"Marching For Babies"

𝐈𝐬 “𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬” a 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲?

In little over a week, here in Melbourne, Australia, the annual “March For The Babies” demonstration against abortion will take place. Articles and posts are now circulating drawing attention to this year's march. Its aim is to draw attention to the wickedness of murdering our children and to seek political remedial action through the change of state law.

This annual spectacle, where thousands fill city streets, hold banners, chant slogans, and declare their stand for the unborn, often makes the 7 p.m. news. Many Christians take part in the march. Their intentions are honourable: they want to defend life, to protest injustice, and to be counted among those who speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. And indeed, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Prov. 31:8-9) is a biblical imperative.

Yet, beneath this activity lies a searching question: is marching for the babies a sufficient Christian response to the plague of the sin of abortion? Or does the gospel call us to something deeper, more searching, and faithful than signs and slogans, than marches and mantras can reach?

To answer that, we must first recognise that abortion is not a political debate or an unfortunate medical procedure; it is a sin against God. Abortion is not merely a “women’s issue,” nor simply a “public policy issue.” It is a profound rejection of the Creator’s gift of life.

It is, in biblical terms, an idolatrous act: offering children to the idols of autonomy, convenience, fear, or approval, just as Israel once sacrificed to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom for personal gain. When we consider abortion through the lens of Scripture, we see that what is happening today mirrors the old paganism in modern dress. Marches may expose the injustice, but only the gospel unmasks and destroys the idols that fuel it.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐬.

The Bible leaves no doubt: child sacrifice was a central horror of pagan worship. “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD” (Lev. 18:21). Again and again the prophets thundered against Israel’s descent into this practice: “They built high places to Baal to burn their sons in the fire…which I did not command or decree, nor did it enter my mind” (Jer. 19:5). The horror was not only in the shedding of innocent blood, but in the substitution of idols for the true God.

So it is today. Abortion is the blood sacrifice demanded by modern idols. The idol of autonomy proclaims: “I will rule my own body.” The idol of sexual pleasure whispers: “I will indulge without consequence.” The idol of control insists: “I will have my future undisturbed.” The idol of fear trembles: “I cannot face having this child.” The idol of society’s approval sneers: “What will others think of me if I carry this to term?” And under all these, the idol of false compassion pretends to mercy: “Better that the child not live than suffer hardship.”

Abortion is thus not a neutral medical procedure ending in the termination of a pregnancy, nor merely the outcome of “unfortunate circumstances.” 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩—false worship—that mocks the living God and destroys His image in the weakest of His image bearers.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬.

Against such horrors, marches may make a statement, but the gospel makes a transformation. The gospel is not to be another slogan in the crowd; it is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16). The gospel speaks in five ways into this debate.

1. The gospel proclaims that children are God’s heritage, not human accidents. “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps. 127:3). The incarnation itself testifies that God values life in the womb: the Son of God was conceived, carried, and born of a woman. The eternal Word became flesh at conception, not at birth. Thus, abortion is not merely anti-life; it is anti-Christ.

2. The world cloaks abortion in the language of euphemism: “choice,” “procedure,” “termination.” The gospel tears away the veil. It calls abortion what it is: the killing of a child. Yet it does more. It unmasks the root sins beneath the act—idolatry, unbelief, fear, selfishness—and refuses to let us shift blame onto others. The gospel is brutally honest: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

3. This honesty, however, does not end in despair. Where law thunders judgment, the gospel whispers grace. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). The blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the cry of the murdered (Heb. 12:24). No woman, no man, no doctor, no activist is beyond the reach of Christ’s mercy. Where there is confession, there is cleansing. The church must therefore not only denounce sin but proclaim forgiveness with tears in its eyes and arms wide open.

4. The early church was known for rescuing unwanted infants left to die on Roman streets. Why? Because the gospel had created a family where the fatherless had fathers and the childless had children. The gospel calls us not merely to protest abortion, but to embody its opposite: adoption, hospitality, care for victims, sacrificial love. The church is called to be the living alternative to abortion—where life is cherished, supported, and nurtured.

5. Abortion, like all sin does not call for management but repentance. Christ’s message was never “be better,” but “repent, and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). This means turning from our idols to the living God. It means laying down autonomy at the foot of the cross. It means surrendering control to the Lord who provides, exchanging our shame for his grace, and fear for faith.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.

Returning to the opening question: Is “Marching for the Babies” a Christian response? In part, yes. It can bear witness, it can prick the conscience of society, and it can encourage believers they are not alone in standing for life. Yet it can also become a substitute for deeper gospel faithfulness. If marching becomes our “answer,” we risk reducing the Christian response into an act of cultural activism, not biblical discipleship.

The danger is subtle: we may think we have done our part because we showed up, shouted, and waved a sign. But the gospel does not call us to “be seen”; it calls us to be salt and light, to make disciples, to love our neighbour, and to expose idols. The battle against abortion will not be won in the streets, but in hearts transformed by Christ, in churches that embody the culture of life, in families that welcome children, and in communities that offer tangible alternatives to despair.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐲.

If we are honest, the church has often mirrored the very idolatry it condemns. Abortion is not only “out there.” It exists within church walls. Many who name Christ have sought abortions. Many pastors remain silent, fearful of offense. Many parishioners seek worldly success for their children, through education or sport for instance, which in the end are also demonic idols. Sadly, many churches prefer pragmatism: avoiding hard preaching on these sins, softening doctrines, seeking cultural respectability and approval rather than God’s approval.

At its root, abortion reflects the idol of pragmatism: “It is not convenient to have this child.” Likewise, the church has embraced the same idol: “It is not convenient to speak truth, to defend creation, to confront sin.” Both are idolatry: sacrificing truth for comfort.

The gospel, however, exposes this. Pragmatism may work for a season, but it is rebellion against God. Abortion is society’s pragmatic answer to unwanted pregnancies. Silence is the church’s pragmatic answer to unpopular truths. Both are sin, and both require repentance.

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞.

We must not deceive ourselves into thinking abortion is simply a matter of politics, healthcare, or even personal choice. Scripture teaches us to see more deeply. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Behind abortion stand not only social pressures and economic fears, but demonic forces that demand the blood of children. Behind the church’s pragmatism lies a spiritual temptation to bow before idols of comfort and compromise.

In the Old Testament, Molech demanded child sacrifice. The prophets revealed this was not neutral worship but communion with demons (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37). Today, abortion clinics are not temples with idols in stone, but they are temples nonetheless—modern altars to the same demonic powers. Every justification given—autonomy, convenience, fear of poverty, social acceptance—is but another mask for the same ancient lie: “You shall not surely die…you shall be like God” (Gen. 3:4–5). Abortion is thus Satan’s work, both in the destruction of innocent life and in the enticement of human hearts to justify it.

The church, too, is caught in this spiritual battle. Pragmatism seems harmless—just a little compromise, just a softer tone, just a silence to keep the peace. But in truth, this is no mere strategy. It is capitulation to the devil’s scheme. Satan need not lead the church into outright heresy if he can lull her into a cowardly silence. He need not force pastors to preach against abortion if he can simply lead them never to mention it. Pragmatism is not neutral—it is a demonic distraction, pulling Christ’s bride from her prophetic calling.

So what is required? Not better activism, not cleverer arguments, but spiritual weapons. Paul’s command is clear: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). The battle against abortion is fought in prayer, in preaching, in fasting, in telling truth as it is declared to us. It is fought not only in the streets but in the unseen realm, where the church’s faithful intercession and proclamation drive back the powers of darkness. To defend the unborn is to step onto the battlefield of spiritual war. To resist pragmatism is to resist the devil’s snares.

Therefore, we must recover the church’s true weapons: the Word of God proclaimed without compromise, prayer lifted without ceasing, holiness lived without shame, and love demonstrated without fear. The blood of Christ has already disarmed the rulers and authorities, triumphing over them at the cross (Col. 2:15). Satan rages because he knows his time is short.

Abortion is one of his fiercest assaults in these last days. The church will never succeed against these demonic powers with political calculation or half-hearted measures. We must stand clothed in the gospel armour, wielding the sword of the Spirit, interceding for the vulnerable, and proclaiming the victory of Christ.

Until we see abortion in this light, our response will remain shallow. Until we see pragmatism in this light, our repentance will remain partial. Abortion is not simply a social ill; it is a spiritual battlefield. Pragmatism is not simply poor leadership; it is surrender to the enemy. The gospel calls us to see with spiritual eyes, to discern the schemes of Satan, and to take our stand. In this fight, our confidence is not in ourselves, nor in our marches, nor even in our strategies. Our confidence is in the risen Christ, who has crushed the serpent’s head and reigns until all His enemies are put under His feet.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the church’s surrender of the biblical doctrine of creation. Once the church flinched before Darwin, the ground beneath life’s sanctity began to erode. If man is not created in God’s image, but evolved from chance and matter, then what is man? If Genesis 1–2 are myths, then when does human life begin? Who decides its value? When the church abandoned the historic truth of creation, it sawed off the branch on which the sanctity of life created in God’s image rests.

This compromise has borne bitter fruit. The denial of a literal Adam, the rejection of God’s creative order of male and female, the dismissal of human uniqueness—these have left us with a church that cannot speak with clarity about life in the womb. When Scripture is denied “where it suits us,” it will be denied everywhere it offends us. The church that denies creation today will deny the unborn child tomorrow.

𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Therefore, the response cannot merely be louder protests or sharper arguments. The response must be repentance—repentance in the church itself of our pragmatism. We must repent of silence, of compromise, of cowardice, of denying God’s Word for cultural acceptance. We must repent of turning the gospel into moralism, of trading the power of Christ for the power of politics.

The plague of abortion is not only the world’s sin; it is the mirror of our own. The church’s idolatry—our pragmatism, our love of comfort, our denial of creation—has contributed to the horrors of our time. Until we repent, our marches will be hollow, our protests empty. But if we repent—truly repent—the gospel promises forgiveness, restoration, and renewal. Then, and only then, can the church shine as a city on a hill, showing a world of death what life in Christ really means.

The call for the Church is not pragmatic but prophetic: not bending Scripture to suit us, but bending our knees before Scripture. Let the church confess, let it repent, and let it proclaim. Then the watching world will not only see people marching for the babies, but a people marching after Christ—the Lord of life, who laid down His own life, so that none need ever again be sacrificed to idols.