What is an abortion?

Abortion is the deliberate ending of a pregnancy, most often resulting in the death of the baby. It is to be differentiated from miscarriage, which is a spontaneous and unintentional end to a pregnancy.

What is an unsupported pregnancy?

An unsupported pregnancy, is one in which one or more of the following reasons will apply:

  1. Mother of the baby feels physically, financially, mentally and/or emotionally unable to carry the baby to full-term and is considering an abortion.
  2. The immediate families of the mother or father feel physically, financially, mentally and/or emotionally unable to care for the mother and baby after birth.
  3. The mother and/or father of the baby would like to self-parent but is unable to find a supportive community to do so.
  4. There is a general sense from the mother / father and immediate families that their lives would be better off without the baby.
  5. There is very little or no prospect of sustainable community or finances to carry the baby to full-term or to raise the baby within the natural community.

Who can have an abortion in Singapore?

  1. There is no defined minimum or maximum age requirement.
  2. No parental consent is needed for minors less than 16 years old.
  3. Abortion is permitted up to 24 weeks (6 months) of pregnancy.

*Separate guidelines for foreigners apply

What are the key abortion statistics in Singapore?

  1. The Abortion Act to reform and liberalise the law concerning the practice of abortion in Singapore was passed in 1969.
  2. Since the 1970s, more than 500,000 babies have been aborted.
  3. Singapore is 1 of 7 countries with the most liberal abortion laws in the world, together with China, the United States, North Korea, Vietnam, Canada and The Netherlands. 1
  4. More than 50% of abortions are done by married women. 2
  5. 86% of abortions are done by women aged 20-39. It is not just an issue amongst teenagers. 2

1 Charlotte Lozier Institute

2 According to 2013 statistics from Ministry of Health. “Abortions fall to 30 year low,” The Straits Times, 27 July 2014.

What does the bible say about abortion?

The Bible clearly teaches that God personally made each one of us, and has a plan for each life. God is the Creator of every child.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13,16)

“Your hands shaped me and made me . . . Did You not clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life.” (Job 10:8–12)

“This is what the Lord says—He who made you, who formed you in the womb.” (Isaiah 44:2)

“Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15)

The Bible teaches that each person is made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27), and each life is of great value to God: “Children are a gift from God” (Psalm 127:3). Abortion is often a failure to consider the immense value of the child which eventually results in an act of murder. This is violence against God.

The Bible says of our Creator, “In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10). God, the giver of life, commands us not to take the life of an innocent person: “Do not shed innocent blood” (Jeremiah 7:6)

He even calls our children His own: “You took your sons and daughters whom you bore to Me and sacrificed them…You slaughtered My children” (Ezekiel 16:20,21).

It is important to recognise that the bible teaches that abortion is the taking of innocent lives. Abortion is murder. God views abortion as a matter so severe that He does not hold the community blameless for ignoring the sacrifice of children. (Leviticus 20:5)

Why should the church be concerned about abortion?

Abortion is happening amongst professing Christians. There are many post-abortive fathers and mothers who have never been pastored nor discipled in God’s word concerning life. Unless the church addresses abortion as a pastoral issue, the church will lose her moral authority to include her voice in the public square.

With open arms, the body of Christ should serve the community of mothers and fathers with unsupported pregnancies to save the lives of as many unborn babies as possible.

Abortion contradicts the gospel. The gospel reveals a saviour who laid down his life for those whom he loved, even those who persecuted him. Abortion is the taking of lives that were meant to be loved and protected. The gospel displays the character, grace and glory of God in the redemption of mankind made in God’s image. Abortion is the an act of violence against that very same gracious character of God.

The gospel is good enough for post-abortive fathers and mothers to find forgiveness and healing. It is big enough to give hope for people who are considering an abortion. It is powerful enough to help a nation repent from the shedding of innocent blood.

An estimated 56 million 1 abortions take place every year worldwide. The church and its leaders must no longer be silent about this severe issue.

1 Guttmacher Institute

Isn’t abortion a women’s issue? Why should men get involved?

As much as it takes a man and a woman to conceive a child, the responsibility of both individuals in a pregnancy is equal.

In many cases, women choose to abort because the father of the child has abdicated his responsibility in the situation. When faced with the prospect of a future raising her child alone, fear of social stigma and perceived burdens, a woman can become overwhelmed by circumstances and choose to seek an abortion as the way out.

However, when the father of the child steps up to take responsibility for the situation, positive dynamics such as hope, shared resources, companionship and support are often added.

Easy access to abortion may have sent signals to men the they are not needed or unable to intervene in the decision because it is a “woman’s right”. Men may also have developed the perception that abortion is low risk and therefore trivialise the decision making process.

Women naturally feel the burden of pregnancy more because they are physically carrying the child. However, this does not mean thy have or should take sole responsibility for the pregnancy. The child she is carrying is a unique human being and should be accorded the same value, dignity and opportunities for life despite the circumstances of the conception.

Are we encouraging pregnancy out of wedlock if we ask a single mother to keep her child?

The fact that an outcome may be less than ideal (in this case, pregnancy out of wedlock) does not justify doing wrong (in this case, aborting the baby) to avoid the outcome.

The solution to pregnancy out of wedlock is not to kill babies conceived out of wedlock but to address the underlying issues of pre-marital and extra-marital sex, encouraging parents to get married and/or to stay married, and to match the children to families eager to adopt.

Won’t encouraging more adoptions solve the problem?

Adoption is a beautiful thing and should be celebrated whenever it happens. However, it should not be viewed simplistically as a solution to the abortion issue in Singapore.

Adoption numbers have been declining, and one of the reasons is that more women opt for an abortion when the pregnancy is “unwanted”.

Many women with unsupported pregnancy are seeking for an immediate solution. They do not see adoption as a desirable option because it requires them to wait and give birth.

Placing a child for adoption is a deeply emotional decision with lifelong consequences for the mother, child and family. It is important to be sensitive and wise when proposing adoption as an option to a pregnant woman who is considering abortion.

Is abortion reasonable if the child is conceived from rape or incest?

Rape and incest are horrible things. However, the value of a human life does not change with the circumstances of the conception. The situation and circumstance may be difficult, but we must still guard and defend the child conceived out of rape or incest.

Ending the life of the innocent unborn child does not right the wrong or undo the rape. That said, no effort must be spared to protect and support both the mother and child as both individuals are extremely vulnerable.

What about unborn babies with medical conditions or are deemed “incompatible with life”?

There are many testimonies of people overcoming tremendous physical, mental and emotional ailments and disadvantages.

These people have proven that it is possible to live meaningful lives, contribute to society, bring hope and joy to their families and communities and even surpass the achievements of “normal” people.

We should not take lightly the difficulties these individuals and families may have to go through. By the grace of God and as fellow brother and sisters in Christ, we have a duty to provide every form of support needed.

How can we help those with unsupported pregnancy or those considering an abortion?

  1. Respond with grace and don’t be judgmental. Provide a listening ear.
  2. Meet their needs in practical ways (e.g. assurance that financial help can be sought through various sources, accompanying a frightened pregnant woman to break the news to her parents, etc).
  3. Do not be hasty to provide quick-fix solutions (e.g. get married, place the child for adoption, abort the baby etc).
  4. Be prepared to journey and be there for the woman and family in the long run.
  5. Seek additional help or resources. We have a list of partner organisations featured in our support page who are experts in their respective fields.