What Does the Bible Say About Abortion?

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out right now. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number.

The Bible never uses the word “abortion,” so the honest answer takes a little unpacking. But Scripture speaks clearly about the unborn. It describes children in the womb as made by God, known by God, and named by God before birth (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5). It treats the unborn as human life, not as tissue. That is the historic teaching of the church across Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions, and it is what this site holds.

At the same time, the Bible is a book about mercy. If you have had an abortion, or urged someone toward one, or stood by while it happened, you are not outside God’s reach. Christ came to save sinners, and that includes every one of us (Romans 3:23). You are welcome to come to Him today, exactly as you are.

What does the Bible actually say about the unborn?

The clearest passages are not laws but songs and callings. David writes about his own beginning:

For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. — Psalm 139:13-16 (BSB)

Notice the language: formed, knit, woven, seen. The psalm does not say the unborn become human at some later point. It says God is at work from the beginning.

God says the same to the prophet Jeremiah:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations. — Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)

And when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits Elizabeth, the unborn John responds:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. — Luke 1:41 (BSB)

Luke calls him a “baby” (the same Greek word used for a newborn), not a potential life. These passages together give the Bible’s consistent picture: the unborn child is a person made in God’s image, known and valued by Him.

Is there a law about it in the Old Testament?

One passage is often cited, and it deserves a careful reading. Exodus 21:22-23 deals with a case where two men fight and strike a pregnant woman. The law requires a penalty, and the wording ties the penalty to what happens to the child as well as the mother. Christians have read this passage in different ways over the centuries, and the Hebrew is genuinely difficult. What is clear is that the law treats harm to the unborn as a serious matter, not a trivial one, and that God’s law placed a high value on human life from its earliest stages.

That value goes back to the beginning. In Genesis, God says:

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. — Genesis 1:27 (BSB)

And after the flood, God gives the reason human life is protected:

Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind. — Genesis 9:6 (BSB)

The unborn child is included in that image-bearing humanity. That is why the church has consistently taught that the unborn are to be protected.

What about when the mother’s life is in danger?

This is one of the hardest questions in medicine and ethics, and faithful Christians do not all answer it the same way. It is a place where this site does not take a side, because sincere believers, reading the same Bible, reach different conclusions.

Some Christians hold that the unborn child’s life should never be directly ended, even to save the mother, and that both lives should be cared for with every medical means available, trusting God with the outcome. Others hold that in a genuine, rare emergency where the mother will otherwise die, the principle of seeking to save the life that can be saved applies, and that such a tragic choice is not the same as an elective abortion. Still others distinguish between procedures that directly target the child and those that treat the mother’s life-threatening condition while the loss of the child is a heartbreaking consequence rather than the goal.

What all sides agree on: this situation is a tragedy, not a convenience; it is rare; it calls for prayer, wise medical counsel, and pastoral care; and no one should face it alone. If you are in this situation, please speak with a doctor you trust and with a pastor or mature believer who can pray with you. Do not make the decision in isolation, and do not let anyone pressure you.

Does God forgive someone who has had an abortion?

Yes. Plainly and fully, yes.

Scripture says every human being has sinned and falls short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). That includes the person who had an abortion, the person who performed it, and the family member who paid for it. No one is in a separate category of unforgivable. The apostle John writes:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. — 1 John 1:9 (BSB)

That promise has no exception clause. David, who committed adultery and arranged a man’s death, wrote after his repentance:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. — Psalm 103:12 (BSB)

And God Himself says:

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.” — Isaiah 1:18 (BSB)

If you are carrying guilt over an abortion, the gospel does not ask you to punish yourself forever. It asks you to bring it to Christ, who already paid for it on the cross. Grief may remain, and that is normal. Guilt that keeps you from God is not from Him.

How should we speak to others about this?

With truth and with tears. The Bible never commands us to be harsh. It commands us to speak the truth in love, and it warns against self-righteousness. The same Paul who wrote that all have sinned also wrote that we should consider others more important than ourselves.

If you know someone who has had an abortion, the most Christlike thing you can do is to be a safe person. Listen. Do not lecture. Point them to Jesus, not to shame. If you are a parent, teach your children what Scripture says about the value of life, and also teach them what Scripture says about the mercy of God, so that if they ever face this, they know where to run.

If you are pregnant and frightened, please talk to someone. A pastor, a trusted older believer, a pregnancy help center, or a doctor can help you think through your options and find support. You do not have to carry this alone.

Where do we go from here?

The Bible’s message on abortion is not first a political message. It is a message about who God is: the Creator who forms life in the womb, the Judge who sees every act, and the Savior who forgives every sin brought to Him in repentance. Read Psalm 139 slowly this week, and then read Psalm 51, David’s prayer after his worst sin. Notice how he asks God to create in him a clean heart.

Pray honestly. If you have sinned in this area, confess it and receive forgiveness. If you are grieving, ask God to comfort you, because He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and He heals the broken (Psalm 147:3). And find a local church where the Bible is taught faithfully and where you can be known by other believers. You were not made to walk through this alone.

Common questions

Does the Bible mention abortion anywhere?

The Bible never uses the word “abortion,” but it speaks about the unborn in passages like Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5, and Luke 1:41-44. Exodus 21:22-23 addresses harm to a pregnant woman and her child. Taken together, Scripture treats the unborn as human life made in God’s image.

Can a person be forgiven for having an abortion?

Yes. First John 1:9 promises that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That promise includes abortion. Grief may linger, but guilt that keeps you from God is not from Him.

What should I do if I am pregnant and afraid?

Talk to someone you trust: a pastor, a mature believer, a doctor, or a pregnancy help center. You do not have to decide alone. Pray and ask God for wisdom, and let other Christians walk with you through this.

Is abortion a political issue or a spiritual one?

It is a moral and spiritual matter that has political implications, but the Bible addresses it first as a question about God, human life, and mercy. Christians should speak with truth and love, and care for both the unborn and the women and families involved.