Christian Women Having Abortions
by Heather Koerner on 01/24/2008 at 6:36 AM
Yesterday, on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I read a study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute reporting that one in five women having abortions claim to be born again or Evangelical Christians.
If that's correct, that would man that this last year over two hundred thousand of our Christian sisters had an abortion. Even if the number were half that, that is still a staggering number of women in crisis. It made me think, what must it be like to hear a celebration of the Sanctity of Human Life knowing that you had an abortion? All I can imagine is that it must be extraordinarily painful.
This statistic helped to open my eyes. It's easy to forget -- especially since we don't talk about it much -- that there are post-abortive women in our churches, our Bible studies, our singles groups and, probably, reading this blog. Earlier this month, Focus on the Family issued a challenge to Christians to reach out to both post-abortive women and those at risk of an abortion.
"Many women choose abortion out of fear or a perceived lack of support, and the abortion industry is capitalizing on a woman's vulnerability by selling her an abortion at the most challenging time in her life," said Kim Conroy, the Sanctity of Human Life Director for Focus on the Family. "Justice, mercy and compassion must be at the forefront of the conversation if we truly desire to extend healing to the women in our churches affected by abortion -- both those who've experienced it and those who are right now contemplating it."
Justice, mercy and compassion. That's a challenge that I needed. What will I do this year to reach out to the post-abortive and at-risk women around me?
If you have had an abortion, or know someone who has, and want to learn more about post-abortion syndrome, you can go to troubledwith.com. If you'd like to talk to a Focus on the Family counselor, you can call 1-800-A-FAMILY toll free.
1. obewan said the following at 7:00 AM on Jan 24:
One important question to ask is how many of these women are teenagers. I heard the same 40% statistic from a Plymouth Brethren church elder probably 15 years ago, so it is not a new statistic to me. I was shocked at the time (And I had some questions about the accuracy of his data). How much responsibility do the parents share? Are the parents encouraging or even forcing these possibly young women to get an abortion? I have always said we need to focus on prevention and adoption services rather than militant protest with little or no involvement in care for the mothers and unaborted babies.
2. Erica said the following at 7:49 AM on Jan 24:
One of the reasons why christian women do abortion is that they do not want the church to know they got pregnant out of wedlock. If everyone know they will criticise and excommunicate from their church as a sinner. As Heather said as christian we must always hate the sin and love the sinners. These post abortive women are all round us let us extend mercy and compassion to them
3. Eliza said the following at 9:02 AM on Jan 24:
I know what it is to hate and fear the "mercy" and "compassion" of the church. Sometimes the last thing in the world you want to hear is "I'll pray for you." I'm not saying it's right, but I totally understand why Christian women have abortions. The social consequences of their unplanned pregnancies are much higher than that of non-Christians.
4. Dan Gill said the following at 9:15 AM on Jan 24:
I am always a little skeptical of ANY poll where people self-identify themselves as Christian, evangelical, etc. People tend to shade the truth, and there are many who claim to be Christians, but really are not.
That said, I am sure there are large numbers of women in our churches who have had abortions. They are our sisters, and we must minister to them. They are hurting.
5. obewan said the following at 9:40 AM on Jan 24:
Clarification:
The 40% statistic I heard was related to the percent of abortions performed on women who came from "good Christian homes." I suppose that is a different scenario since they might be in rebellion and might not identify themselves as born again. Still, I could see how 20% would call themselves "born again" if the 40% number is accurate.
6. Heather said the following at 11:53 AM on Jan 24:
I am a post-abortive woman & I have to tell you that lack of support & abandonment by the gentleman who got me pregnant were HUGE factors in my decision making. I agree that Christians should embrace these woman with mercy & compassion. But my question is where is the discussion about a man's role in the abortion decision?? I can GUARENTEE that if more "Christian" men stood beside their girlfriends & took responsibility for their actions there would be less abortions, period! Not to shift the focus, but I want to include both parties involved in the discussion because it did take 2 to make the baby
7. Lisa said the following at 1:02 PM on Jan 24:
Christian or not, there are many women in need...both post-abortive and pregnant and confused. Our churches can and should be developing ways to reach out to both groups...the post-abortive women who need healing and the pregnant woman who needs some support. Some ministries do this very well. The Gabriel Project, in particular, does an excellent job of one-on-one support to pregnant women. Also, the Real Alternatives program in place in PA and elsewhere. If churches could mobilize their members to reach out, we could do so much to stop abortion without needing to rely on the courts to reverse the decision (although that would be nice too).
8. Theo K said the following at 1:24 PM on Jan 24:
“I totally understand why Christian women have abortions. The social consequences of their unplanned pregnancies are much higher than that of non-Christians.”
Has it ever occurred to anyone, that maybe, just maybe, these women simply label themselves as Christians? Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone identifying themselves as Christian after having killed someone in cold blood? Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone living a life of unrepentant sin (e.g. sex outside marriage) and still claiming to be Christian?
I don’t think St. Paul could have been anymore clearer:
“Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral [i.e. fornicators], nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
These women do indeed need our help. And their greatest need above all else is to find forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
9. Eliza said the following at 1:37 PM on Jan 24:
Theo K:
Are you saying that once someone is a Christian, he/she is no longer a sinner?
10. Jo said the following at 1:53 PM on Jan 24:
"Has it ever occurred to anyone, that maybe, just maybe, these women simply label themselves as Christians?"
That was one of my first thoughts as well, that many people claim to be Christian who don't actually have a real commitment to Christ, HOWEVER...
"Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone identifying themselves as Christian after having killed someone in cold blood? Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone living a life of unrepentant sin (e.g. sex outside marriage) and still claiming to be Christian?"
First of all, 'unrepentent' was not something implied at any point; what makes you think that a young woman pregnant outside of marriage would necessarily be unrepentant?
Secondly, in answer to your question, not necessarily. I think all of us live lives of unrepentant sin, God is always revealing new attitudes and lifestyles in me that I had either never thought of as sinful, or had justified to myself. The world does a grand job of pulling the wool over our eyes and aiding us in our denial of the seriousness of our sin. It's not for you to reject a hypothetical person's claim of faith on the basis of one piece of information about their hypothetical life.
11. P&P said the following at 2:06 PM on Jan 24:
I sometimes wonder how many people sit in a church and disagree with the teachings. I know pro-choice Catholics who still go to mass, so I am inclined to believe that this is also the case in evangelical circles as well.
There are times when I want to label an evangelical who has an abortion a hypocrite, but then I realize that they are making a difficult choice, but what is probably the best choice for their situation.
Also, the Guttmacher institute has found that there is no direct link to so-called post-abortion syndrome:
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/09/3/gpr090308.html
12. Dan Gill said the following at 2:06 PM on Jan 24:
Heather, you are 100 percent right. It takes two to make a baby, and those who abandon a pregnant girlfriend or wife cannot legitimately claim to be men.
13. Frank Martens said the following at 2:19 PM on Jan 24:
I can GUARENTEE that if more "Christian" men stood beside their girlfriends & took responsibility for their actions there would be less abortions, period!
I Guarantee that if more "Christian" men, as you put it, manned up and were reall "Christian" men, they wouldn't have gotten their g/f pregnant in the first place.
That's not to say that I don't agree... but the responsibility should have started sooner. And I think that there's a lot out there pressuring Christian men to own up to their actions and stop before the sex. Now if they'd just listen... we wouldn't have this problem :).
But another growing problem is that a lot of people are calling themselves "Christian" but aren't acting like it. But maybe they're really not "Christians" in the truest sense... so should we really expect more from them? Or maybe we should be preaching the gospel more? I think the latter.
14. Adam D said the following at 2:39 PM on Jan 24:
I guess when it comes down to a real honest to God Christian girl making the choice for the abortion, what she is professing be it either confessing her sin to the church and having the baby, or aborting the child to avoid harsh criticism for whatever MAY happen, it comes down to how much that woman (and whatever irresponsible male contributed)fears God.
Does she fear the scorn of men over the wrath of God? Will she stand in front of men at the great white throne judgment and be judged or will she stand before God Himself! I truly pity the women that are in these circumstances. I would never want to have to carry the burden of deciding to end the life of someone who God was knitting together in the womb. May God have mercy on the women who are repentant.
15. Rachel said the following at 2:58 PM on Jan 24:
Theo K:
You said "Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone identifying themselves as Christian after having killed someone in cold blood? Wouldn’t you be skeptical of anyone living a life of unrepentant sin (e.g. sex outside marriage) and still claiming to be Christian?"
You're right, Theo, our fruits prove who we are. I just wanted to add though, that we don't always see the final picture...that God's still pruning away the weeds. We can't be skeptical of people's hearts.
Remember David? You would have never recognized him as a Christian, as a man who loved God and sought after God. Sleeping with another man's wife and then plotting a murderous coverup for his actions? He fell so deeply and so horrendously, but God restored him and His Spirit to him (see Psalm 51). He wasn't just a "self-labeled" Christian. We're all weak and we're all capable of sinning very seriously...we're not immune to even the worst of sins. (see 1 Cor. 10:12). Sometimes is is years before he grants repentance...or it takes a prophet like Nathan to knock some sense into us like he did with David. But God is gracious, if we realize no sin is too big or too ugly for Him to deal with.
16. Jane2 said the following at 3:15 PM on Jan 24:
I really appreciate the wisdom I found in the book Jane Eyre and this particualr quote. This quote really helped me set a foundation in my belief system, even before I became a Christian! I wish there were more godly Christian women who would stand firm in the Truths of the Word and their convictions based on it, not crumbling and committing such sin that has such tremendous consequences.
As mentioned before, if a truly Christian woman got pregnant and had an abortion...that probably really starting from taking small steps into sin, slowing walking away from the Lord. We all sin, but it's really about having short accounts with the Lord and quickly repenting...otherwise we get a heartened heart and then quench the Holy Spirit.
"I will keep the law given by God, sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad--as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour, stringent are they; inviolate they shall be...with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot!'" Chapter 27, pg. 279
17. Mandi said the following at 3:17 PM on Jan 24:
Um, Theo K, couldn't you use that line of reasoning about any other sin, or combination of sins?
Please don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that abortion is not sinful, or that the particular consequences of that sin (or really comination of sins that go into the ultimate act), aren't very, very grave for many people (not the least of which is the dead baby).
But Christians can be envious, covetous, jealous, lazy, selfish, wordly, disrespectful, judgmental, unforgiving, engaging in gossip, withholding their tithes very often...even every day. Do these sins make them less sinners than murderers and thieves? Not in God's eyes.
18. Tara said the following at 3:34 PM on Jan 24:
I abhor abortion--the mere thought of it makes me feel ill. I believe there is no time when it's "OK" or justifiable to have an abortion. Never. Even during times of rape or health concerns. (it's not the baby's fault just as much as it's not the woman's fault) It's sin and it deeply saddens me that Christian women could feel it's a viable solution to any problems their pregnancy may incur. And it saddens me that the Church could be so hateful and ungracious to women caught in extra-marital sex that they'd rather kill their unborn child than face the scorn and ostracism people in the church often force upon them...especially since the men often get off scott-free.
HOWEVER, abortion does happen and I 100% believe in forgiveness and redemption. I definately support the idea of reaching out to post-abortive women in love. Even the "best" of Christians fall and the Body of Christ should be there to catch them and help them back to their feet. I admit to having a hard time being gracious when it comes to abortion as it's another human life in the balance but as I said...abortion happens. Why should we wreck two lives when there is still the potential to restore one?
19. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) said the following at 4:14 PM on Jan 24:
Frank and Theo:
See, I wasn't aware that Christians didn't make mistakes. I thought that, like all humans, Christians, who love Jesus, can still do things that really mess up their lives.
Clearly, I was mistaken. So I guess I'm not a Christian either.
20. janette said the following at 4:29 PM on Jan 24:
May God have mercy on us all..wheter or not these girls claim to be christians or not I would say that is not the issue...the issue is all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ALL not one but All,therefore I would like to add that those of us whom claim to be without sin are liars and the truth is not in him!! so please look lets look at our own frailty and not judge that of another! Maybe if the church spoke more openly about theses issues( not with fire and brimstone messages then maybe,just maybe these women would decide not to abort the little life. Personally I think that people are too quick to judge especially the members of the body rather than reach out and show true love and compassion...did king David not committ adultry and was not a baby born and a husband murdered!God absoulutly loved king daivd and Jesus absoulutly loves these women...What I am saying is REACH OUT/ Blessings.
21. Steph said the following at 5:27 PM on Jan 24:
I would definitely say that for unbelievers, the reason for an abortion is often more to do with convenience, since the social stigma of unwed mothers (in society as a whole) is a lot less than it used to be.
Within the church, though, the stigma is still huge. Imagine the pastor's daughter getting pregnant....he could lose his job over something like that!! The pressure on the family to "take care of the situation" would be huge. I have seen similar situations...and all of the sudden the very same people who preach grace become harsh and judgmental. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that many Christians have had abortions because they are afraid of having their sin exposed and facing the wrath of their fellow believers.
I have to wonder...is our harsh response to sin actually part of the cause for many unborn children dying? When a girl gets pregnant, one sin has already taken place. But forgiveness and grace are offered by Christ. Let's not push her to make a second mistake, one that takes the life of an innocent child. This is the time when she needs to know that Christ's blood is indeed enough...and His grace has already been extended to her. The only way we can do this is by realizing that in God's eyes we are just as sinful as that girl, and just as needy of Christ's grace every day.
22. Kathryn said the following at 5:38 PM on Jan 24:
I've been a Christian all my life and I'm not married, nor have I ever been. Yet I've been in a position where it's crossed my mind as a possibility. Thankfully, I didn't have to. I have a very good friend who's a Christian and gave birth to a beautiful baby a couple of months ago. She's not married either.
We're still sinners. We make mistakes and we sincerely repent to God regarding them. I can understand the position these women get themselves into. One of my biggest fears while dealing with that particular sin was rocking up to church, knowing the dank depths of my heart and seeing all these beautiful smiling "perfect" faces around me. It's hard to do that. It's hard to sit there and think that you're being judged for a mistake you made. Particularly when the consequences of that mistake have huge ramifications for the rest of your life! Don't think that these women aren't Christian just because of what they've gotten themselves into. It can make all the problems just go away when there's an abortion to take care of it for you. Gone is the responsibility, everyone knowing about it, everyone judging you. It's so much easier!
I'm not advocating abortion. I'm pro-life to the core of me. But I'm trying to get you to have some compassion on these women who've had them.
It gets me really uptight when you sit back and judge these women to not be Christians. Yes, it's good to be discerning. But it's not good to judge them for their mistakes. That's God's role!
23. Kellie said the following at 7:24 PM on Jan 24:
We need to look at why women (regardless of whether they claim to be Christian or not) are having abortions and address those needs. And we need to be loving towards those in our lives who have gotten pregnant outside of marriage.
24. Heather said the following at 8:01 PM on Jan 24:
Theo, Frank & anyone else who is unable to extend the grace to post-abortive women that the Lord has shown to you:
There is not one sin that is worse than the other, NONE! In the eyes of the Lord not loving your neighbor (women in crisis & post abortive women) as yourself is on the same level as abortion. We are all sinners, we each have struggles & if you haven't been in this situation thank the Lord because it is horrific & has the power to kill the soul. I thank the Lord that he loves me in spite of the mistakes I have made out if terror. I thank the Lord that he is using my experience to me closer to himself so that I might love myself more & not think that sex is the only form of love I deserve.
Maybe YOU aren't the good Christian not us, I don't judge another persons heart & intentions, because I never walked a mile in their shoes & that job is left to the Lord alone.
P.S. Doesn't the Bible state that love covers a multitude of sins??
25. John said the following at 8:20 PM on Jan 24:
Canadian boy,
For the first time, you have guessed right!
Gotta love it when people argue for the carnal "christian".
There are very few people in church that ARE actually Christian.
It's a shame and sad, but true.
Addiction is one thing, but murder is all together different.
26. Brandon said the following at 10:02 PM on Jan 24:
I think if more Christian women are having abortions it's due to the lack of a solid church family. More and more churches are getting soft toward a commitment to anything at all. This leads to a quicker rebellion among the congregation and therefore greater sin. I think it's time the church find leaders who are committed to the Word of God rather than packaging commercialized church services and church settings. If the Word is preached there will be less and less problems with people doing the right thing.
As far as judging I don't think the church judges enough anymore. I believe we should first examine ourselves then judge the actions of other believers and call them out on their gross errors such as sexual sin. The Bible even says that. We of course must remember to judge the action and not the individual. Only God can judge their soul. But it is the corporate duty to judge the actions. Like a festering sore the best way to cure it is to expose it. I also agree that God loved David, but if you look it's only when David repented which he did all the time. That's why God loved him. Not because he was perfect but because he was constantly battling himself to become more like God. You will notice that he only committed adultery once. He also paid the consequences from his actions which were quite severe.
27. Stanhope said the following at 10:28 PM on Jan 24:
To those saying "well, maybe they said they were Christian, but really aren't", I'm surprised you haven't considered the other possibilities:
- That they said they were anti-abortion, but they are, in fact, prochoice.
- That even anti-abortion women make exceptions when they personally need one.
28. Theo K said the following at 2:28 AM on Jan 25:
«Theo, Frank & anyone else who is unable to extend the grace to post-abortive women that the Lord has shown to you:
There is not one sin that is worse than the other, NONE! In the eyes of the Lord not loving your neighbor (women in crisis & post abortive women) as yourself is on the same level as abortion.”
I don't agree that my comment was lacking in grace. In fact, I concluded by saying that:
"These women do indeed need our help. And their greatest need above all else is to find forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. "
And to be honest, the most loving thing to do is not to undiscerningly accept someone's claims to be a Christian despite the fact that their lifestyle screams of the opposite. There is a fundamentally wrong assumption here, that what anyone believes has nothing to do with the way they live. But that is absolutely unbiblical. Our individualistic and self-absorbed culture has lead to the demise of church discipline. Most people hear about church discipline and are angered, instead of looking at what Jesus and Paul had to say on the matter.
To those claiming that someone having sex outside marriage as a lifestyle could still be a genuine Christian at the same time, can you please, please give me a verse supporting this? And it is obvious that those that do live in such a way, and then decide to have an abortion to cover their sins are still unrepentant. It is unfortunate that we prefer to hide the truth in order not to upset anyone (Paul didn't think like that as he was living in the brink of eternity, see for example 2 Corinthians 7:8-16).
The truth must be told boldly and lovingly. To not tell the truth is to hate your neighbor.
"There is not one sin that is worse than the other, NONE!"
This, to a certain extent, is true. But when pressed to the extremes leads to unbiblical conclusions. It is true in the sense that the wages of any sin is death. It is not true if by saying this we mean that anyone can do anything and still be a Christian. Before sending an angry response my way please study the following verses. If you can refute my understanding of them I would be interested to listen to what you have to say.
"Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral [i.e. fornicators], nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Key statement here (besides not inheriting the kingdom of God!) : "Such *were* some of you" - not anymore!
"But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortionist; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not you judge them that are within? But them that are without God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." - 1 Corinthians 5:11-13
These kinds of people are not Christians in Paul's mind even if they are called 'a brother'.
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:19-21
Could Paul have been any clearer than that? The point isn't that Christians can't do mistakes. The point is that people that persistently live such lifestyles are NOT Christians in the first place, and therefore will not inherit the kingdom of God, unless they repent of their wicked lifestyle and turn to Jesus for forgiveness.
I could go on and on, but I will give you just a few more verses, these are the words of Jesus:
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie." - Revelation 22:12-15.
The point again and again is that those that are genuine Christians will be revealed to all by their lifestyles. Is this salvation by works? No, it just proves that good works necessarily follow in the life of a regenerate person. And therefore, it is biblical to go to someone who lives with such a lifestyle (e.g. fornication) and tell him/her: repent or you shall likewise perish. This is the loving thing to do. And if someone disagrees with my conclusions, please take sometime to consistently interpret the above verses in a different way prior to arguing against my understanding.
Do the above have far reaching consequences? Yes they do. But it is the truth and without it people will perish forever. So preach the gospel. All of it. Do not water it down. And pray that God will bring a mighty revival. And we will know that this has happened when people repent of their willful ignorance and once again embrace the word of God as their only standard of life and faith.
And just in case people get me wrong again, I am not saying we shouldn't help those in crisis or post-abortive women (where did I even imply that anyway?!?). But we should do it in a biblicaly consistent way.
And what I am saying to anyone living with such wicked lifestyle, or to someone who used to live in such a way, and now feels the burden of guilt is this:
Come to Christ. Repent of your sins. And He will offer absolute and perfect forgiveness. There is nothing that He can't forgive. There is nothing that He won't forgive. Because He came to save sinners. He is a real Saviour for real sinners, like you and me.
"Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man [Jesus] is preached to you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." - Acts 13:38-39
29. Carrie (the original) said the following at 7:20 AM on Jan 25:
You know, it's sad that (1) young girls get pregnant out of wedlock, (2) the guy leaves her with no support, (3) the church decides she isn't worth their time, and (4) her parents disown her.
I go to a small church and we have an unwed mother in the congregation. She and her family were put under the care of the church elders. Her baby is due in March. Her story, fortunately, has a happy ending that was paved with grace, love, and repentance. It is sad that all unwed mothers aren't as fortunate. Maybe if people could put aside their own pride and rest in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, more women can be as fortunate as the girl in my church.
30. Jo said the following at 9:55 AM on Jan 25:
John said: "Canadian boy, for the first time, you have guessed right!"
How dare you?
31. Rachel said the following at 10:29 AM on Jan 25:
P&P,
The Guttmacher Institute is the research (read "lobbying") arm of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the nation. Of course they are going to do their best to deny that Post Abortion Syndrome exists. Because if PAS exists, it means women feel guilty about their choice and why should they feel guilt or distress over their choice if there was nothing wrong with that choice? I promise you, it does exist. I meet women suffering from PAS on a regular basis. But for more information about Guttmacher and Planned Parenthood, visit the attached link!
32. Christina said the following at 10:48 AM on Jan 25:
OMG lack of mercy can be amazingly prevalent.
I've never had an abortion. I've never been pregnant. I am not, however, a virgin.
Seriously...sexual sin is the hardest sin to deal with. It has more pervasive consequences than most other sins.
If your lucky (like me), no one need know about it unless I choose to share it...I don't have a disease, I'm not pregnant, and there's no reason in this day and age for my husband to expect blood on the wedding night.
You can harbor jealousy for years without anyone knowing the depths of darkness in your soul that are born out of deep envy - no one will know.
You can steal compulsivly and, if your good at it, no one will know.
But when a girl or a young woman or a woman makes that mistake - even once, even for several months, and struggles with it and fights with it and struggled with it before it ever happened (how many of you seriously have not felt the temptation of sex???), if they are not nearly so lucky as me, they face life long consequences that all the world can see.
If she contracted a disease, it has to be on the registry with Disease control - and she can be criminally prosecuted for knowingly passing it to someone else who didn't know she had a disease.
If she got pregnant, well...what do you think?
You ever read The Scarlet Letter? Just one mistake, and no matter how repentant of it you are, you are branded for a lifetime as a sinner. There is very little forgiveness on earth for them, because every new person who meets the woman and her child will know her past - you committed adultery. Nevermind that I did, too, but at least I didn't get pregnant. At least I used contraception to hide my sin from the eyes of the world.
With the amount of mercy and compassion that was shown by Theo (and maybe a couple others) that is a reflection on parts of the church, why aren't you surprised? Why aren't you surprised that christians would rather hide their sins than expose them to a world where they will be shunned and criticized for not doing the "Christian thing"?
I remember a woman in the Bible who was caught having sex and the man she was with ran away, but the towns people caught her and exposed her to the rest of the town. Her sin was blatantly obvious, barely clothed, hair a mess, tossed into the dust of the street. The towns people were ready to stone her for her obvious example of what was hidden so secretively in their own hearts. And Jesus stepped in and embraced her and told the townspeople that only he with no sin can cast the first stone.
Ironic, isn't it, that the only one with no sin was the only one willing to hold her and show her compassion?
"Christian" means "Christ-like". Where there is a time and place for expelling blatant and unrepentant sinners from the church (Jesus and the Pharisees???), but just because a woman has an abortion ( a christian woman, even ), doesn't mean she is unrepentant. In fact, its the very feelings of GUILT, ABANDONMENT (perceived, maybe, but prove to me that that's not really true), and HELPLESSNESS that drive a woman there. It isn't an easy choice to make. Try getting pregnant out of wed lock as a Christian and discover just how difficult it is to bear that cross.
Personally, I'm not surprised that so many Christian women get abortions. I know that if I had gotten pregnant towards the end of my last relationship, I would have considered it. Not because I think abortion is ok, in fact I completely abhor it. But to be pregnant when you are alone, the church is distant, your family isn't supportive, and your boyfriend doesn't love you is not exactly the easiest thing in the world - I have compassion for them. And rather than use my knowledge of how wrong abortion is by picketing outside abortion clinics, making women feel even worse and more desperate to hide their sins, I'd like to find her hiding in the alley out back while she's still struggling with the choice and hold her and let her know that God still loves her.
Oh...and Heather, I wanted to know - were you the one that commented on my poem?
33. Francesca said the following at 12:03 PM on Jan 25:
Theo K: Amen! what a biblical and well-written post!
34. Stephanie said the following at 4:22 PM on Jan 25:
Theo wrote:
"It is true in the sense that the wages of any sin is death. It is not true if by saying this we mean that anyone can do anything and still be a Christian. Before sending an angry response my way please study the following verses. If you can refute my understanding of them I would be interested to listen to what you have to say."
I would be careful here. One thing I have learned lately is never to say that there is such and such a sin I would "never" do. I think we all have to have a healthy fear of ourselves because, while we may not be able to conceive of ourselves doing some wicked thing that we hate, we REALLY DON'T KNOW. ("If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!" 1 Cor. 10:12). We ALL have the potential for great evil (it is not what goes into us but what comes out of us that makes us unclean, according to Jesus, and out of us comes greed, lust, murder, etc.). Others have mentioned King David. What would you say about him, knowing that he committed adultery and murder? That there was no way he could have a real relationship with God? On the contrary, God considered him a man after his heart. It has sobered me to realize how many sins I haughtily think I don't struggle with/ aren't tempted by JUST because I have been graciously spared from the circumstances that would give me the opportunity to commit them.
35. Adam D said the following at 8:00 PM on Jan 25:
I used to accept what people said about falling into sexual temptation, I mean, who can resist it right? Then one day long ago I started to make out with my girlfriend at the time. I didn't really enjoy it because I felt like I was sinning but she started to really get into it. But before it went too far I simply said "no" to her and we stopped. During the whole thing I could not get Jesus out of my mind. I could not shake the feeling that He was watching me and disapproving. I have no sympathy for "Christians" who fall into sexual temptation because it is really rather easy to say no and stop your body from acting if you truly have Jesus as Savior. That is all.
36. Amir Larijani said the following at 10:43 AM on Jan 26:
Obewan: Having worked at a crisis pregnancy center, I can say that I have witnessed exactly what you are talking about: teens whose parents are effectively forcing them to have abortions.
However, I only had two such cases in three years--and I counseled over 500 clients during that time. The vast majority of abortion-minded clients were adults, usually single. Half the time they were college students. Only two were married, and one decided to keep rather than abort; the other tested negative (pregnancy test).
However, the Guttmacher folks are reporting two alarming trends: (a) the increase in married women having abortions, and (b) the increase in abortions among evangelicals.
The latter is something to which I can attest: of the abortion-minded clients I had, all but one (she was an atheist) was a professing evangelical Christian. Most went to the most conservative evangelical churches in town.
The increase in abortion among married women is also alarming for a number of reasons. Off the top of my head, I can think of two obvious ones: (a) a married woman who aborts has about an 80% risk of divorce; (b) if she has children, it will blow gaping holes into the whole family.
Like you, I am often skeptical of what I hear from AGI, as they clearly have socio-political-economic incentives behind their "statistics". On the other hand, I've seen the dynamic they are describing.
Does my anecdotal account constitute a verification of their statistics? No. On the other hand, I would not be surprised if they are correct.
37. Christina said the following at 1:58 PM on Jan 26:
well said, stephanie.
38. Amir Larijani said the following at 6:52 PM on Jan 26:
Adam: While I agree with part of your point--sexual sin is almost never spontaneous, and involves the override of every warning light--I have lots of empathy for people who get tangled into sexual sins.
My empathy is not so much for what they did, but rather the mess in which they find themselves afterward.
Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go, and cost you more than you ever thought was possible. And sexual sin tends to be more damaging than most others. And--once the hormones kick in--very few are able to say NO.
I don't like to use terms like "he or she FELL into sin". Unless they were coerced (raped or molested), they SWAN DOVE into it. We sin because we like to do it. It feels good, for a season.
On the other hand, we ought to minister in grace. Jesus did it, and so can you.
39. Heather said the following at 7:14 PM on Jan 26:
Christina: No it wasn't me who commented on your poem, I have never commented anything on Boundless before this post. But I do appreciate the love & grace in your words. Knowing the love of Christians is amazing feeling.
Theo: I thank God that my church is more understanding than you are! I tell you the truth, a dear friend of mine from high school, the son of the pastor & a pastor himself sat in his car in the parking lot while I was having an abortion because he loved me so much. He did not drive me there, he did not support my decision but he refused to allow to be alone. I am no less Christian than a person who lies. All your Bible study aside did you forget that Jesus said judge not least you be judged. I wonder what skeletons you have hidden in your closet? Also, isn't the gospel about LOVE? Maybe I got that wrong.
When I get to Heaven & make no mistake there is a room there for me as well as you, I will ask the Lord. You might want to Phillip Yancey's book What's So Amazing About Grace
40. Heather said the following at 8:34 PM on Jan 26:
Theo: After some thought...I am appalled by your reactions & opinions because you have no authority to judge the depths of anyone's heart & yet you are (by saying that people who have sex outside of marriage or have an abortion are not true Christians). There have been people to post comments to you about Daniel, love in the Gospel & other scriptural references & yet you ignore them & continue to condemn people you don't even know. You by no means have to agree with my decision to have sex or an abortion, but you have no right to condemn me to hell by saying I am not a true Christian & won't inherit the Kingdom.
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control" Galatians 5:22
-Where is your love, patience, kindness & goodness in these conversations?
The Bible defines love saying, love "does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" 1 Corinthians 13
- In your 2nd post you claimed to be speaking the truth out of love, I tend to disagree with your motives. If I am wrong then show me how your love for me has endured all things, beared all things & hoped all things while not acting unbecomingly.
Jesus said, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits" Matthew 7 15-20
-Which fruit (as referenced by what the Holy Spirit produces in our lives) are you bearing in the context of your judgemental posts?
I can not dispute what the Bible says about sexual immortality, my objection is to your opinion that my sins are worse than yours & I am not a true Christian. I would rather be the Christian who has stumbled multiple times because then I can be the person discribed in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God"
Theo, how many women do you think would turn to you for the help that even agreed they so desperately need after learning of your turn opinion?
41. Al said the following at 9:13 PM on Jan 26:
Adam said:
"But before it went too far I simply said 'no' to her and we stopped. During the whole thing I could not get Jesus out of my mind. I could not shake the feeling that He was watching me and disapproving. I have no sympathy for 'Christians' who fall into sexual temptation because it is really rather easy to say no and stop your body from acting if you truly have Jesus as Savior. That is all."
While I totally get that our personal successes at resisting temptation might lead us to conclude that those who fail trails we have passed don't measure up to Christ's calling, and their faith is therefore dubious, a new temptation can immediately arise in the form of pride. Not everyone is built physically and chemically the same way, and some, well, simply have a harder time breaking away when their juices start flowing and the endorphins start to take over. For those folks the pursuit of holiness starts by avoiding situations that can lead to more in the first place, not by willing themselves to stop when they are already in the moment.
Actually, I would argue that this is how *everyone* should pursue holiness and resist temptation and how we, especially as men, should be loving and leading our sisters who we might be in a romatic relationship with. If we allow ourselves to enter into a situation where a significant other becomes aroused and uncontrolled and we're unable to oblige (I love how clinical I sound), we have in some sense, already failed. At any rate, our own personal uniqueness sometimes makes us poor judges of how others struggle-- just as our own struggles often causes us to coddle our own sins we have yet to root out because resisting our stronger temptations is, frankly, hard.
Now while I absolutely agree that lifestyle and obedience *indicates* one's faith, and while we can make some guesses at one's sincerity as a professed believer, I think it's dangerous to presume that we know absolutely, to assume that's God is largely finished with them, and even more dangerous for our own faith to allow our own victories over certain sins to deaden our compassion. But of course compassion doesn't mean mere empathy and understanding alone. We mourn and we plead and we firmly and lovingly call those who are sinning to repentence.
It just seems that if Christ doesn't allow His own ability to resist temptation to affect His ability to extend compassion, we should *probably* follow His lead even as we falteringly pursue holiness.
Hebrews 4 states the case pretty well. Scripture tends to do that. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
42. Christina said the following at 6:42 AM on Jan 27:
Theo K., you really misunderstand what is going through women's minds if you think that they're walking into abortion facilities with "cold-blooded murder" on their minds.
In the normal psychology of normal pregnancy, it takes the woman time to assimilate the reality that she really is pregnant. It is also normal to panic early on in the pregnancy. So, you have women who haven't really let it sink in that they're pregnant. They're just in a panic state. All they really internatize is "I'm in a deep load of trouble."
They're told by society that the fact that they are fearful and wanting to bail out is proof that they "need" abortions, and that all an abortion does is restore you to the non-pregnant state.
So they act in a moment of panic, and only afteward, when they've had time to process it, does it really sink in what they've done.
43. Christina said the following at 6:44 AM on Jan 27:
P&P, you said, "There are times when I want to label an evangelical who has an abortion a hypocrite, but then I realize that they are making a difficult choice, but what is probably the best choice for their situation."
Excuse me, but while she may be making what she *believes* is the best choice, how can killing your child, made in God's image, ever be a "best choice", or even a marginally acceptable choice?
44. Christina said the following at 6:51 AM on Jan 27:
"That even anti-abortion women make exceptions when they personally need one."
The only "need" for abortion exists in women's heads, not their wombs. Until we abolish the idea of abortion as a "necessary" evil, we can't eradicate it.
Panic is normal in early pregnancy. So is wanting to make it all go away. It used to be that doctors told women this, that they'd get past it and bond with their babies and be able to be perfectly normal mothers. Now that panic and the natural flight-or-fight response are treated as some sort of "proof" that the woman "needs" an abortion.
She needs an abortion as much as a man with poison ivy needs an amputation. Her problem is temporary and self-limiting. But thanks to a hardcore political agenda, nobody ever tells her that.
This is something we need to be saying in the church. That the panic and rejection are normal, and that they will pass.
45. Kathryn said the following at 7:01 AM on Jan 27:
Adam,
God had been very gracious to allow you a victory over that particular sin. But please do not presume that just because you found it easy, everyone else does too.
You say I have no sympathy for "Christians" who fall into sexual temptation because it is really rather easy to say no and stop your body from acting if you truly have Jesus as Savior.
I am a sinner and have sinner in this way, yet I hold Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour. To be honest, I still struggle emotionally with it. Because of this struggle, I feel that I am in a very good position to extend compassion towards those who find it a harder struggle than you.
Consider what sins you do struggle and toil over. Maybe for me, those are ones I do not find so hard to deal with and I am blessed in that way. You are not righteous yet, though you are counted righteous through God's own work, not yours. You still sin, just not in that way. Please don't let your pride stop you from extending grace to those struggling. We are weak enough as it is, we do not need you making us feel worse about ourselves.
46. Adam D said the following at 12:44 PM on Jan 27:
Al I appreciate your comment and I am intrigued by this sentence "Not everyone is built physically and chemically the same way, and some, well, simply have a harder time breaking away when their juices start flowing and the endorphins start to take over." Can you link me to any studies or sources to help elaborate on this further? I am not asking in a devil's advocate sort of way, I am really curious about these sorts of studies. I also appreciate the calls for me to be more compassionate.
To Kathryn, I apologize for coming off as rather harsh towards the Christians that have sinned in this area. I should have worded my entry in more of a way to encourage others rather than criticize. The interesting thing I took away with me after resisting that temptation was how easy it seemed to be to say no. Maybe I am wired differently than others and can say no easier because I have always grown up with the fear of participating in anything that seems wrong. I never drink with people and have never had the temptation to smoke or do any drugs. Again this could be unique to me but I just remember how heavily my conscious weighed as I was in the situation I was in. I have remained abstinent all my life and my mind was quickly working through all the shame and problems associated with a Christian losing his virginity and I couldn't deal with that. On top of all those thoughts I couldn't shake the feeling of Jesus just standing there and looking at me silently. What was He thinking of me as I was about to plunge into sin?
Anyways, this has been kind of long but it would really bother me if I met the love of my life and she had already fornicated when I fought tooth and nail to remain abstinent because it was commanded of me to do so. It would bother me if she were a professing Christian, not if she were secular, because I know I can't hold them up to Christ's standards because they are still slaves to their sin. I still need to work on the whole compassion ordeal, it just sometimes bothers me a lot and I may start to think why the heck am I trying to stay abstinent so hard when so many of my brothers and sisters are just going along with the world.
47. Amir Larijani said the following at 4:33 PM on Jan 27:
Adam: What you are failing to account for is that the way Jesus defined adultery in Matthew 5, you are no less guilty than the gal who failed to exercise discretion. After all, if you've failed the Law in one respect, then you've failed in all.
If you understood the dynamics of your own sins, you wouldn't be so judgmental of hers.
And don't get me wrong: in her case, there are issues to work through, but the last thing you can afford to do is take the attitude of "I've been true in this area but she hasn't..."
After all, she may have fruits of the Spirit that you are lacking.
If you meet an otherwise good Christian gal who has "gone the distance" in her past, then count yourself blessed.
48. Kathryn said the following at 5:11 PM on Jan 27:
Adam, thank you for your apology :)
It's because of God's grace in your life that you have reached where you are, so remember to give credit where credit is due, :)
I regret what I've done. Two years ago I wouldn't have believed that I could have been in that position because I've always held a very firm stance on no sex before marriage. I still do. In 1 Corinthians 6, when Paul is talking about sexual immorality with prostitutes, why else would he mention it if the Corinthians weren't sinning that way. And what does he say to them? There's now no hope for you? NO! He says to stop and repent and get on with your lives. That's me. I've stopped, repented and I get on with my life.
I try very hard not to get into that same position, now knowing that it's a weak spot for me. I labour and toil to overcome other areas of sin in my life, possibly as hard as you labour to not let it overcome me.
I know for me, I am working on extending grace and compassion towards people right now. Interestingly enough, I'm working on extending it to people much like yourself in my church. Who sit there, look to be perfect as if they could never do what I've done and sit there in judgment of me. I find myself becoming rather bitter towards them. I'm trying very hard to work on that and show them love. It's not for me to judge them on their circumstances. So maybe I'm doing what you're doing a bit, only the opposite.
Without love in my heart for them, I'm nothing but a clanging gong. Love is upmost and compassion a very good way to show it!
49. Al said the following at 5:25 PM on Jan 27:
Adam, hey, thanks for hearing me out. It's really sort of counterintuitive that Jesus has sympathy towards us *because* of His temptations, and despite His perfect resistance-- when usually we extend empathy out of our own failures...
Yeah, unfortunately, I don't have any hard studies to back up my claim. It's more of an intuitive and hopefully informed guess... I know some folks are more easily chemically addicted to certain substances. My dad was able to quit smoking at the drop of a hat. Not the same thing, but I don't think it's too far fetched to think that we don't all respond to chemical stimuli, sexual or otherwise, in quite the same way, and that we don't all have the same level of self control. And I think we're lead to pursue holiness despite our differences in whatever potentially drastic means necessary. I mean, yes, it's definitely a moral issue, and I don't want to excuse it by saying some folks are just physically predilected to those actions. But I suspect the struggle is *somewhat* different in intensity for each person (or even depending on who they're with).
And while I've had similar experiences and have been able to pull back from the brink in physically intimate situations, I did so when I'd already progressed farther than I really wanted. By Jesus's own standard, I'd pretty much committed the deed in heart if not in actual physical action. I guess we've both been blessed on some level in our conscience and upbringing that safeguards us from diving overboard-- but I think the litmus test of faith (if there is one) is a life of repentance and overcoming sin despite failures, and not merely dodging a worse and irrevocable sin at a last moment.
And I totally hear you about not being comfortable marrying someone who isn't a virgin. I used to feel pretty strongly about that too, I think partly out of wanting an ideal mate, and proven purity was part of the criteria. Whether it's out of mercinary practicality or out of my own growth, I can't say. Maybe it's a bit of both. But I'm more open now to dating someone who will pursue purity with me despite their past, and trying to allow for what Jesus is doing in them now... I know when it comes down to actually doing so, issues are going to come up though. Sin generally has a cost.
50. Theo K said the following at 2:11 AM on Jan 28:
“Theo: After some thought...I am appalled by your reactions & opinions because you have no authority to judge the depths of anyone's heart & yet you are (by saying that people who have sex outside of marriage or have an abortion are not true Christians). There have been people to post comments to you about Daniel, love in the Gospel & other scriptural references & yet you ignore them & continue to condemn people you don't even know. You by no means have to agree with my decision to have sex or an abortion, but you have no right to condemn me to hell by saying I am not a true Christian & won't inherit the Kingdom.”
I didn’t do any of those things. Apostle Paul did, Jesus did. God’s word is absolutely clear. And be sure that God will judge people according to His word. Those that live such wicked lifestyles are NOT Christians. This is what the word of God says. Has anyone proved the opposite and I just missed it?
How anyone can condemn someone who isn’t a Christian is beyond me. How dare I tell the truth. How dare I quote Jesus and Paul saying that those that consistently live such lifestyles will not inherit the kingdom. Shame on Apostle Paul. Who did he think he was, telling us that people that are fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God (unless they repent). Shocking! I guess he didn’t get it right back then. But we know better, don’t we? Brilliant…
I am sorry you are blinded to the truth. Once again, to tell the truth is to do the loving thing. To not tell the truth is to hate your neighbour. So, I am doing the loving thing, as scripture defines it. I am preaching the gospel. You on the other hand, are groundlessly giving false assurance when the word of God does exactly the opposite.
51. Heather said the following at 10:55 AM on Jan 28:
Theo: You have missed my point entirely! I am not disputed the Gospel, in fact I even said that. I disagree with your way of preaching it, as a weapon. You don't have to condone the act to the love the sinner in a kind, gentle manner just as my pastor has done with me. It was the love & forgiveness of the Lord that was shown to me through his actions that made me want to repent. Had my friend hammered home just how horrible a person I was for my actions I would have ran the other direction & never looked back. Instead my friend opened his arms & his heart to love a broken woman in need, just as Jesus did. Then the Lord convicted my heart to repentance. I don't know you from Adam, all I can go by is your words in these posts. But the way you have come across here, to me, is harsh, uncaring & judgemental & none of these characteristics will lead a sinner to repentance or the church Theo. Only the Lord can change a person's heart Theo, we are called to love one another not brow beat each other into feeling more shame & guilt than we already do. It is the love of Christ, the kind, giving, gentle love that attracts people to him the rest is up to God & the sinner, not for us to judge.
52. Al said the following at 6:15 PM on Jan 28:
Scripture definitely warns that those who live consistently willful and sinful lifestyles that are not marked by repentance are not real believers in Galatians 5--
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God"
But immediately in Galatian's 6, Paul commands gentleness:
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently."
Even in Jesus's ministry, He knew exactly when to use harsh words of warning and when to use gentleness. I don't think either are universal methods for meeting people where they are at with the truth they need-- and it takes wisdom and love to know how to engage them in each particular moment. For a woman who has made the grevious and tragic mistake of having an abortion, I think we ourselves make a tragic mistake if we spout scripture at her from afar without knowing her situation, circumstance, and heart at the moment and right now. We must affirm the truth and warning of scripture and the weight of what she has done, but also need to extend grace and gentleness if she herself is already feeling guilt and remorse even as we call her to true repentance.
For the woman who continues in a sinful lifestyle, *knowing* what scripture says, calls herself a believer, and continues to have sex outside of marriage or have repeated abortions, we may be required to warn forcefully in a way that may be hard to bear, and issue an even more forceful call to repentance.
It seems to me that Paul's and Jesus's warnings ultimately serve to call all people to repentance as much as they serve to warn, rebuke, and affirm the truth. I don't think they're meant to write people off. I'm not saying that's what Theo K's doing as he's sticking to his guns about what scripture clearly says-- but that seems to be how it sounds to Heather. But I think it's also worth noting that Jesus's last recorded words to the woman in adultery, after He had extended the utmost compassion and gentleness, was "Go now and leave your life of sin."
And because I'm sort of retentive when it comes to distinction and words, "truth" is not always automatically "love". Truth *can* be delivered without love as Paul suggests when he talks about speaking truth in love. It often is. But speaking truth in love is a commitment to offering truth in the manner, tone, and moment needed without. I have to admit that I've been both overly gentle and overly harsh simply because that was the easiest for me at the time-- not because it was the most needed.
53. Stephanie said the following at 5:29 PM on Aug 12:
What are you talking about social consequences? Our media and society is so liberal most won't admit something as being wrong. They say "everyone has the right to live thier lives the way they want." It's time to call sin a sin. Just becasue you can understand why a person would commit an abortion doesn't make it justified. IT's WRONG. One last thought, I'm a mother who is Catholic and had a child out of wedlock I chose not to continue the path I was on by covering up a sin with a sin. Currently also in good standing with the Church and still attend.
54. BDB said the following at 6:56 PM on Aug 12:
There was an interesting Wall Street Journal article on a new study on this subject. It was looking at the possible after effects for women who had abortions. But I think you need a subscription to read it.