on the abolition of abortion

Preamble

With the Abolitionist Movement’s rapid growth in recent years, it has become necessary to succinctly restate and reestablish the foundational principles. The Norman Statement on the Abolition of Abortion is a summary of the theological and strategic distinctives of the Abolitionist Movement. Individuals can affirm the Norman Statement by signing it at the bottom of this page, but the statement also serves to provide ideological unity to the Abolitionist Movement and its associated organizations. If you would like to add your abolitionist organization to the Abolitionists Rising network and get on our interactive map, affirm the statement below. If you would like to download the Norman Statement, click here.

As abolitionists of abortion, we affirm and deny the following propositions:

Gospel-Centered

Article I

aligned providentially

Article II

through the church

Article III

engaged biblically

Article IV

sought immediately without compromise

Article V

national repentance

Article VI

equal protection/

criminalization

Article VII

HIGHER law

and

defying tyrants

Article VIII

identification with the abolitionist movement

Article IX

the great

commission

Article X

the

gospel

Article XI

Article I: Gospel-Centered

WE AFFIRM that abolitionists are ambassadors of Christ’s kingdom and ministers of reconciliation.¹ We affirm that the only answer to sin is the gospel of Jesus Christ,² that abortion is the sin of child sacrifice,³ and that the darkness of child sacrifice can only be meaningfully pushed back by the light of the gospel.⁴ The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy all works of the devil, and we strive to follow Christ, who leads the Abolitionist Movement, in so doing.⁵ We affirm that abolishing abortion, while not the content of the gospel (see Article XI), is an implication of the gospel, thus, a Great Commission issue, wherein Christians are charged to teach people to obey all that Christ has commanded⁶ (See Article X).

WE DENY that anti-abortion activism detached from the gospel and a Christian worldview is sufficient to address abortion because abortion is, fundamentally, sin resulting from suppression of the truth.⁷ We deny that activism centered on a false gospel is abolitionist in nature.⁸

Scripture: ¹2 Corinthians 5:16-21. ²Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5-6. ³Luke 1:39-44; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Exodus 21:22-25. ⁴2 Corinthians 10:4-6; Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 1:18-32. ⁵1 John 3:8; Matthew 16:24. ⁶Matthew 28:16-20. ⁷Romans 1:18-32. ⁸Galatians 1:6-9.

Article II: Aligned Providentially

WE AFFIRM that obedience to God is both the highest good and wisest action at any given time.¹ We affirm that the duty to obey God belongs to us and that the results of our obedience belong to Him.² We affirm that while political or cultural expertise can be helpful tools, they must be utilized in subjection to God’s Word.³ We affirm that God is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, and that obeying Him is always the most wise and truly pragmatic course of action.⁴

WE DENY that worldly-wise pragmatism is faithful to Scripture, and that it can achieve real, lasting social and political change. We deny that public polling or the political winds should dictate what Christians say and do in the political sphere.⁵

Scripture: ¹John 14:15; Psalm 20:7; 2 Chronicles 14:9-13; Daniel 2:21; Proverbs 21:1. ²Daniel 3:16-18. ³1 Corinthians 1:27; Matthew 7:24-27. ⁴Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 20:7. ⁵Proverbs 14:12; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Isaiah 30:1-5.

Article III: Through the Church

WE AFFIRM the work of abolition is to be led by the body of Christ: the Church. We affirm that the gospel has been entrusted to the universal Church of Jesus Christ¹ which is made up of individual believers and expressed in local churches according to the Word of God.² We affirm that only those to whom the gospel has been entrusted can truly and consistently bring the gospel into conflict with the culture of death.³ We affirm that the modern Church has been largely negligent of its duty to love its preborn neighbors and has largely lost its saltiness.⁴ We affirm that abolition is a work of the people of God who rise up and do exploits in His name.⁵ We affirm that it is an obligation of every local church to oppose the abortion holocaust in word and deed.⁶

WE DENY that any political party, parachurch ministry, or abolitionist organization should be the primary driving force behind the Abolitionist Movement.⁷ We deny that God approves of any church that remains silent and refuses to act in the midst of a holocaust.⁸

Scripture: ¹Matthew 28:16-20. ²1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Timothy 3:1-12; Acts 6:1-15, 14:23. ³Matthew 12:30, 28:16-20. ⁴Matthew 5:13-16. ⁵Daniel 11:32. ⁶Proverbs 24:11-12; Luke 10:25-37; James 1:22, 4:17. ⁷Matthew 28:16-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14. ⁸Isaiah 1:10-17; Amos 5:21-24; Hosea 4:1-6; Luke 11:42.

Article IV: Engaged Biblically

WE AFFIRM that the Bible is the authoritative, inerrant, infallible, clear, and all-sufficient Word of God, and is necessary to govern everything we think, say, and do as Christians, including the way we fight abortion.¹ We affirm that if our Bibles are put aside, our work to push back darkness is at an end as our weapons are forfeit and our foundation is removed.² We affirm that Christ is the King of kings,³ that civil magistrates are God’s deacons,⁴ and that God’s Word instructs civil magistrates how they must use their authority.⁵ We affirm that all laws are rooted in a standard of morality and that all laws should reflect the moral law of God as summarized in the Ten Commandments.⁶ We affirm compromising God’s holy standard of justice is an attempt to usurp God’s sovereignty as Creator, promotes God-hating partiality, and, ultimately, is an assault on God’s image and glory, and challenges God’s lordship over the heart and conscience.⁷

WE DENY that politics is a neutral sphere where the Word of God is not binding.⁸ We deny that secular argumentation alone is sufficient to address the sin of abortion because secular reasoning cannot provide a justification for objective truth or human rights.⁹

Scripture: ¹2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 17:11; Psalm 12:6, 119:128; Isaiah 8:20; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Genesis 3:1. ²2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:12. ³1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 1:5; Deuteronomy 10:17. ⁴Romans 13:1-4. ⁵Psalm 2:10-12; Amos 5:15; Jeremiah 22:3; Deuteronomy 1:16-17. ⁶Luke 11:23; Colossians 2:3; Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 19:7; Judges 21:25. ⁷Romans 2:14-15. ⁸Psalm 2:10-12; Romans 13:1-4; John 19:11. ⁹Proverbs 1:7; Colossians 2:3.

Article V: Sought Immediately Without Compromise

WE AFFIRM that the only appropriate demand from the Church of Jesus Christ regarding the abortion holocaust is for repentance.¹ We affirm that abolishing abortion represents repentance, and that an incremental bill does not.² We affirm that incremental legislation which regulates and thereby allows abortion is an iniquitous decree.³ We affirm that pro-life legislation is often used as a substitute that distracts Christians from the call for abolition and allows pro-life civil magistrates to be celebrated for doing less than they are commanded by God in Scripture. We affirm that a bold, prophetic call for the total and immediate abolition of abortion is both

Biblically faithful and powerful to shift culture and politics. We affirm that to compromise with abortion is to forfeit the objective standard by which the pro-abortion position can be adequately combatted, which undercuts the anti-abortion argument in the courts of law and public opinion. We affirm that incrementalism in theory is perpetuity in practice.

WE DENY that pro-life incrementalism is either faithful to Christ or effective as a means of abolishing abortion.⁴ We deny that our demand for immediate abolition means that the goal will necessarily be achieved immediately because the work of bringing about national repentance and abolition usually takes time and is not guaranteed for any nation.

Scripture: ¹Isaiah 1; Exodus 10:26; Jeremiah 35:15. ²1 Samuel 15:1-11; 2 Chronicles 14:1-5; 2 Kings 23:1-5; Hosea 7:16. ³Isaiah 10:1-2. ⁴2 Corinthians 10:5; Isaiah 30:1.

Article VI: National Repentance

WE AFFIRM that the United States is under the judgment of God, as evidenced by, many having been clearly given over to a darkened mind that thinks child sacrifice is good, among other expressions of preposterous depravity.¹ We affirm that the nation must repent, and that the abolition of abortion is a necessary component of national repentance because a nation cannot repent while continuing to sanction child sacrifice.² We affirm that national repentance would include, but not be limited to individual and corporate confession and forsaking of sin, turning to God through prayers for mercy, fasting, solemn assemblies, and bearing fruit in keeping with

repentance through the establishment of justice for preborn children.³ We affirm that individual repentance includes ceasing to tolerate the sins of abortion apathy and compromise within one’s sphere of influence or organization.⁴

WE DENY that the United States has any special status that would exempt us from God’s judgment.⁵ We deny that there is any effective substitute for national repentance that would avert national judgment and ruin.⁶

Scripture: ¹Romans 1:18-32. ²Isaiah 1; 2 Kings 17:13; Jonah 3; 2 Chronicles 7:12-14; Matthew 3:8; Proverbs 14:34, 28:13. ³Daniel 9:1-18; Ezra 9-10; Jonah 3; 2 Chronicles 7:14. ⁴Galatians 5:9; Amos 3:3. ⁵Leviticus 18:20-25. ⁶Isaiah 1; Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 4:18.

Article VII: Equal Protection/Criminalization

WE AFFIRM that abortion is murder and must be criminalized as such, that preborn children are image-bearers who deserve the exact same legal protection afforded to everyone else,¹ that scripture’s repeated prohibitions of partiality² prohibit the legal classification of abortion as anything other than homicide, and that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from classifying abortion as anything other than homicide. We affirm that scripture often places special emphasis on ensuring justice for the fatherless, which includes preborn children.³ We affirm that there are varying circumstances in each instance of

abortion that should be taken into account by prosecutors, judges, and juries on a case-by-case basis.⁴ We affirm that anyone who knowingly and willfully takes part in the murder of a preborn child is guilty and should be subject to prosecution.⁵ We affirm both that there is forgiveness for the sin of murder⁶ and that justice for victims must be established.⁷

WE DENY that any woman coerced into abortion under threat of bodily harm or who otherwise acted without criminal intent should face prosecution.⁸ We deny that the mother of the preborn child should be given blanket statutory immunity from prosecution in the killing of her child because this partiality is unjust and enables a self-managed abortion industry.⁹

Scripture: ¹Exodus 21:22-25; Proverbs 20:10; James 2:8-9. ²Deuteronomy 1:16-17, 16:18-20; Leviticus 19:15; Exodus 23:2-3. ³Deuteronomy 24:17; Exodus 22:22-24; Jeremiah 22:3; Deuteronomy 27:19; Jeremiah 7:5-7. ⁴Exodus 21:12-14, 21:22-25, 22:2-3. ⁵Ecclesiastes 8:11; Proverbs 18:5; Genesis 9:6. ⁶Psalm 103:12; John 3:16; Romans 5:8, 8:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11. ⁷Gen 9:6; Acts 25:11. ⁸Exodus 21:12-14 ⁹See footnote 5.

Article VIII: Higher Law and Defying Tyrants

WE AFFIRM that Christians are ordinarily commanded to obey civil authorities,¹ but also that all civil authorities must obey God who is their authority.² We affirm that when a citizen must choose between obeying civil authorities or obeying God, he must obey the higher Law of God.³ We affirm that whenever it is necessary for a lesser magistrate to defy a higher magistrate in order to abolish abortion, the lesser magistrate should do so.⁴ We affirm that every state and federal governing official who complied with Roe v. Wade between 1973-2022 sinned in so doing. We affirm that compliance with any future pro-abortion ruling, order, or law of the federal government would be a sin worthy of church discipline.⁵ We affirm that the Church has not been given the sword but a prophetic voice with which they must, among other things, exhort the magistrate to establish justice and not bear the sword in vain.⁶

WE DENY that Scripture commands unlimited submission to civil authority.⁷ We deny that civil authorities possess any more authority than that which has been delegated to them by God.⁸

Scripture: ¹1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:2. ²Romans 13:1, 4; John 19:11. ³Exodus 1:15-22; Daniel 3; Acts 4:19-20, 5:29. ⁴Daniel 6; Matthew 2:1-11. ⁵Matthew 18:15-17; 27:24; James 4:17. ⁶Ephesians 6:10-17; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 28:16-20. ⁷See footnotes 3 and 4. ⁸See footnote 2.

Article IX: Identification With the Abolitionist Movement

WE AFFIRM that the mainstream Pro-Life Movement has been an obstacle to the abolition of abortion in many states. We affirm that the Pro-Life Movement is so adrift in secularism and compromise that it is strategically necessary for well-meaning pro-life Christians to cease identifying with it and instead identify with the Abolitionist Movement. We affirm that careful linguistic differentiation between abolitionist and pro-life ideas, organizations, bills, and candidates is necessary to the existence of the Abolitionist Movement as a separate entity from the compromised Pro-Life Movement and helpful to the success of abolitionist initiatives and efforts. We affirm that blurring the line between abolitionism and pro-lifeism blurs the line between sound and false doctrine and hinders necessary repentance in the culture and in the Pro- Life Movement.

WE DENY that this linguistic differentiation has anything to do with tribalism or branding for any particular organization. We deny that every pro-life individual is in need of repentance for abortion apathy or compromise, or that anyone needs to repent merely of identifying as “pro-life.”

Article X: The Great Commission

WE AFFIRM that Christ’s commissioning of His Church to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded includes civil authorities who are to be called to repentance, faith, and obedience to Christ.¹ We affirm that the Church is to instruct civil authorities regarding their identity and duties as rulers before the throne of Christ.² We affirm that the abolition of abortion is a Great Commission issue.

WE DENY that there is any sphere of life in which the command to “teach them to obey all that I have commanded” does not apply, including politics and government.³

Scripture: ¹Matthew 28:16-20; Philippians 2:9-11; Psalm 2:10-12. ²Luke 18:1-8. ³1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Matthew 28:20.

Article XI: The Gospel

WE AFFIRM that the gospel is the royal announcement to the world about God acting in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to abolish sin and death¹ and reconcile sinners and the world to Himself² through His sinless life, substitutionary death, resurrection, ascension, reign, and future return³ just as God graciously planned from eternity,⁴ promised throughout Scripture,⁵ and achieves within history. We affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, and to the glory of God alone.⁶ We affirm that all sinners are commanded to repent and believe the gospel and upon doing so are justified before God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and caused to love God and His Law and to walk in zealousness for the good works that God has prepared.⁷ We affirm that Christ’s kingdom is at hand and that He will continue to work until all His enemies are defeated and justice is established in all the earth.⁸

WE DENY that there is any salvation from sin outside of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as described in the Bible alone. We deny that a man’s works contribute in any way to his salvation.⁹

Scripture: ¹Romans 5:8-19; 2 Timothy 1:10; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:25-26. ²Colossians 1:19-20. ³1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 2:2; Luke 24:1-12, 50-53; Ephesians 1:20-23; John 14:1-3. ⁴Ephesians 1:3-6. ⁵Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53. ⁶Ephesians 2:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 43:6-7. ⁷Acts 17:30-31; Romans 8:29-30; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14. ⁸Mark 1:15; Isaiah 42:4; 1 Corinthians 15:25. ⁹John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

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