs Immediatism | Incrementalist in nature, the pro-life establishment seeks to remove abortion incrementally. Instead of simply telling the truth, “We seek to end abortion”, they play this game of pretending they aren’t. But then they are. And in the meantime, they’re teaching the culture through regulation of abortion is there are certain circumstances where it’s okay to murder your child. | Immediatist in nature, abolitionists recognize that there are incremental steps to take along the way to nationwide abolition of abortion. Yet they do not play games and compromise with sin. God says to never sin in order that good may come. In other words, abolitionists may need to abolish abortion one state at a time. But they will never legalize certain types of abortion in order to stop other types of abortion. Like the prophets, abolitionists call the nation to repentance. |
| Repentance | Pro-lifers typically think of the war against abortion as a war on educating people. They think that women are victims of the pro-choice, pro-abortion complex. They think that if most women just knew that the baby was not a clump of cells, or that at 5-6 weeks, an ultrasound can detect a heartbeat. Or that babies start developing fingers at weeks 5-8. Or that there are people willing to adopt their children, or provide resources that Planned Parenthood won’t. They think that women simply don’t understand that a baby in the womb is a baby. So talking of repentance is often avoided, because victims don’t need to repent. | While the pro-life’s desire to educate on abortion is a piece of the battle, as there are some individuals who literally need to hear the information, the vast majority of women know they are killing a human being in the womb. Education is not the problem. Sin, selfishness, and an apathetic body of Christ is the problem. So abolitionists call it murder because it’s true. And it’s sin. And the only way to be forgiven of sin is to lay it at the feet of Christ. To repent. To have godly sorrow for killing your own child, an image bearer of God. And to be healed through Christ’s sacrifice, atoning for all sin, to those who believe and put their faith in Christ. Not only is this Great Commission work, but it’s the only way forward after killing your child. Anything else is covering sin up, and the only one who has the authority to cover sin is Jesus Christ. |
| Coalition | Seeking to have the greatest influence on our culture, pro-lifers join together everyone who is against abortion. Whether you’re a Christian, a Muslim, Atheist, LGBTQ+, or anything else, you can join the cause. With enough of a coalition, the minority will become the majority, and the majority will make abortion unthinkable. | Having numbers can help, but without God, the wickedness of man will prevail. So we seek to obey God and do what is pleasing to Him. Even if it is not pragmatic, the Bible is full of examples where God brings shame to the strong using those that are weak. Abolition is the minority right now, but God is blessing the abolitionist movement in a way not seen by the pro-life movement. When Christians stop yoking themselves with the world and its wisdom, and yoke themselves to Christ, God works through His people. God hates abortion. But God will not destroy abortion and attribute it to the worldly wise schemes of man. No, He will abolish it and glorify Himself in the process. We can either be for Him first, or for saving babies first. While saving babies is a good and righteous thing, making an idol out of it is sin. Therefore, we must look to God for guidance, for He is the supreme authority, and the only one who has the power to turns the hearts of parents to their children. |
