Is it possible that God is using the Covid pandemic (amongst other things) as a form or warning (or even judgement), to draw our attention to the sin of abortion? And, if so, what does this mean for the Church and what action should believers take as a result?
Abortion matters
First, let’s consider the disparity in numbers between these two sources of death. In the two years or so since Covid began to spread from Wuhan in China, there have been about 5.37 million deaths globally, with about 150,000 in the UK. By contrast, there were about 210,000 abortions in the UK in 2021, and between about 43 million1 and 73 million2 globally. This is a huge variation – some 70% – but it shows both the complexity of the issue and the fact that a great many abortions are unreported.
Next, let’s take on board the reality of what abortion truly is. We should expect a world that rejects the message of the gospel to ignore the issue of abortion – 'reproductive rights' as the secular news and progressives see it – and to focus instead on Covid. Scripture is unequivocal about God’s heart for life (Deut 30:19), life in all its fullness (John 10:10), as well as his hatred of child sacrifice (Lev 20:2, 4; Ezek 23:37, 39). I believe he expects the true Church to have a heart and passion for those aborted, for he weeps for these lost little ones (Jer 9:1; Jer 31:15).
When was the last time your local fellowship talked about abortion and how seriously God takes it? Note how gracious God is to forgive all those who have been involved in any way in abortions. This reveals God’s holiness and hatred of sin, but also his mercy to repentant sinners.
God cares about life in the womb
Much of the evangelical Church in the UK has a blind spot to abortion (in contrast to the Catholic Church), and so there has been little preaching on, or help provided for, the very many within its bounds who have had abortions, and who need to know God’s forgiveness and experience his healing. Roughly 25% of all conceptions end in abortion. On average 25% of women will terminate at least one pregnancy – and 42% of those who have one abortion go on to have another. Huge numbers of women within and outside the Church are carrying all the emotional baggage – loss, shame, guilt and lack of self-forgiveness – of having had a termination, but being denied the pastoral and spiritual help they need, so that they can live the life in abundance offered to them in Jesus (John 10:10).
... the ekklesia needs to learn from the Catholic Church in its commitment to life within the womb, as well as focusing on being properly born again, converted and discipled.
Evangelicals have traditionally focussed on the importance of being born again and gaining eternal life. But the ekklesia needs to learn from the Catholic Church in its commitment to life within the womb, as well as focusing on being properly born again, converted and discipled.
Since 1920, when Russia legalised abortion, and up to the period when Covid broke out a century later, there have been at least one billion abortions (possibly as many as two or even three billion). We simply don’t know the number – but God does. During the last two decades, there have been roughly 140 million babies born each year. Over the whole of the twentieth century, approximately 11.5 billion people lived on the planet.
Thus, assuming one billion terminations, roughly 8% of all human life since 1900 was killed in the womb – multiple times more than have been killed in all wars not only in the twentieth century, but throughout history. Of course, if the actual figures are nearer to two billion, then the percentage is nearer to 15%. If a single death is a tragedy, and a million deaths are a statistic, then a billion or more deaths are simply unfathomable – unfathomable to understand, and unfathomable to grasp the depth of God’s anger toward us.
Judgment for abortion
Lastly, let’s reflect on the issues of repentance and judgment. While abortion is a classic example of the strong against the weak, powerful against the defenceless, it is much more than that, because bloodshed defiles the land wherever it takes place, and atonement for it is essential (Num 35:33). While to many secularists and progressivists, abortion is not only a right and a rite, it is sin in God’s eyes. It is but one of many sins for which a holy God requires repentance, failing which judgement will follow. Israel was frequently warned by her prophets, but only rarely did she respond to them.
While to many secularists and progressivists, abortion is not only a right and a rite, it is sin in God’s eyes.
A further reason abortion is so serious is because the shed blood of these innocent babies activates demonic activity, in a way we can only discern through a glass darkly (Lev 18:21). The blood sacrifice of abortion feeds a spirit of death that has thereby extended control over the nations, manifesting in increased debauchery, violence and much more. Our ‘worship’ has fed bondage to the demonic. We are under judgment from God while we persist, but the evil we are seeing displayed across the world is simply the outworking of other forms of evil, which God will not restrain when we remain in rebellion. Ultimately, this is a battle between God and the devil.
Likewise, much of the world, including those particularly Western countries with Christian heritages, have ignored God’s warnings of judgement. Yet, in God’s mercy and sovereignty, coronavirus overwhelmingly strikes the older generation, who are morally complicit in abortion in a way that the younger generation, who have largely been spared, are not. The US Rabbi Jonathan Cahn is one of a number of Christian leaders to have argued very publicly that Covid-19 is a worldwide judgement for abortion – the shedding of innocent life (Jeremiah 19 and 32). The issue is simple: we cannot expect God to bring healing from coronavirus across the world if we are shedding so much innocent blood.
Repentance
Ultimately, abortion is a spiritual matter. It cannot be remedied by cures rooted in other realms, be they political, economic or ideological. A spiritual disease can only be answered by a spiritual cure – and that means meaningful repentance. If there is no repentance, judgement will follow. Judgement is not God’s heart, either for a nation or an individual, but it is a necessity, because he is holy. Redemption, however, is his heart. He wills that none should perish and he longs to save (John 3:16), to grant mercy and forgiveness, and to heal and restore. But for that to happen, repentance is essential.
A spiritual disease can only be answered by a spiritual cure – and that means meaningful repentance. If there is no repentance, judgement will follow.
That means action – it means the ekklesia preaching about the sin of child sacrifice, helping those who have been involved with or who have had abortions, interceding for God’s mercy for it, and engaging in spiritual warfare. Depending on jurisdiction, it will mean governments changing legislation to repeal it.
And it will mean societies and nations becoming aware of just how costly this shedding of blood has been – and changing their ways, to affirm and cherish life. How we respond, wherever we might be, will determine how God treats us. Even in his mercy, God can be severe – and in his wrath much, much more so.
Voice for Justice is hosting a Call to Repentance for the Missing Millions at the Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, London on Sat March 26th 10am – 6pm. More details here.
Endnotes
1. LifeSite News
2. Guttmacher Factsheet
3. According to this link (dated 2013), there had been 1.72 billion abortions worldwide in the last 40 years. With 42 million abortions a year over 8 years, that would mean in excess of 2 billion abortions.
4. The Harbinger 2, by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, who is better described as a Messianic Jew, than a Christian. This book is written as a novel, and some question its theology (eg, see here). However, his point about abortion in general is unequivocal. He also spoke at The Return in Washington DC on 26th September 2020, and at The Renewal on 8th January 2022.
image - dreamstime.com