Thinking Christianly

Despite my best attempts I have been unable to escape news about The American Marathon that is their election process. However, despite my cynicism there is one thing I always find I enjoy about the elections, it is that politicians in America will tell you where they stand on moral issues. It is even acceptable (politically beneficial???) to state your conviction in terms of Biblical precedent. And the issue of Abortion is a live one.

From time to time I sit on Question Time Panels in secondary schools and invariable - just as in the American election - this issue comes up. What are Christians to say about abortion? How should we think Christianly? What does grace have to say about it? How does the Bible call us to act?

The abortion statistics that were released a couple of weeks ago were staggering, over a quarter of a million abortions in the UK in a year. Rightly there was much hand wringing and concern. But what should a Christian say?

1. Abortion is not part of living in God's plan but the result of living in a fallen world.
The Bible opens with a picture of the perfect world, with Adam and Eve told to multiply and content to live under God's rule. Sex was in its correct and best context between a man and a woman in a life long monogamous relationship, in which it could fulfil its potential as designed and called good by God.

However, after Genesis 3 that all changed, with mankind's rebellion we threw out God's good order and have been doing so ever since. In stead of wanting the best as the creator designed it we settle for a quick fix of casual and disconnected sex. The consequences the Bible is open and honest about. The resultant mess breaks God's heart.

2. The enduring pattern
Having laid that foundation we need to teach people that it is an enduring pattern. Marriage between a man and a woman is still the only context in which sex is at its best as designed by God. To take anything else is to settle for second best.

3. Thinking Christianly about abortion
However, we live in a world where rejection of God is all around us not just in this area. So how should a Christian respond to abortion? We need to say that the Bible clearly says no one has the right to take a life apart from God alone (Ex 20:13). Abortion is therefore wrong. But that cannot be where our Christian thinking ends. I can't help thinking that would be where the Pharisee stopped.

How does grace change our thinking? I think in two ways. Firstly it means that we care love and support the person who has had an abortion, be it recently or a long time ago. It is not the unforgiveable sin and is often a traumatic experience and one which causes deep seated guilt for years afterwards. Grace liberates, if they will confess and repent God will forgive.

Secondly, we need to offer a viable alternative, and that alternative is to adopt children who would otherwise have been aborted. Theologically it is what God does to us, we are his adopted sons. But it is also what grace calls us to do. Christian thinking cannot simply call on someone to do as we say without lovingly providing an answer to a need. Thinking Christianly on abortion leads us to return to the cross where we are adopted as God's children and causes us to say how would God have me love others in this dreadful situation as he loved me. It leads to love for those who have gone through this traumatic experience and adoption of the children of those who have decided not to.