A recent study reveals that Christians are not fully united on their view of abortion.
Regular churchgoers in the United States (adults who attend church services at least once a month) were polled on social issues, particularly abortion and matters related to biblical teachings.
According to their findings, 16 percent of churchgoers admitted to having, paying for or encouraging an abortion. Additionally, 20 percent of respondents did not believe the Bible identifies when human life begins.
Regarding the Bible’s stance on abortion, 35 percent believed it is never acceptable, 19 percent deemed it acceptable when the mother’s life is at risk, and 10 percent thought the decision should be left to the couple. The study also found various views on abortion in cases of physical or mental disabilities.
The study shows that churchgoers are not a monolithic group when it comes to abortion. Even when identifying as “pro-life,” many Christians seem to have different standards: While 36 percent identified as “pro-life, with some exceptions or limitations,” 27 percent labeled themselves as “pro-life, without exceptions or limitations.”
David Closson, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Biblical Worldview, said that survey’s findings show an “ongoing need for instruction in a biblical worldview, particularly on abortion and the value of human life.”
“Christians might be surprised to learn that around 17 percent of female churchgoers have had an abortion, and 15 percent of male churchgoers have paid for or actively encouraged someone to get an abortion,” Closson wrote. “However, Family Research Council’s findings track with similar studies, including one by Lifeway Research in 2015 that showed 16% percent of all women who have had an abortion identified as evangelical Christian.
“To put these percentages into perspective, consider the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest protestant denomination,” Closson continued. “In 2023, the total membership across 47,198 SBC churches was 13.2 million. If we were to apply the 16 percent figure from the FRC and Lifeway surveys, approximately 2.1 million Southern Baptists have, at some point, actively participated in an abortion. In other words, we can conclude that millions of theologically conservative Christians have a personal history with abortion, even if they do not talk about it.”
