Why Support TPC

I hear all the time about non church goers seeing church goers as hypocrites.  And in many cases that is true.  The church in general has a public relations problem that starts with the heart of each church goer. 

Our churches are failing their members and communities.  Members tend to judge the sin instead of trying to help the root of the sin.

The church has a terrible reputation on helping women who are in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy.  Many times the woman is made to feel like an outcast, while the church members feel like they are superior.

James 1:27 says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Accordingly, God created His church to, among other things, fight to protect the unborn, end abortion and strengthen families.

But again, the church fails.  According to data from The Guttmacher Institute, 54% of women who have abortions identify themselves as Christians.  Yes - 54%.

Care-Net’s own research found that 4 in 10 women were regularly attending church at the time of their abortion. 

These numbers show that most women who have had abortions do not view the church as a place that provides help for women facing unintended pregnancies. 

The survey also showed that the church has great potential to help women and men through pregnancy decisions.

Care-Net’s survey also revealed some startling data concerning how the local church fit into the women’s decision to abort their baby.

Of the women surveyed, 54% self-identified as Christians.  This was more than other religions (24%) or nonreligious (12%).  Of those who self-identified as Christians, 65% were more likely to have been attending church at the time of their first abortion.

One-third of the women surveyed had no expectations or did not receive any reaction from their local church.  In fact, most women EXPECTED their local church to be judgemental.

Only 14% experienced or expected their church to be helpful.  14%.

Only 24% said their church has some influence with 8% providing abortion alternatives and 12% referred them to a counselor or pregnancy center.

If the above stats don’t hurt your heart, these one will.  Only 7% of the surveyed women said their church encouraged them to NOT have an abortion.  African American churches were twice as likely as white churches to discourage abortion. 

 Two percent of the women surveyed said their local church encouraged them to have an abortion while 4% said they were referred by their church to an abortion provider.  Ten percent responded that their church actually paid for their abortion. 

Nine percent of the women reported that someone representing their church drove them to get their abortion. 

Because of several liberal denominations, the above stats are a bit skewed.  The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Unitarians, the United Church of Christ and reformed and conservative Jewish synagogues all support abortion in some form. 

One last stat.  Did the women believe that the local church is a good place to find someone to discuss their unplanned pregnancy? 

Thirty-four percent of those who identified as Hispanic and 33% of those who identified as African American were likely to recommend talking to someone at church.  Whites, on the other hand, only 18% were likely to recommend church as a place to go.

White women were also the least likely to say that churches are prepared to provide material, emotional, and spiritual support to women who chose to keep a child resulting from an unplanned pregnancy. 

​​​​​​​I love what the Making Life Disciples website  has as its tag line – “Courts can make abortion illegal… Only God through His Church can make abortion unthinkable”

Care Net has program called “Making Life Disciples”.   When you go to the site, scroll down for their free version of the program. 

If you want your church to be a Life Saver, then look at the course.  It will teach your church how to be the bridge between the hurting women and The Pregnancy Center of Dillon County. 

The churches also have a responsibility to support the TPC so this valuable resource to the most vulnerable in our communities will be ensured to be around for years to come saving one life at a time.