Of the 1 million abortions performed per year, a conservative estimate is that at least 20% of them (200,000) are accessed by Christian women, says a study through carenet.org a nonprofit that works with pro-life centers around the country. This is a staggering number of women considering that one of the core tenants in the traditional Christian church is “thou shalt not kill”. So why such a large number? The answer is multifaceted and requires a larger look at the church in general and its relationship with its congregants.
According to the same study from Carenet.org only 38 percent of women who have had an abortion consider the church a safe place to discuss pregnancy options such as parenting, abortion, and adoption. That leaves over half of women in the church believing that they either aren’t supported by the church, or that the church has no say in their pregnancy. In fact nearly two-thirds of women (64 percent) believe that church members are more likely to gossip about a woman considering abortion than to help her understand her options.
The Executive Director of Lifeway Research who also co-conducted the study with Care Net, said “If women don’t start experiencing something different than what they’ve seen in the past, these numbers aren’t going to change.” That is where Life Options Network wants to come in. We want to engage with churches in our area and nationally, and change these statistics. Churches need to be able to come along side pregnant women to not only support them, but also advocate for them and have plans in place for housing, jobs, and physical support.
If your church would like more information on Life Options Network or would like to partner with us, please contact us at https://lifeoptionsnetwork.org/contact/ We’d love to speak with you!
