New 4-month series from ProGrace

In oral arguments at the Supreme Court's hearing of Dobbs v. Jackson in December, one justice stated, "The reason the abortion issue is hard…is that you can’t accommodate both interests. You have to pick. That’s the fundamental problem. And one interest has to prevail over the other." 

While this may accurately describe the limitations of politics and the law, Christians can offer a third option. And that third option is this: God values the woman and child equally. This is what ProGrace has been championing for years, and it’s why we’re kicking off a 4-month series from now until the Supreme Court makes the final decision on the Mississippi law in June. Because regardless of the decision they make, Christians need a new response to abortion to bring about true Kingdom change by valuing the woman and child equally.

Many Christians believe we already value them both equally, so let’s look at the numbers. According to Lifeway research:

7% of women discuss their decision with someone at a church - and

7% of women approach a Christian pregnancy organization for help before having an abortion

When asked why they don’t discuss this decision with Christians, women report they fear judgment and don’t expect  support. Women don’t believe Christians value them as much as the child, and instead have an abortion in silence. And while we may want to rush to “do” something about that, the first thing we need to do is look inside and ask “why” we have this reputation.

The first step is to fully embrace God’s Design of Pregnancy. He has  intertwined a woman and child during pregnancy in such a way that anything we do to one impacts the other. He has made it impossible for us to bypass one and help the other. We actually can’t pick. We must work for the dignity and welfare of both. 

My journey started when I was leading an organization that served pregnant women. As I watched how our staff led our programs, it seemed they were primarily concerned with the child being born. I would hear women expressing real needs that we weren’t trying to meet. No one was intentionally trying to marginalize women, but our team was stuck in the mental model of the polarized political debate. 

We needed God to expand our view of Him first. That He is more compassionate than we can ever comprehend. That He transcends the polarizing arguments that elevate the needs of one over the other by pointing us to His heart for both.  

Here are some reflection questions that our team has found helpful for spending time with God, inviting Him to show us His heart for both :

• When I think about abortion, do I think more about the needs of the woman or the needs of the child? Why?
• What were the messages I heard from Christians as I was forming my ideas about abortion? Did they elevate the needs of one over the other?
• Jesus, if You were here today, how would you show value for both the woman and the child?

If you would like to go deeper, consider enrolling in our online course, Transform the Christian Response to Abortion. This course is designed for individuals or small groups. 

You can also download our free e-book with more information and exercises.

Grateful to be on this journey together!