The PCA and Abortion: A Survey

The overthrow of Roe v. Wade is cause for celebration with praise and thanksgiving.

On the day the Presbyterian Church in America withdrew from the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), it nearly unanimously (98%; 2062-33) adopted Overture 13 calling on civil rulers to repent of the sin of abortion.

The next day the United States Supreme Court ruled not only to sustain a Mississippi Law prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks (6-3), but also to return the matter of abortion to the Several States (5-4). Whether this is an indication of the influence of the PCA and our ability to “punch above our weight,” I cannot say. But I am certain this ruling reflects God’s mercy upon the land of our exile and gives the nation another opportunity to turn away from this wicked practice.

I. What Abortion Is

There is some confusion - whether legitimate or not - over what is meant by abortion. Some have pointed out that a miscarriage is medically referred to as a “spontaneous abortion” (see below). But “spontaneous abortion” is not the same as a medically-induced abortion, which is the subject of this article.

Likewise others have tried to muddy the waters saying a ban on abortion will consign a woman with an “ectopic” pregnancy to certain death. But that likewise is a distraction or obfuscation. The HeidelProf can help us here:

R. Scott Clark @RScottClark

An abortion ends the life of living foetus/infant. An ectopic pregnancy is not a living human. This is why there is no state against physicians helping with ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages.

Abortion is the medically unnecessary and therefore unjust taking of a pre-born human’s life for the purpose of convenience and/or preference. All Christians should rejoice that the nation’s highest court has opened the way for this brutal and barbaric practice to once again be outlawed.

II. Examples of PCA Responses

The Church must speak with clarity on this issue. The initial response of PCA folk I observed was great joy and thankfulness:

But very soon I noted calls to qualify and perhaps even restrain Christian joy at this event.

A. Listen to the Other Side

Until five minutes ago, the PCA was part of the NAE. Despite passionate pleas to remain, the Assembly voted to abandon the organization. While the NAE filed a brief in favor of the state law, it issued a statement seeming to suggest there was room not only for disagreement, but also for those on both sides of the abortion debate to learn from each other:

A PCA pastor posted similarly counseling against extreme positions on both sides, and instead urged Christians to avoid mischaracterizing one side or the other:

We rightly must not downplay the stress and trouble of women facing a crisis pregnancy, however the suggestion that the solution to their troubles is to end the life of their unborn child is repugnant, wicked, and truly evil. It is impossible to accommodate such a depraved point of view.

B. Feel their Pain and Fear

Another category of responses I have seen is to recognize the fear this decision might inspire in women. One preacher acknowledged women who have seen the Court reverse the right to abortion may be wondering if they the Court might use its authority to curtail other rights for women.

The pastor claimed to have heard “a lot” of women who may not want to uphold the law of abortion access, yet wonder in light of the SCOTUS decision: are their other freedoms less solid.

Another pastor counseled his congregation to be mindful of the divisiveness of this issue and to renew their commitment to serve and care generously for all in crisis.

While there is some wisdom in this approach, Christians must not be ambiguous on the reality that there is no sense in which abortion is to be considered a legitimate right or solution.

C. Abortion is Healthcare?

The third way I have observed is to simply speak of abortion as if it were healthcare. One elder posted a prayer that read in part:

I pray for doctors who will fear being arrested and bringing tension to the oaths they took to care for their patients.
I pray for the unborn children that will continue to be terminated as we know the ruling will not decrease the number of abortions.
I pray for women who might suffer the medical and emotional consequences for the expected increase in maternal morbidity and mortality.

Similarly a member of a PCA church “leadership” posted this to the Twitter machine:

Are there leaders in the PCA who believe “Abortion is Healthcare” and that doctors caring for the legitimate and necessary medical needs of their patients now risk imprisonment? Apparently so.

III. A Better Way Forward

There have been a number of responses to the SCOTUS decision that have greatly encouraged me.

A. Rejoice

TE Kevin DeYoung is a true PCA treasure. Drawing an illustration from the first Star Wars movie (the good trilogy), he asked us to consider how absurd it would be if the Rebels hadn’t responded with joy to the destruction of the Death Star:

He superbly put things into perspective for us: those who refuse to rejoice at the destruction of the Death Star just don’t get it and perhaps they don’t belong with the Rebels after all:

Those who refuse to rejoice or who feel it necessary to qualify and nuance their joy at the Dobbs decision seem to not understand what the issues are.

To use a biblical analogy: when Israel finally left Egypt, Moses did not tell the Church to cool their joy and remember how the Egyptians are suffering too at the loss of their slaves. Instead he said: plunder them! And don’t forget: just a generation or two earlier Pharaoh decreed infanticide for Hebrew boys.

We must rejoice and give God all the glory that a judgment in righteousness has come forth from the SCOTUS on this matter. We must continue to speak the truth regarding the barbarity and wickedness of abortion.

B. Sympathize

While the title of the TGC article might give one the wrong idea initially, TE Andy Jones offers wonderful ideas for how to continue to serve pregnant mothers in crisis. While I believe this decision will absolutely reduce the number of babies who are murdered, women will nonetheless continue to seek abortions. We must call them to repent of this.

While Christians cannot condone even the consideration of having an abortion, that does not mean we condemn and shun those who contemplate such things. TE Jones advises a balanced course: he calls all people to treasure life and is clear on the unconscionable nature of abortion. He also gives Christians ideas for how to continue ministering to women and children in need.

C. Pray

We must continue to pray for an end to all unjust taking of human life. One PCA elder offered the following prayer on the Lord’s Day:

…This week, our nation witnessed a mercy which it does not deserve.  We saw your justice rain down in an unthinkable way to defend the lives of countless, defenseless unborn. Your Word tells us that when justice is done, it is a “joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” This morning, the righteous are rejoicing, and the ungodly are filled with terror. And I pray for both. I pray that your people, those whom you have made righteous through Jesus Christ our righteousness, would rejoice at what you have done with this decision. I pray that we would continue to preserve life as we are commanded by your law…

Those are good words. We should thank God He hears such prayers.

IV. Speaking the Hope of the Gospel

As the survey above shows, despite the 98% adoption of Overture 13 on Abortion by the General Assembly, there is still wide diversity in the PCA on that matter. And that is a matter for prayer and continued discipleship.

The church must unambiguously proclaim the evil of abortion, but also proclaim with equal clarity the redemption and mercy that are offered in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even to those who have murdered their own children as well as those who contemplate doing so, Christ offers His love and pardon.

Even to the abortionists who have enriched themselves by mutilating, dismembering, and killing those made in God’s image, the gospel offers mercy and grace to all who will repent.

The Church must continue to preach the truth even in these polarizing times, because only in Christ is there refuge from the wrath of God that is coming into the world because of sin.

Indeed our joy must not be a gaudy triumphalist gloat, but nonetheless a joy in what our God has done through this decision. But above all a joy because our God loves sinners.

To a culture that tells expectant mothers to murder their children so they can live their lives or avoid the social inconvenience and financial burden of a child, the gospel proclaims a Son who laid down His life for us:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

To those urging women to kill their children to avoid the social stigma of being a single mom, the gospel tells them to look to Him who was willing to endure the shame of the cross so that all who look to Him may know freedom from shame:

For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6–7)

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