More than 100 Christian leaders call for a US ban on the abortion pill
A document led by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and signed by more than 100 religious leaders calls for a ban on mifepristone and defends the dignity of the unborn
More than 100 Christian leaders are calling for a ban on chemical abortion in the United States, specifically on the drug mifepristone. The initiative, led by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, took the form of a document titled "Declaration for Life," backed by more than 30 pastors from around the country, signed by about 100 religious leaders and supported by 50,000 citizens.
The text defends pro-life legislation and condemns chemical abortion, affirming the dignity of unborn children from the moment of conception. "This Declaration for Life, written by pastors, is calling everyday Christians across America to defend life and confront the plague of chemical abortion," Hawley said. The document states that "it is the Church's first duty to defend human dignity where it is denied."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a national Christian advocacy group, also signed the declaration and criticized the Republican Party's silence on abortion. "There are members of Congress and Republican state leaders who continue to defend the unborn, but the Republican Party has been almost completely silent on the issue of life," Perkins said. He said the pro-life language that appeared in the GOP platform for decades has been removed.
Outside the United States, the Catholic bishops of South Korea have spoken out against the expanded use of the abortion pill, describing the measure as "contempt for life." The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) issued a statement expressing deep concern over the South Korean government's decision to authorize the use of abortion pills up to the ninth week of pregnancy. The bishops warned that the measure would institutionalize abortion in an "orderly" way without changing its fundamental nature.
On American campuses, the pro-life group Students for Life of America has launched a campaign on 150 campuses titled "Victims of Abortion: Every Abortion Has a Human Cost." It began on September 8 and aims to draw attention to the stories of abortion victims and to the abortion procedures themselves.
The bishops of Wisconsin have opposed a Planned Parenthood lawsuit that seeks to overturn laws protecting women and unborn children. Filed in Dane County, the suit argues that two Wisconsin statutes violate the state constitution: one setting a 24-hour waiting period between the request for an abortion and the procedure, and another that limits abortions to licensed physicians. The Wisconsin Catholic Conference says both laws are essential to protect women and their children and to ensure medical safety.
In Missouri, a recent poll shows public opinion divided over an amendment that would protect unborn children. Voters in the state will decide in November whether to repeal the pro-abortion amendment approved in 2024 and replace it with one that would protect unborn babies, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergencies. The poll found 44 percent opposed the pro-life amendment, 43 percent supported it and 13 percent were undecided.
In California, the state Senate approved by 61 votes to 17 a bill that would require community colleges to offer medication abortions. The measure now awaits the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom. If it becomes law, health centers at those colleges will have to dispense abortion drugs starting January 1, 2029.
