How can Christians answer claims that criminalizing abortion harms women?
True harm is done by abortion itself. Equal justice protects women by upholding their duty not to kill and by restraining those who prey on them. Laws should pair penalties with mercy provisions for those coerced, while still naming the act what it is. God’s law is for our good; sin destroys, but Christ heals.
The Christian answer is rooted in a fundamental challenge to the premise of the question, establishing God’s authority over human experience.
- Reaffirm the Non-Negotiable Premise: The Value of Life The Christian must first hold fast to the non-negotiable theological conviction: abortion is the unjust taking of a human life that was made by God. This is not a political position but an act of glorifying God by honoring the life He gives. As Scripture notes, "He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything else..." (Acts 17:25). The life in the womb is therefore a gift and a creation of God, and to kill that person, even whe the pregnancy is difficult, cannot be accepted as a moral good.
- Uphold Divine Wisdom Over Human Logic When faced with claims that criminalizing abortion causes "harm" (which often prioritizes immediate earthly comfort or perceived risk), the Christian response is to place God's wisdom above human understanding. This stance requires unwavering faith: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" (Proverbs 3:5). An endeavor to "save" a woman from hardship that results in violating God’s clear command against taking innocent life is to idolize man's wisdom over a fear of God.
- Conclude That Protecting Life Is the Opposite of Harm Therefore, the claim that criminalizing abortion harms women is answered by clarifying that the Christian purpose is to protect God's righteous standard. Christians must not concede to accepting blurred categories (such as presumptuous notions of risk) that would make the tragic destruction of a baby's life acceptable. The act of legislating to protect the life of the unborn is thus viewed as the opposite of harming women, because it promotes God's standard of justice and righteousness for all human life.