The events, circumstances, and personal experiences that influence people’s views on abortion are deep, complex, sometimes rooted in trauma and other very painful experiences, and are held onto because changing their view means relinquishing some aspect of control over something intensely personal: their body. Understanding that should lead us to be careful with how we communicate about abortion in general.

Because so many women have experienced rape and some have become pregnant as a result, it is very important to begin our answer by being sensitive to the pain of others.

If abortion is an issue which rarely gets discussed from the pulpit, and if pastors do not regularly preach on the value of human life and what the implications of that look like in the world, we end up with people who think the church does not have much to offer in this regard.