They Cite the Same Bible And Evoke The Same Jesus. But These Two Christians Are On Opposite Sides Of The Abortion Debate

CNN, They Cite the Same Bible and Evoke the Same Jesus. But These Two Christians Are on Opposite Sides of the Abortion Debate:

Both cite the same Bible. Both follow the same Jesus. And both talk about the sanctity of life.

And yet both stand on opposite sides of the contentious debate over abortion.

Trent Horn, an author, speaker and podcaster, is a Roman Catholic and an opponent of abortion rights. Laura Ellis supports legal abortion rights and is project manager at Baptist Women in Ministry, a Baptist group that advocates for women in ministry.

Both personify the divisions over abortion in the church — and show how complex the issue can be when two smart and well-informed people cite scripture to support their point of view. ...

While much of the debate around abortion has been filtered through angry protests and shouted slogans, CNN chose to interview these two Christians because each has penned thoughtful public essays on the issue.

Horn, author of "Persuasive Pro-life," wrote a recent essay, "Catholics Can't Be Pro-Choice," in which he argued that all "reasonable" people should oppose legal abortion because it is the taking of a life. "If the unborn are not human beings, then abortion is harmless surgery. But if the unborn are growing, they must be alive," he wrote.

Ellis is author of a recent essay, "Why I'm a pro-choice Christian and believe you should be too." One of her biggest criticisms of abortion rights opponents is that "often these activists fail to support other political causes that preserve the life of the child after being born."

We asked both Ellis and Horn the same four questions and received dramatically different responses. Their answers were edited for brevity.

1. How does your faith shape your position on abortion? ...
2. What Bible passages do you cite to justify your position? ...
3. What is the biggest myth people have about people who share your position? ...
4. Can a person who opposes your position on abortion still legitimately call themselves a Christian?

• Christian Medical & Dental Associations, Press Release
• Christianity Today, Goodbye Roe v. Wade: Pro-Life Evangelicals Celebrate the Ruling They’ve Waited For
• The Conversation, America’s Religious Communities Are Divided Over the Issue of Abortion: 5 Essential Reads
• The Cut, God Help My Friendship With White Evangelicals After Dobbs
• Fox News Op-Ed (John Hagee, Senior Pastor, Cornerstone Church (San Antonio)), Supreme Court's Roe Ruling Requires a Christian Response to Abortion That Must Offer Hope, Not Judgment
• The Gospel Coalition, Why We Should Celebrate the Dobbs Decision
• The Guardian, How the Christian Right Took Over the Judiciary and Changed America
• Liberty University, Statement on Supreme Court Dobbs Decision
• Notre Dame University News, Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Decision 
• PBS, Faith Leaders React With Joy, Anger to Roe’s Reversal
• Religion News Service, Dobbs Decision and Fall of Roe Met With Rejoicing, Dismay From Faith Groups
• Slate, How the Christian Right Reacted to the End of Roe
• Sojourners, A Post-Roe Reading List to Inspire Faith and Justice
• Sojourners, Roe Is Over: Faith Leaders on What That Means For Christians
• Time, Reactions to the End of Roe Reveal Divisions Between Religious Leaders
• University of California, Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson
• Eugene Volokh (UCLA), Should State Universities Have Official Positions on Whether Constitution Should Be Read as Protecting Abortion?
• Washington Post Op-Ed (Samira Mehta (Colorado) & Lauren MacIvor Thompson (Kennesaw State)), The Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Is Based on a White Christian Nationalism Myth

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