Writing from her own experience, kim ketola sheds light on the widespread need for healing and spiritual recovery after. Episcopal priest kira schlesinger takes what has become, perhaps, the default prochoice and christian view. Sue bohlin takes a hard look at abortion from a biblical perspective. Many of the questions seem to have no concrete answer neither scientifically nor ethically. As a christian, i believe that god is prolife, bomberger stressed. The truth about christianity and abortion huffpost.
Christianity and abortion has a long and complex history, and there are a variety of positions taken by contemporary christian denominations on the topic. This book is designed to help people heal from their abortions and put guilt, shame, fear, and doubt behind them. Not the traffic excuse again, i fumed as i filled arts plate and slapped it onto the table. However, the phenomena of the vehement anti abortion vigilance in rightwing christianity is a relatively new one based on the lack of interest in the topic in early christian teaching, biblical texts and christian culture throughout history. Scriptures also offer gods forgiveness for those who have had abortions. Oates offering orchestrates a story from the point of view of both the killer and the victims daughter, so readers get an inside perspective from two people on opposite sides of the abortion debate.
Beckwith is the author of what i consider to be one of the best christian resources responding to the proabortion movement, politically correct death. See how we are working to keep you and our team members safe while continuing to resource ministry. And christians would do well to educate themselves about the realities of abortion and its alternatives. Christian rightwingers warn abortion fight could spark us. Jun 05, 2018 at first glance, her book may seem like the latest marker in a resurgence of the religious left. Aug 03, 2009 the church condemned abortion as early as the 2nd century ce. For christians, human life is sacred and a gift from god which is to be respected and protected. Christians who walk in the light must expose the dark and fruitless works of abortion. How did you come to the christian right as your area of expertise. Apr 19, 2017 this is a margin that could have easily pushed swing states in the other direction.
There is no explicit statement about abortion in either the old testament or the new testament books of the christian bible. Theres a throughline that leads explicitly from abortion politics and their entry into court to the christian right developing legal resources. It has been the subject of countless articles, books, speeches and demonstrations. Apr 11, 2018 abortion is a moral issue, just not in the way weve been taught, argues rebecca todd peters, an ordained minister in the presbyterian church and professor of religious studies at elon university. To the majority of people today the termination of an unwanted pregnancy is regarded as a womans unquestionable right. Martin luther king, his ive been to the mountaintop speech, factored into your thinking about the christian moral argument for abortion as you. I have found secular books very hollow on how to overcome. Unlike the rest of the uk, abortion is only allowed in northern ireland to save the. My research on abortion politics i have two books on that topic led me to studying white evangelicals and the christian right. Several state legislatures passed restrictive abortion laws in hope that the supreme court would overturn roe v. Prochoice activists represent the other extreme of opinion. A christian argument for abortion rebecca todd peters.
An abortionist doctor is shot by an evangelical christian, marking a series of similar murders committed between 1993 and 2015. Lynn cory is leader of neighborhood initiative and author of neighborhood initiative and the love of god in this challenging and timely book, hammond and labonte point out that more than half of the abortions performed in the united states in a. An even greater surprise was the subject matter in his book entitled abortion a rational look at an emotional issue. However, i would have to add everyone with an open mind. The book of genesis, for example, holds that man became a living being only after god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Christianity and abortion has a long and complex history. Answering arguments for abortion rights baker, 1993. But for the eight to ten million american christian women who have had one, abortion is a spiritual issue as well, raising questions of life and death, heaven and hell, grief and loss. Abortion is one of the most divisive and controversial issues of our day. Christian ethicist says to trust women on abortion religion. A christian view on abortion few topics cause as much debate, controversy, emotion and rhetoric as the question of abortion. Yet she totally dismisses the arguments and decisions of prolife women. With this in mind many christian quotations against abortion can be found.
Are you a christian woman who is still dealing with guilt from having an abortion. I recently spoke with peters about the book and her vision for the role of progressive, feminist christian theology in contemporary abortion debates. Christian women tell their stories anne eggebroten on. It has become an industry, a solution, an excuse to avoid responsibility. The book is especially helpful if are a christian, or maybe were and just cant get past the abortion. The 2018 book includes more than 250 pages of personal testimonies from women who have had an abortion, as well as administrators and medical professionals who have performed the procedure. Healing abortion s guilt and grief, kim ketola read more christian women spiritual life, faith, and growth. Perhaps a better title would have been trust prochoice women to make prochoice decisions. Researchers, as well as anyone interested in the moral and religious elements of abortion, will find this resource. How abortion transformed the culture wars cambridge studies in social theory, religion and politics lewis, andrew r.
An abortion is the termination of pregnancy and is legal in england and wales under strict conditions. In her book, trust women, peters offers what she calls a progressive christian argument for reproductive justice. J, commentaries on the last four books of moses, vol 3, translated by bingham. May 26, 2019 prominent figures on the christian right in the us ranging from religious magazines to authors to elected politicians have warned that the fight over abortion rights could lead to a new civil war. The murder of preborn children is a dark and barren work, and god calls his people to expose it. Abortion score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. In the wide range of contemporary moral debate the abortion question occupies a central place.
Helps christians to think biblically, speak wisely and act compassionately on the complex issue of abortion. The bible states that the deliberate taking of an innocent human life breaks. A progressive christian argument for reproductive justice. Trumps christian right worships power more than they worship. Abortion continues to be a hot topic in politics, womens rights, and medical practice. Rebecca todd peterss new book is titled trust women. The fact that peters is a christian ethicist might be viewed as a shrewd sellingpoint for her arguments and a reminder that not all christians vilify abortion. Her christian viewpoint focuses on the bibles perspective on the source and sanctity of life while understanding the emotions many women face. Citations also include references on how christianity has influenced abortion politics and law, discussions of operation rescue, and official statements on abortion by the catholic church and several protestant denominations. Lifes work, a doctors christian argument for abortion. If so, then you might need to know you are forgiven so you can receive full healing, forgiveness, and release. To help equip you to annihilate the arguments of proabortion advocates, ive developed the acronymabortion. List of books and articles about abortion online research.
Wed been married only two months, but the honeymoon phase was definitely overin fact, it had never existed. Here are just 15 christian quotes against abortion. With grace and truth, the authors bring clarity to the christian conundrum about abortion. Southern christian abortion provider willie parker. Few topics cause as much debate, controversy, emotion and rhetoric as the question of abortion. They believe that abortion does not differ fundamentally from other forms of birth control, and they strongly support the right of a woman to make her own choice about abortion, free of any legal constraints.
History of christian thought on abortion wikipedia. When it comes to book length scholarly texts that give a defense of abortion rights from a christian perspective, she can name only four, starting with beverly harrisons our right to choose in 1983. This book spoke to me because it also examined the lives of those who did not choose abortion. Sprouls books are on theology, church history and logic, it seemed unusual for him to write a book on abortion.
The key is to have every conversation grounded in facts. Uk christians must engage with the issue of abortion and bring the practice of. Reviewed in the united states on december 16, 2002. There is scholarly disagreement on how early christians felt about abortion. Peters discusses her new book and her vision for the role of progressive, feminist christian theology in contemporary abortion debates.
Some scholars have concluded that early christians took a nuanced stance on what is now called abortion, and that at different and in separate places early christians have taken different stances. Maybe you were a christian when you had your abortion, knew. But, there is healing which can be found in jesus, the great forgiver, the. Christian prochoice voices appear to be fewer than prolife voices, she observes, and their influence is less widespread. Abortion remains a controversial issue in the united states, however, and in 1977 congress barred the use of medicaid funds for abortion except for therapeutic reasons and in certain other specified instances. A christian call to prolife action is a call for the children of light to be who they are in christ. It may sound odd that a devout christian would dedicate his life to abortion rights. Oct 08, 2018 but two recent books attempt to open up substantive discussion within christian circles. The rights turn in conservative christian politics. The book s target age is kindergarten through sixth grade, she said. But can this right ever take precedence over the unborns right to life. Abortion the didache, one of the earliest christian writings, commands, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.
Lifes work, a doctors christian argument for abortion rights. Mar 03, 2020 in the intro of the book you write that most americans view the christian right as a cultural movement centered on a set of social issues, such as abortion and samesex marriage. Jun 20, 2019 throughline traces evangelicals history on the abortion issue nprs history podcast, throughline, examines how the issue of abortion became a defining political issue for evangelicals. I would like to say that this book should be read by everyone. Any book that purports to represent the real life experiences of christian women having abortions would have to include something more than carefullypicked stories of women who came out believing they made the right choice and it was their choice. Dec 18, 2014 since the bible clearly is against abortion, why do some christiansand, in fact, some mainline denominationsfavor abortion. Christian bible verses show that a fetus in the womb is a living baby, and that murder is a sin. Sep 18, 2017 you talked in the book about how a speech from dr. I remain a follower of jesus, and i believe that as an abortion provider, i am doing gods work. Throughline traces evangelicals history on the abortion. May 17, 2019 shout your abortion gets its cues from the viral hashtag and campaign started on twitter in september 2015.
New childrens book refutes lie of abortion, encourages. Christians can disagree on abortion and remain true to their faith. After all, parker remains a selfproclaimed follower of jesus. Oneillactress, model, and national spokeswoman of silent no moredraws on her own experiences with postabortion syndrome to show women that christ still loves them even if they have sinned. Abortion is deeply tangled up in politics, personal beliefs, and individual experience. In this revised and updated booklet peter barnes argues for the biblical teaching that the unborn baby is in. On abortion, why facts should matter on both sides of the. Let me highlight the main arguments of prochoice advocates here and also provide a christian response to each one. Bomberger said her goal is for the book to be a tool to help adults articulate the very difficult, very important human life issue of our day.