Abortion: a faithful path for many Christians

Through my work with Pro-Choice North Carolina, a statewide reproductive rights advocacy group, and Exhale Pro-Voice, a stigma-free textline for people seeking emotional support after an abortion, I am consistently humbled by the complexity of people’s reproductive journeys and therefore further convicted to fight for full abortion access as a Christian woman in the South.

Particularly in my Exhale work, I see wisdom and courage in the folks who choose abortion. While they may struggle with the decision (and, to be sure, many who have abortions do not struggle), I hear over and over that they know it’s the right decision for themselves and their families.

The themes that arise in these conversations are eye-opening. Many choose abortion because they’re already struggling to care for the child(ren) they have, and cannot imagine bringing another child into the world. Some people choose abortion because they are no longer with the father, and they’ve always told themselves they would give their child a two-parent household. Some are determined to finish school, establish a career, and protect their child from the impoverished life they experienced. Some need to get out of an abusive relationship, and they know having a(nother) baby with their partner will make it infinitely harder to leave.

Perhaps the most enlightening theme is when I talk with people who were adamantly against abortion until they needed one. This shakes us from our abstract debate about abortion–often led by cisgender men who have never been and will never be pregnant–to the concrete lives of those faced with an unexpected pregnancy.

Of course, some people choose adoption or parenting, which is valid and wonderful. I will keep working until we can see abortion as similarly valid and wonderful for people faced with an enormous decision that only they–NOT politicians–can truly understand. We all know what we need deep down. We know what we’re called to or not called to. And we deserve dignity and agency in those decisions–values that are central to the Christian faith.

Choosing abortion is also incredibly common among Christian-identified people. Data from the Guttmacher Institute from 2014 showed that 24% of those who got abortions identified as Catholic. Seventeen percent identified as mainline Protestant, and another 13% identified as Evangelical. Combined, that’s more than half. More than half of the people getting abortions identify as Christian.

Whenever I’m in a Christian space–a church service, a faith-based conference, etc., I find myself looking around thinking, “There’s very likely someone here who’s had an abortion.” I then wonder how they feel about their abortion experience, if they wish they could speak up about it and be met with calls not to repent and seek forgiveness, but calls to remember they are loved and courageous for trusting themselves and what they know they need.

For those of you reading this who’ve had an abortion and have possibly internalized the shame or guilt, I see you. I see that you made a decision not in an abstract ethical debate vacuum, but with real circumstances, considerations, and convictions. You are no less of a Christian because you’ve had an abortion. Rather, you are in a great community of people who have made a similar decision, often not in spite of, but because of their faith. You are not alone.

I remember once seeing a bumper sticker with an image of Rosie the Riveter saying, “We can end abortion!” I was immediately struck by the understanding that no, abortion will never end. Because people have been terminating pregnancies since people have been getting pregnant. It’s an inherent part of having a body that can procreate. It’s a common and complex reality for so many in our communities. This shows us that there’s space–and necessity–for the abortion experience to be lifted up and honored, including within Christian communities.

In the Christian tradition, we believe in free will, conscience, the ability to critically think and analyze, and to exercise moral and bodily agency. And we believe in a God who is infinitely compassionate and complex. It is my hope that fellow Christians can come together to support people who can become pregnant, honor and protect all reproductive options, and advocate for full abortion access. Abortion is never going anywhere because it has always been here. I pray this is something we can embrace.