In the United States, abortion is the leading cause of death with almost 1 million abortions per year. Coming upon the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision to legalize abortion, has it been worth the cost? Despite the appalling numbers, there are differences among churches about when life must be protected.
Below are the top 20 Christian denominations by membership in the U.S. and their stances on abortion.
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church opposes abortion. One source writes: “God loves each human life from the instant of his or her conception and entrusts this gift to the protection of a mother and father. Abortion ends the life of a child and offends God. It also deeply wounds the women and men involved.”
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention opposes abortion. They do add an exception for the rare case where the mother’s life is threatened. Accordingly, “all human life is a sacred gift from our sovereign God and therefore … all abortions, except in those rare cases where the life of the mother is clearly in danger, are wrong.”
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. does not have an official position on abortion.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposes abortion. They teach that “elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God.” They do allow exception for in cases where the mother’s life is threatened or pregnancy as a result of rape or incest.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church’s position is unclear. They oppose partial birth abortion and abortion as a means of gender selection or birth control but endorse “the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures.” In 2016 they deleted their longstanding support for Roe v. Wade.
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ opposes abortion. In its resolution, it states: “We, the General Assembly of the Church of God, reaffirm our historic commitment to the sacredness of human life…we stand opposed to the use of abortion as a means of birth or population control.” In the rare case where mother’s life is threatened, abortion is licit as a last resort.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America opposes abortion once the baby is viable outside the womb. Before viability, abortion is acceptable. They also allow for exceptions of rape or fetal abnormality.
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
The National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. has an unclear position on abortion.
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church opposes abortion but admits exceptions where the mother’s life is in danger or a pregnancy from rape or incest.
Assemblies of God USA
The Assemblies of God, USA oppose abortion. They state that “every human life, from conception through death, is therefore to be valued, respected, nurtured, and protected.” Also: “Abortion is a morally unacceptable alternative for birth control, population control, sex selection, and elimination of the physically and mentally handicapped.” However, they do allow for extremely rare cases where the mother’s life is threatened.
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod opposes abortion. They state: “The living but unborn are persons in the sight of God from the time of conception. Since abortion takes a human life, it is not a moral option except to prevent the death of another person, the mother.”
Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church supports abortion as the choice of the mother. They forbid “abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience.” Yet, they view abortion as a discretionary choice of the woman and condoned in the case of rape, incest, physical or mental threat to mother, or fetal abnormalities.
Progressive National Baptist Convention
The Progressive National Baptist Convention opposes abortion outside of reasons of maternal health or fetal disease.
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church opposes abortion. It does add the exception of the health of the mother or fetal abnormality.
Presbyterian Church, USA
The Presbyterian Church, USA supports abortion as a personal choice. It frowns upon abortion as birth control or convenience but views circumstances include deformity, pregnancy from rape or incest, or when the life of the mother or child are gravely threatened as justified.
United Church of Christ
The United Churches of Christ support abortion. They call for the “repeal of all legal prohibitions of physician-performed abortions” and affirm “a woman’s right to choose with respect to abortion.”
Jehovah’s Witness
Jehovah’s Witness opposes abortion. They teach that life begins at conception and is sacred. On exceptions for the health of the mother or child, they state: “In view of what the Bible says about the life of an unborn child, a person would not be justified in having an abortion because of a potential health risk to mother or child. In such a case,… where at the time of childbirth an emergency forces the choice between saving the life of the mother or saving the baby…those involved would have to make a personal decision about which life to try to save.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church opposes abortion. The church recently adopted position that “considers abortion out of harmony with God’s plan for human life. It affects the unborn, the mother, the father, immediate and extended family members, the church family, and society with long-term consequences for all.”
The Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America opposes abortion. It states that human life starts at conception. “Even when an abortion is performed to save the life of a mother (and such abortions are extremely rare), something profoundly tragic has occurred.”
American Baptist Churches USA
American Baptist Churches USA generally opposes abortion. In a resolution they state: “As American Baptists we oppose abortion: as a means of avoiding responsibility for conception, as a primary means of birth control, and without regard for the far-reaching consequences of the act.” They also add: “We acknowledge the freedom of each individual to advocate for a public policy on abortion that reflects his or her beliefs.”
The majority of these religious groups oppose abortion in almost all circumstances. A number of churches also present a vague position or none at all. But, instead of freeing women to make their own choice, these churches ultimately rest the burden of choice on the woman.
Being pro-life is not just about unborn human life. All life is sacred. While the fight for unborn life must continue, support for women to choose life also must be emphasized.
With that in mind, it is appropriate that the theme of this year’s March for Life is: Life Empowers: Pro-life is Pro-woman.
Comment by David on January 24, 2020 at 12:30 pm
The idea that God loves each human life from conception is nonsense given that nearly 70% die in utero. This is also the leading cause of death, not abortion.
Comment by Steve on January 24, 2020 at 12:47 pm
Obfuscating or confusing the issue by using bogus or questionable statements? According to the March of Dimes, as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage — most often before a woman misses a menstrual period or even knows she is pregnant. About 15-25% of recognized pregnancies will end in a miscarriage.
Comment by Jennifer on May 2, 2020 at 11:34 am
Miscarriage and abortion are two totally different subjects
Comment by Byrom on January 24, 2020 at 6:07 pm
David,
Where do you get the “nearly 70%” figure?
Comment by David on January 25, 2020 at 10:41 am
There are many scientific articles on this subject and are easily searched. The most loss is shortly after conception and the surviving percentage levels off around 30%. The major cause is due to an incorrect number of chromosomes.
Comment by Carl on January 29, 2020 at 12:45 pm
David – provide one study that says 70%. Just one.
Comment by Mark on January 25, 2020 at 9:14 am
This makes no sense to me. In this fallen state we all die at some point by some means. How does the length of our life determine God’s love for us?
Comment by td on January 26, 2020 at 7:48 pm
So your idea is that God decides to love a human at what point? Conception, heartbeat, birth, the correct number of chromosomes, only those who don’t die in car accidents?
Honestly, i don’t agree with your idea that God doesn’t love aborted children because 70% die in utero. Does God not love those children who are miscarried or who can’t survive after birth?
Intentional, chosen abortion is sinful. Period. Yes, there are contexts to each situation. Yes, God forgives.
Comment by Jennifer on May 2, 2020 at 11:36 am
Read Jeremiah 1:5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew ther.
Comment by Bill Stahl on January 24, 2020 at 4:05 pm
Those churches who are “wishy-washy” or support abortion are really not Christian. They are now advocates of “bourgeois christianity.” These churches eagerly seek “earthly solutions” to their need to rationalize and justify their support of this very satanical practice. They are NOT Christians. Their actions condemn them. They seek “a feel good” mindset which enables them to have “earthly peace.”
Comment by Ted R. Weiland on January 24, 2020 at 7:18 pm
Abortion is not always an act of violence.
The battle against this atrocity begins with identifying it correctly. By calling it “abortion,” we’ve already acquiesced to the opposition’s terminology. Look up “abortion” and “miscarriage” in any dictionary. A miscarriage is an abortion. Technically, even a full-term delivery is an abortion. Why? Because the baby has been aborted by natural means.
What doctors (and parents) do to infants in the womb is infanticide. Had Roe v. Wade been waged over infanticide rather than abortion, it would have never made it to the court room. In fact, by employing the word “abortion,” Roe v. Wade was won before it ever got to court.
The Greek word “brephos” employed in the New Testament for infants already born is the same word used for infants in the womb (Luke 2:12 and Luke 1:41), without specifying the precise moment they became a “brephos.” Therefore, our only option is to then accept that they became such at conception. Thus, intentionally killing a brephos at any point is “brephocide” or, more properly, infanticide.
The same is true for one of the Hebrew words translated “child.”
The point being, we Christians need to stop using the non-Christians’ watered-down, politically correct terms such as “abortion” and “gay.” It’s infanticide and sodomy. There is no power in the former terms against evil and our first mistake is in acquiescing to the ungodly’s terminology.
Listen to Part 1 of “Word Wars & Captive Thoughts” at http://www.missiontoisrael.org/tapelist.php#T849
Comment by Brother Thom on January 24, 2020 at 8:14 pm
I enjoyed this post, The United Methodist Church’s position on abortion is interesting. I’ve probably said it over 100 times, but I’ll say it again. The next big issue for the progressive UMC after it gets the homosexual issue behind them, will be a new position on abortion. You heard it here first (maybe), the UMC which will soon be known as the gay church, will also become the church of choice, as in the choice for abortion.
Comment by Jane on January 24, 2020 at 8:25 pm
Please list the Presbyterian PCA – Presbyterian Church in America’s beliefs. They are one of the few growing denominations in the USA and I’m pretty sure they oppose abortion.
Comment by Jerry Pawloski on January 24, 2020 at 9:41 pm
I am wondering what the new traditional denomination stance will be on this.
Comment by Carl on January 29, 2020 at 12:53 pm
Well, if I’m part of it, it will be pro-life I’m pretty sure. Although I don’t favor it, I’m willing to accept a first trimester abortion for rape, but not incest (unless it was rape).
Comment by Dee on January 24, 2020 at 11:59 pm
Where Roman Catholic hospitals exist in communities across the nation, women are denied tubal ligation (“tying of tubes”) because the procedure essentially ends the life of the yet-to-be-conceived fetus. Even when a doctor recommends the procedure when she/he believes a pregnancy will endanger the life of the mother, the procedure is denied. Example: A family member of mine was denied a dr recommended tubal ligation after experiencing serious complications with her fifth pregnancy. Her doctor believed another pregnancy would likely kill her. The local Catholic-owned hospital served church doctrine, not her. The church believes it’s better to preserve the life of the “not-yet-conceived” rather than the mother of five children. I am thankful for the UCC’s stance. Women and their doctors should be making reproductive health decisions, not church doctrine. Hospitals run with hefty contributions of tax dollars. If folks don’t want an abortion, don’t have one. And if unwanted children wind up in an orphanage, let’s remember it’s once again church doctrine that actively discriminates against families that want to foster or adopt these kids.
Comment by Patrick98 on January 26, 2020 at 8:20 am
“Hospitals run with hefty contributions of tax dollars.”
Fill in this sentence: Hospitals are built with hefty contributions from _______ .
If you want a hospital that runs according to your beliefs, you contribute the money and build it yourself.
That being said, tax dollars are not usually contributions. We are told how much tax to pay, and the penalty for not paying is legal punishment.
Comment by JR on January 27, 2020 at 8:49 am
Except those hospitals take payments for services rendered via medicare and medicaid, which are paid via tax dollars.
Comment by Patrick98 on January 27, 2020 at 11:55 am
So?
Comment by Dee on January 25, 2020 at 12:21 am
Ted makes a point about the language Christians use. He prefers “sodomy” to “gay”.
“Sodomy” refers to particular sexual acts. It “typically includes anal sex, oral sex, and bestiality”. There’s no shortage of straight couples who engage in sodomy, so not sure why Ted believes the term “sodomy” refers exclusively to gay people. Further, It is not at all uncommon for heterosexual, unmarried teens to engage in anal and oral sex (sodomy) when access to birth control (a form of abortion according to the “pro-life” agenda) is denied. Sodomy is absolutely a form of birth control (abortion, according to religious doctrine) and an enjoyable one at that, for many opposite sex couples.
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on January 25, 2020 at 6:46 am
Thank you Dee for the Neo Marxist anti Christ worldview!
Comment by Davis on January 29, 2020 at 12:58 pm
Seriously Doug? I’ve had a Neo Marxist anti Christ worldview my entire marriage just because we’ve engaged in consensual oral sex?
Comment by Dee on January 25, 2020 at 10:50 am
Just pointing out facts that are pertinent to this discussion. Folks who live in a bubble often omit inconvenient realities.
Comment by Jim on January 25, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Dee did your mother ever refer to you as obnoxious? Just wondering from the confines of my bubble.
Comment by Linda on January 25, 2020 at 12:40 pm
What is the Presbyterian Church in America PCA view on abortion. You only stated the other Presbyterian USA view.
Comment by Dan on January 25, 2020 at 5:57 pm
That is a very kind interpretation of the ELCA’s position on abortion. They are definitely pro-abortion. They pay for employee abortions. They do not support any pro-life causes. Last year the ELCA’s top bishop wrote of her concerns with “legislation to restrict access to legal abortion.” In the article she states,
“Amid the legislative challenges to access to abortion, we must remember that this church supports ongoing access to legal abortion as well as access to abortion services and reproductive health care that is not restricted by economic factors.”
Also, the vast majority of ELCA pastors are pro-abortion. Readers, be fooled by a dated, deceptive claim that they may have made a long time ago.
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on January 28, 2020 at 7:08 am
Correct Dan .
Comment by Beth on January 26, 2020 at 11:51 am
Does anyone know what the ECO Presbyterian Church ‘s position is on abortion?
Comment by Loren J Golden on January 26, 2020 at 3:51 pm
ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians has not issued a formal statement on abortion. However, in its Essential Tenets document, which is a formal part of its constitution, the ECO includes this statement in regard to the Sixth Commandment:
“We therefore hold one another accountable to: … eradicate a spirit of anger, resentment, callousness, violence, or bitterness, and instead cultivate a spirit of gentleness, kindness, peace, and love; recognize and honor the image of God in every human being from conception to natural death.” (Essential Tenets III.E.6; found online at https://www.eco-pres.org/static/media/uploads/eco_constitution_online12.11.18.pdf)
In case you were curious (although you did not ask), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church has published a Position Paper on Abortion (http://epcoga.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/Files/1-Who-We-Are/B-About-The-EPC/Position-Papers/PositionPaper-Abortion.pdf), and the position of the Presbyterian Church in America was published in an Ad Interim Report of the denomination’s Sixth General Assembly in 1978 (http://pcahistory.org/pca/studies/2-015.html).
Comment by Beth on January 27, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Thank you, very helpful!
Comment by td on January 26, 2020 at 7:33 pm
I admit that i am confused on the words used in this article. Is there consistent usage of the word “opposes”. Oppose can mean lots of things in this context.
Does the church oppose abortion by teaching it is a sin and also oppose its legality? Does the church oppose abortion by teaching it is a sin, but does not oppose its legality? Is the article equating affirming abortion as not teaching it is sinful or by not promoting its criminalization?
You see there are nuances here because opposing abortion does not have to translate into advocating for its criminalization.
Comment by JR on January 27, 2020 at 8:54 am
Great point, td.
I oppose abortion personally, but I don’t support criminalization. I think we should be putting efforts into limited regulation (I can see 15 weeks being the limit as opposed to viability), but also into addressing root-cause factors (poverty is a big one there). While I don’t think it should be banned, I think we can tremendously reduce the number of abortions.
[As a side note because the two arguments often get tied together, I’m similarly in favor of reducing the death penalty. There are some acts and some people who absolutely should be considered for the death penalty – but we overuse the DP right now.]
Comment by Joan Oliver on January 26, 2020 at 11:15 pm
I think the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA…and definitely Not the Episcopal Church) is opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
Comment by Bill on January 27, 2020 at 1:19 pm
It would be interesting to compare positions on abortion with those on capital punishment to see some really rank hypocrisy!
Comment by td on February 6, 2020 at 9:19 pm
You do realize there is a difference between killing the totally innocent and killing a known serial murderer, right?