The battle over abortion is not merely political—it is moral, spiritual, and cultural. For over fifty years, abortion advocates have advanced a narrative full of carefully crafted half-truths and outright lies. These lies are not only destructive to preborn life, but also to the hearts and minds of mothers, fathers, and society at large. It’s time to expose these falsehoods and defend the truth with grace and conviction.
Below are 20 of the most common lies promoted by the pro-abortion movement—along with clear, compassionate, and biblically grounded responses rooted in the pro-life worldview. These truths are championed by a host of pro-life leaders, ministries, and speakers who courageously defend the voiceless in our society.
1. “It’s just a clump of cells.”
Response: Scientifically, this is false.
Steve Jacobs’ PhD thesis, completed at the University of Chicago in 2019, focused on the question of when life begins, particularly in the context of the abortion debate. Titled “Balancing Abortion Rights and Fetal Rights: A Mixed Methods Mediation of the U.S. Abortion Debate,” his research combined legal, philosophical, and scientific perspectives. One of the most cited parts of his work involved a survey he conducted with thousands of biologists from over 1,000 academic institutions worldwide. The majority of respondents—over 95%—agreed that human life begins at fertilization.
By week 12—when most abortions occur—the baby has a beating heart, brain waves, fingers, toes, and the ability to feel pain. In fact, by 20 weeks, pain sensors are developed, and many scientists now argue that fetal pain may be possible even earlier. Every human life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13–16). More importantly, even if the child were only a “clump of cells,” so are all of us in biological terms. But those cells form a human person made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
2. “My body, my choice.”
Response: The child in the womb is not the woman’s body, but a separate human being with its own DNA, heartbeat, and brain. More critically, this slogan reflects the autonomous, sinful spirit of the age. Scripture teaches that our bodies belong to God: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Abortion does not honor God—it destroys one of His image-bearers.
3. “Abortion is healthcare.”
Response: True healthcare heals the sick and preserves life. Abortion is always 100% fatal to the child, and it harms the mother physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A procedure that ends a human life is not health care; it is premeditated killing (Exodus 20:13).
4. “If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one.”
Response: That logic would equally apply to theft, abuse, or murder. Morally wrong actions should not be protected just because someone might choose them. Abortion ends an innocent human life and must be opposed, not merely avoided.
5. “What about pregnancies from rape or incest?”
Response: Rape is a horrific evil, and those who commit it must be prosecuted. Rape is amongst the least prosecuted crimes in the USA.
But punishing the child conceived in rape adds injustice to injustice. Children should not be killed for the crimes of their father. Many brave women have borne children conceived through rape and testify to the beauty that God brought from their suffering.
One such woman, Jennifer Christie, describes her son as “the only good thing that came from a terrible act.” Life can come from pain—but death does not bring healing.
6. “Abortion is safer than childbirth.”
Response: That may be true for the mother, though the data is often manipulated. But it is never safer for the child, who is always killed. Abortion is a lethal procedure for one of the two patients involved. Safe for whom?
7. “You can’t legislate morality.”
Response: All laws legislate morality. Laws against theft, murder, and abuse are moral judgments. The question is not whether we will legislate morality, but whose morality will be legislated. God’s law is clear: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death” (Proverbs 24:11).
8. “The fetus doesn’t feel pain.”
Response: As early as 12 weeks, babies respond to stimuli that indicate the capacity to feel pain. Anesthetics are administered during fetal surgery because doctors recognize fetal pain. Abortion advocates deny this to make killing easier to justify.
9. “Abortion helps women succeed.”
Response: Abortion treats motherhood as a disease and children as obstacles. True success is not built on sacrificing the weak, but on righteousness, dignity, and courage. Women flourish when they are supported, not when they are told they must kill their child to achieve success. True success isn’t about achieving girl-boss status at the expense of her child’s life.
10. “Pro-lifers don’t care about women.”
Response: The pro-life movement is overwhelmingly female-led. Women lead CPCs, host baby showers for moms, run adoption ministries, and stand outside abortion clinics offering support. Groups like Care Net, Heartbeat International, and Live Action exist to care for both mother and child.
11. “Pro-lifers don’t care about babies after they’re born.”
Response: This is a slander. Christians historically have cared for the weak—from rescuing abandoned infants in the Roman Empire to adopting unwanted children today. One powerful example is Pastor Jeff Durbin, who with his wife adopted twin baby girls at the birth mother’s request. This adoption wasn’t prearranged—it was sudden, costly, and loving. Countless believers have followed suit.
12. “Pro-life equals pro-birth.”
Response: Pro-life doesn’t end at birth. It includes parenting support, adoption aid, food pantries, counseling, and education. Pro-life Christians serve holistically because every human bears God’s image.
13. “Abortion helps prevent child abuse.”
Response: There’s no data to support this claim. In fact, child abuse rates increased after Roe v. Wade. Killing a child in the womb to prevent potential abuse is like burning a house to the ground to avoid future termites.
14. “The child would be poor or unwanted.”
Response: Poverty is not a justification for murder. Many great men and women came from poverty. Scripture assures believers that God will provide (Matthew 6:25–34). Choosing life demonstrates faith that God can care for both the mother and the child.
15. “The Constitution protects abortion.”
Response: The Constitution protects life, not the taking of it. Roe v. Wade was based on false legal reasoning and poor science. The Dobbs decision rightly overturned it, returning the issue to the states where citizens can defend life.
16. “Christianity doesn’t oppose abortion.”
Response: From the earliest centuries, Christians opposed abortion. The Didache, an early church document, condemned abortion explicitly. Scripture teaches that God forms us in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5) and calls children a blessing (Psalm 127:3).
17. “Men shouldn’t speak on abortion.”
Response: Truth is not determined by gender. If men can father children, they can speak for them. Moreover, many women are pro-life leaders. Should we silence them, too?
18. “Abortion is a woman’s right.”
Response: There is no moral or legal right to kill an innocent human being. Rights come from God, not from governments or courts. No one has the right to take innocent life (Exodus 20:13).
19. “Only the woman and her doctor should decide.”
Response: What about the child? What about the father? And most importantly—what about God? He is not silent. He commands us to protect the innocent and warns that “the shedding of innocent blood” brings judgment (Proverbs 6:16–17).
Society suffers too—over 65 million babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade. This genocide has robbed America of workers, parents, and citizens. Programs like Social Security now face collapse, in part because we have murdered the very generations that would have helped fund it.
20. “Abortion empowers women.”
Response: Half of the children aborted are female. This is not empowerment. True empowerment comes through support, truth, and life—not death. Christ dignified women, honored mothers, and protected the weak. We must follow His example.
Conclusion: Hope, Help, and the Truth
The culture of death thrives on lies, fear, and despair. But Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Women facing unplanned pregnancies must know this: you are not alone. There is help available—from family, friends, the church, and faithful crisis pregnancy centers that offer resources without judgment.
Don’t believe the politicians like Kamala Harris, who spread lies about pro-life centers. Many deaths she blames on “abortion bans” were really caused by dangerous, unsupervised chemical abortions. Women died from sepsis, not a lack of medical care. Hospitals would have treated their sepsis had they sought help.
If you are pregnant and scared, please reach out. You may be amazed at the love that meets you.
I honor the faithful pro-life voices who speak God’s truth on this matter:
- Lila Rose – Live Action
- Liz Wheeler – Liz Wheeler Show
- Kristan Hawkins – Students for Life
- Seth Gruber – The White Rose Resistance
- Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles – Cultural and political commentators
- The Heritage Foundation
May the Lord raise up more advocates like these. May they speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8–9). And may they be found faithful in a generation that has forgotten its God.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
rob@basedchristianity.org
RELATED CONTENT
Matt Walsh debunks common pro-abortion claims. Some correspond to the points above.
Liz Wheeler, news commmentator, explores the left’s abortion lies at Young America’s Foundation conference. She discusses the dissertation of Steve Jacobs, a PhD candidate who examined the question of when life begins.
Michael Knowles speaks on the topic of abortion at the University of Kentucky.
Concerning the Related Content section, I encourage everyone to evaluate the content carefully.
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