He did it out of compassion – responding to the horrors of botched ‘back street’ abortions performed on scores of desperate women who felt they had nowhere else to go – but David Steel MP’s 1967 Abortion Act resulted in the destruction of 8.5 million lives. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his Private Member’s Bill becoming law in the UK, except in Northern Ireland, and is a timely opportunity to prayerfully consider the practical and spiritual implications.

Over 120,000 unborn lives were aborted in England, Scotland and Wales during 2016, and abortion not only destroys unborn lives but deeply wounds the women who decide to terminate their pregnancy. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service – a major abortion provider – claims that one in three women in mainland Britain will have had an abortion by age 45. Many of them belong to our churches, probably feeling deeply guilty and unable to share their secret with anyone else. That’s why CARE’s initiative ‘Open’ reaches out with healing and hope to Christian women who have had terminations – and miscarriages too – through healing retreats, training for church leaders and speaking. www.weareopen.org.uk. There are also scores of Christian centres around the country living this out, by offering advice and support to those affected by abortion. www.pregnancycentresnetwork.org.uk.

Currently there is heated debate in Northern Ireland, with those resisting any change in the law to allow abortion sometimes caricatured as judgemental and uncaring. Earlier this year CARE was part of the ‘Both Lives Matter’ campaign, which put out an advertisement saying ‘100,000 people are alive today because of our laws on abortion – why change that?’ There were more than a dozen complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority but they ruled that this statement was perfectly reasonable – so not only was the objection dismissed but the ad received far more publicity than before!

We face a considerable battle at this time. There are many who favour making abortion more accessible by removing the legal requirement for two doctors to approve and allowing anyone to have a termination for any reason. Not wanting a girl for example, or aborting a child on grounds of disability. MPs have already framed Bills to present to Parliament and the battle continues.

Please consider being part of an important commemorative event CARE is hosting to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Saturday 28 October at 2pm. You can apply for your free tickets at www.care.org.uk/event, by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phoning 020 7233 0455. We would so appreciate your support.

Lord, please have mercy on our nation which has sanctioned the wholesale killing of our most vulnerable citizens – those not yet born. May Your forgiveness and grace be received by those who are affected and Your wisdom given to every Christian organisation working in the political sphere to oppose still further liberalisation of the law. 

Source: CARE