In the 21st century West we have inclined towards many evil practices before God concerning marriage, family, gender and so on, but the greatest moral evil of our time is surely that of abortion. Since its legalisation in 1967, our nation has systematically tried to make abortion easier, more accessible and more attractive to the general public. In the UK over 200,000 take place each year and 1 in 3 women will have an abortion within their lifetime, with nearly half of this number having more than one. These statistics are only going to get worse unless there is repentance and change from our leaders.
Why Is Abortion Evil?
According to orthodox Christian theology, every human is made in the image of God and has God-given dignity & worth (Gen 1:27, Gen 9:6). The Bible teaches that this is no different with the unborn: those in the womb are manifestly real, living, dignified human beings made in the image of God exactly like you and me; there is no difference between children in the womb and children out of the womb — both are human children (Jer 1:5, Ps 139:13). This is why abortion is wrong: it is the killing of real, living, valuable human children in the one place they cannot defend themselves — in any other context we would call that murder.
Scientific research supports this. As surprising as this may be to some people, there is no debate within the medical community as to when life begins: they all agree that life begins at conception. Therefore, every abortion, whether early or late in the pregnancy, ends the life of a living human being. Here’s one quote from a leading embryology textbook:
“[The zygote], formed by the union of an oocyte and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being.” Keith L. Moore, Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology, 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2008. p.2.
This shows the great moral evil that abortion is. The medical community understand the humanity of the being in the womb and yet they continually promote it as a matter of so-called ‘healthcare’. It is murder, and we must be active in seeking its complete abolition (not merely its control or restriction) and the repentance of those that promote it. Of course, this must be done with real compassion for all those who are damaged by this wickedness, bringing to all the message of the love of Christ unto salvation in the gospel.
A nurse's unforgettable experience participating in an abortion
In her Daily Mail column this week (March 2024), Nadine Dorries, former Secretary of State, former health minister and former nurse, describes the day she came face-to-face with the savagery of abortion.
“When I was a young nurse of 18, I experienced something that changed me profoundly. My months on the gynaecological ward had been the happiest and most rewarding of my short career – until the day I was asked to help during the termination of a pregnancy at 27 weeks.
“Back then, the legal limit for abortion was 28 weeks. This was reduced to 24 in 1990.
“The expectant mother, who was only 16, had been injected in her uterine cavity with the hormone prostaglandin. Several excruciating hours later, the foetus – a little boy – was delivered. He was dropped in a bedpan and the ward sister handed him to me, saying: ‘Take this into the sluice room and leave it there until I come. Stay with it.’
“As I closed the sluice-room door, I removed the paper covering from the bedpan. I have never forgotten what I saw. There lay a tiny baby boy, blinking, covered in mucus, blood and amniotic fluid, gasping for breath, his little arms and legs twitching …
“Weeping, I rocked the bedpan in my arms … I wanted to run for help when I heard the ward sister’s unmistakable footsteps approaching. As she took the bedpan from me, he stopped breathing … Distressed I turned to her and said: ‘He was breathing’ … She glared at me saying, ‘No, he wasn’t. You didn’t see that.’ I was stunned. ‘He was breathing’, I insisted.
“She looked embarrassed and muttered, ‘The mother probably got her dates wrong. Maybe she was more than 27 weeks’.
“At this, I was almost inconsolable. I had become a nurse to help people – not to facilitate killing babies who might have lived. The sister snapped: ‘If you want to be a nurse, you had better toughen up fast’. I cannot bring myself to tell you how she disposed of the body of that tiny newborn.”
In His Image, by Dr Stephen McQuoid, a former nurse himself, describes step by harrowing step, what is involved in terminating the life of an unborn child, through medical and surgical abortion. In response to the question, ‘When does human life begin?’ (Chapter: Slaughter of the Innocents) he makes the following critical points.
The embryo is clearly a living thing that is developing fast and is not just some inanimate object.
The embryo is already genetically human, containing human DNA, and is therefore incapable of developing into anything other than a human being.
While it may not look recognisably human early on, it will do so increasingly and in a matter of weeks, and the transition into a fully-fledged human is inevitable.
The clash of rights and opinions and associated ethical issues are also discussed, with compassion.
In a recent moment of candour, irreligious comedian Bill Maher made a shocking admission about abortion on his television program, Real Time 1. The episode aired April 12 and, since then, clips of Maher’s comments have been circulating on the internet and social media.
Maher first corrected the misconception held by many on the political left that pro-lifers hate women. “They don’t hate women. They just made that up,” Maher chastised.
Then, he was honest enough to admit he agrees with pro-lifers about the real rationale behind their opposition to abortion. Unfortunately, this didn’t lead him to join their ranks. Maher said:
“They think it’s murder and [pause] it kind of is. I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean, there’s eight billion people in the world. I’m sorry. We won’t miss you. That’s my position on that.”
Yikes. Even with Maher’s hedge phrase, ‘kind of’, this strikes people as morally appalling, and ought to. Maher is okay with people being ‘kind of’ murdered.
Andrea Williams: UK abortions to hit 10 million
23 September 2022
50 years. 9 million. 51, 52, 53, 54 years; record highs for three years running. And now 10 million.
By our calculations, the 10 millionth child will be killed under the Abortion Act tomorrow, 24 September.
Another landmark, the same story.
This week, media were reporting that at 14 weeks’ gestation, a child can demonstrate his or her sense of taste. But this child has no meaningful protection in law for another 10 weeks. Babies at 23 weeks, that could be delivered and go on to lead healthy lives, can be killed at the mother’s discretion. Leading abortionists would like this to be offered all the way to birth.
There are signs of encouragement. The ugly morals of abortionists like BPAS are being exposed. Fresh young pro-life campaigns are springing up. March for Life UK had record attendance.
Each landmark, each record, each year is a painful reminder that we haven’t come far enough. This will only change with each one of us consistently standing for life. Explaining to a friend. Speaking at church. Writing to an MP. Helping a crisis pregnancy centre. And fundamentally, voting for politicians who will do the same.
This week, the Queen’s funeral was a powerful reminder of not just her dignity, as a long-serving Christian monarch, but of the dignity of every human. Each and every one of us bears the image of God, though badly marred by sin. We have a royal calling, to be God’s under-rulers over all creation.
When the 10 millionth baby dies, tomorrow or perhaps already, it will be no less of a tragedy than the Queen’s death – perhaps more. This little boy or girl won’t be seen or heard. There will be no funeral; no hymns, marches, bagpipes or committal.
We must remind ourselves that God sees. We must also see the humanity of these children and with eyes of faith, the justice of God.
He will right these wrongs. Will you step out in faith and continue bringing light to this great darkness?
Rejoicing in the Overturning of Roe v Wade June 24th 2022
Sarah Ascol writes from the USA: June 24, 2022 arrived and I sat awash with emotions at the news of the Supreme Court’s overthrow of Roe v Wade, declaring that the wicked decision which granted national legality to the murder of unborn children nearly 50 years ago was, in fact, not Constitutional after all. The joy is weighty, overwhelming, deep. It erupted yesterday in happy tears in the middle of shopping and singing psalms at the top of my lungs while running errands. It exploded in thrown together plans for ice cream sundae celebrations with friends last night and the kind of belly-laughing that overflows from an abundance of joy. It was a good day. A feast day. A day that I will happily still be talking about when my hair is grey and my hearing is going. June 24 is a day that deserves the celebration and remembrance of generations to come. This is a time for praise and thanksgiving to God who has used the work of men to bring about good for a nation who does not deserve His favour and grace. He has given us mercy once again and acted to stay the hand of those who wickedly participated in legalized murder, often gleefully. Mere hours after the decision abortion mills in Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Wisconsin had halted their activities and closed their doors. There are children who were scheduled for death yesterday who are still alive today. Praise the Lord! Praise, oh servants of the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord!
In 2019 there were over 3000 disability selective abortions. This type of abortion is chosen when it is predicted that the child may be born with a disability such as Down Syndrome, this makes disability a fair ground for abortion up to birth in the UK.
One of the features of the website is its magnificent celebration of all that people with Down syndrome contribute to society, and a great example of that is Frank Stephens, whose speech is profoundly moving and very challenging.
These powerful and eloquent words are at the heart of his speech:
First, we are a medical gift to society, a blueprint for medical research into cancer, Alzheimers, and immune system disorders. Second, we are an unusually powerful source of happiness: a Harvard-based study has discovered that people with Down syndrome, as well as their parents and siblings, are happier than society at large. Surely happiness is worth something? Finally, we are the canary in the eugenics coal mine; we are giving the world a chance to think about the ethics of choosing which humans get a chance at life. So we are helping to defeat cancer and Alzheimers and we make the world a happier place. Is there really no place for us in the world?
Who can argue with such a compelling presentation?
And yet we ought to feel uneasy, because the truth is that no human being should have to argue for the value of their life on the basis of who they are or what they can do. The Bible teaches us that every human life is of inestimable value because we are made by God in his image — our value is inherent, and so not something we have to prove or to earn. Sadly, because those who hold all the power in our society have embraced secular materialism, the value of human life is no longer absolute or inherent, but relative to their subjective standards, each one being “weighed in the balance” and if you are found wanting (especially before you are even born and able to “speak out”) then you become part of their “final solution” to “evolution’s inexorable march” of so-called progress. That should fill us with a mixture of fear, sadness and anger.
It is time for us to rise up against this before it is too late. What will become of us if we think we have the right to decide who should live and who should die on the basis of a chromosome? And when will these “genetic police”, who answer only to their impersonal and a-moral “god” of materialistic evolution, decide that it is your genetic mutation or mine that is holding back progress and needs to be wiped out?
Blood on our hands
The truth is that we have blood on our hands, and as you can hear below in a sermon based on Isaiah 1:12-20, if we fail to rebuke oppressors, defend the fatherless and plead for the widows (i.e. take action against injustices perpetrated by the powerful against the defenseless) we are implicated in their guilt and God will hold us to account: in other words, inaction in the face of such wickedness is not an option. Wasn’t that the defense of those who failed to resist Hitler’s regime?
Christians cannot unjustly destroy or support those who unjustly destroy the image of God, even if it is done in the name of protecting and defending the image of God. Good ends, no matter how noble, do not excuse evil means. Christ’s gospel does not free us to become worldly pragmatists or even spiritual utilitarians. Consequentialism is not Christian liberty. God cares about the way in which we do justice and show steadfast love to our neighbors (Micah 6:8). Any politician that runs on a platform of death in the name of human flourishing is one for whom a believer should never cast their vote.
To be clear, I am not saying that being good on a single issue (like abortion) would be enough to qualify a person for leadership who is otherwise incompetent. However, compromising on a particularly weighty issue is enough to disqualify a person who is otherwise very competent.
It is now 54 years since the 1967 Abortion Act came into force. Since then, a staggering 9.9 million unborn babies have lost their lives to abortion across England, Wales, and Scotland — more than one death every three minutes. The number of abortions performed in England and Wales reached a record high in 2020 with 210,860 taking place. The significant rise in abortions coincides with the governments in Westminster and Holyrood, using emergency Covid measures to push through dangerous DIY at-home abortions across Great Britain. In England and Wales, pills by post abortions accounted for 47% of all abortions during the period April to December 2020. In the UK, more lives are lost to abortion each year than have been lost throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It is projected that on 5 October 2022, 10 million lives will have been lost to abortion.
I fear that our country—our whole modern world—has a great reckoning coming, one that we are storing up for ourselves in the haunted institution of abortion. We have a tell-tale heart, beating under the floorboards. We are secretly plagued with a specter from the nauseating mass grave of dismembered bodies. The corpses are buried in a field we hope no one will ever find, but we can never forget. We close our eyes and we are transported to a hallway, every door leading to a room richly furnished, yet empty. Empty tennis shoes, empty bookbags. Outside, we walk by gleaming playgrounds, silent except for the creaking. In our minds, we see hands reaching out—hands that never touched another hand, except to be discarded after death.
The gravity of this situation in some ways mirrors that of American slavery, another institution filled with fathomless evil. Human lives were cheaply held, and easily spent.
Abortion update 19/07/2021- Praise God as new pro-abortion amendment fails and Christians throughout the country contact their MP’s regarding the issue.
On 5th July this month Diana Johnson (MP) planned on bringing forward an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which would allow abortion upto birth for any reason. Her proposal (if voted in) would mean that an abortion could be carried out at any point throughout a woman’s pregnancy for any reason. If passed, this law would result in many more living and helpless infants being killed in this country.
Thankfully this amendment was removed on the same day after a number of MP’s in the House of Commons reflected their constituents’ disapproval of this practice and their own concerns over the ‘shocking nature’ of this proposed change.
May we thank God for his mercy in delivering us and delivering those thousands of babies in the womb from this great evil. May we be prayerful that he will continue to protect the most vulnerable and that those in authority would be brought to full repentance of their sin and compliance in this genocide of the unborn.
Thankyou to all those that contacted their MP, these recent events have shown that every email, letter and phone call makes a great difference in foiling the plans of Satan and saving real human lives. May we be encouraged and seek for further change, that our land may be freed from all cases of abortion and that God would choose to do this through the prayers and actions of his local churches.
May we give thanks to God for his mercy.
Abortion reaches highest rate in 2020 thanks to DIY abortion
15th June 2021
Last week the government released its abortion statistics for England and Wales in 2020 and it makes for difficult reading. The total number of abortions for residents in England and Wales were 209,917 (up from 207,384) – the highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced, with an age standardised abortion rate for residents of 18.2 per 1,000 women, also the highest rate since the Abortion Act was introduced.
No doubt this was partly driven by the introduction of pills by post abortion. 85% of all abortions were medically induced (i.e. through abortion pills alone), a big rise from 73% in 2019.
In line with previous years, 98% of all abortions were for ground C: “That the pregnancy has NOT exceeded its 24th week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.” (Emphasis added.)
Almost all these abortions were for the “mental health” of the mother.
Brephos is a project of CBR UK which exists to help Churches respond to abortion from the pulpit, in the public square and one to one. This is an important work in light of the widespread silence of Churches and Church leaders on the issue of abortion.
HOPE- bringing grace and truth to those in pregnancy
Hope is a project of CBR UK seeking to give gospel hope to those in difficult pregnancy situations, showing them the way of life.
