So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
(Genesis 1:27)
Like many of us, I was deeply saddened by two votes in Parliament last week which tragically undermine the value of human life.
On Tuesday 17th June MPs voted by large majority for an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which serves to decriminalise abortion up to birth for anyone acting in relation to their own pregnancy. The amendment is still to pass the House of Lords. If it becomes law it would be a very significant move away from protecting human life in the womb.
Then on Friday 20th June MPs passed, by 314 votes to 291, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. This would give those who are expected to die within six months the right to receive a fatal dose of drugs with which to end their own lives. Again, the bill must be passed by the House of Lords before it becomes law.
Both of these votes concern sensitive areas of life in which some of us have faced particular suffering. They are also tragic in that they undermine the sanctity of life. All human life is created in the image of God and is therefore of immense value in his sight. It follows that it is not for us to take human life. It is desperately sad to think of many thousand human lives being ended as a result of these bills if they become law. I am also deeply concerned that the decriminalisation of abortion up to birth will lead to vulnerable mothers being coerced into unregulated late-term abortions, and that the legalisation of assisted suicide will result, despite all safeguards, in vulnerable people finding themselves under pressure, from themselves or from others, to end their lives in order to avoid ‘being a burden’.
As Christian people how should we respond to these things? I would suggest in at least the following ways.
- Grief. We should grieve how far our country and our lawmakers have moved from a Biblical and Christian understanding of the sanctity of life and we should mourn the loss of human life that will result if these bills become law.
- Prayer. Let us pray that even now God will intervene in our law-making and in our culture so that human life is valued over our contemporary idol of ‘individual freedom’. Above all let us pray for people to come to Christ and find their values and priorities transformed by the life he gives.
- Compassion. As Christians we must have compassion for those who find themselves pregnant in difficult circumstances and those who are fearful of suffering at the end of their lives. We should be marked by practical and heartfelt love, not condemnation, for those in these situations. Those who have had or facilitated abortions can carry a heavy burden of guilt and pain for many years. We must remember and proclaim the forgiveness and healing that there is at the cross for all who come to Jesus in faith.
- Speaking. I am grateful to all in the church who have written to MPs about these issues. We must be ready to continue speaking in defence of human life. Our words make an impact on the people and the culture around us. The Evangelical Alliance (Advocacy – Evangelical Alliance) and CARE (Home | CARE) both offer more information on how we can be involved in advocacy in these issues.
- Valuing human life. We must show, especially in how we love and care for the vulnerable, that we value every human life – young and old, strong and frail, male and female – as made in God’s image and infinitely precious.
As we grieve our society’s lack of respect for life, we praise God that he values all humans as made in his image, and that he gave his Son to become a human in order to save us from our sin. Let us treasure human life as he does.
Jon Drake
June 2025