Following former President Donald Trump’s disclosure of his thoughts on abortion, I have spoken with many conservative Christians who now refuse to give him their vote. Many who take an abolitionist stance on abortion, meaning they call for the immediate abolition of both procedural and chemical abortion with no compromise, say that Trump’s new stance is a backstep from his previous history on the issue and that they cannot in good conscience give him their votes.
In a recent article for Abolitionists Rising, Sam Jones argues: “Any candidate that openly opposes abolishing abortion is not worthy of your vote. It doesn’t matter what the consequences are — the ends don’t justify the means — it doesn’t matter how much more comfortable one candidate’s win would make you or your family. All that matters is what God has commanded, and that we demand obedience to that command.” Such sentiments are very common among Christian abortion abolitionists.
Certainly, Christians should strive to vote for candidates who uphold God’s standard for justice. Likewise, when politicians like Donald Trump articulate compromised positions concerning the issue of abortion, Christians should call such leaders to repentance. Nevertheless, Christians can still cast a vote for former President Trump in good conscience, despite his stance on abortion.
The entire American political process is premised on compromise. By design, no one fully gets their way in our system, at least not immediately. So, although Christians should strongly desire and pray for the complete and immediate abolition of abortion,
