The Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE) has made its position public in the debate sparked by the proposal to include abortion as a fundamental right in the Spanish Constitution.
In a statement released on 13 October, the evangelical body said the political initiative of the government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was “demagogic” and “ a contradiction in terms”, reiterating the Christian conviction that “human life exists from the moment of conception”.
“To think that it is a fundamental right to end a human life is characteristic of barbaric cultures more typical of ancient times”, says the AEE. “Every abortion is a failure of society, a painful event for the woman and those close to her”, adds the text signed by the Board of Directors.
The evangelical organisation points out that its position on abortion “has already been stated previously” and has not changed. It considers that termination of pregnancy can only be considered “in cases of clear danger to the mother's life or serious malformations that make the foetus unviable”.
Lack of alternatives and information
In its statement, the AEE denounces that the current abortion law of Spain, which is already “broadly permissive”, does not offer adequate alternatives to women with unwanted pregnancies. “It is taken for granted that abortion is a simple solution with no consequences”, warns the organisation, pointing to the lack of support for resolving work, relationship or family conflicts, as well as the lack of information on options such as adoption.
Among the latest initiatives of the Health Ministry of the Spanish government is a website titled “I want to abort” with a search engine to find centres to go but with no information for women who have doubts about the consequences of such a decision.
In its public position, the Spanish Evangelical Alliance also criticises the fact that “adequate information is not provided about the risks and secondary effects of abortion for the mother”, which in its opinion prevents a truly free decision. The AEE cites studies that “demonstrate the existence of depression and other psychological symptoms following induced abortion”.
“A paradox” to talk about reproductive rights
The AEE describes as “absurd and disturbing” the fact that in the debate on abortion “the rights of the human life that is going to be eliminated are never considered”. In this regard, it compares social sensitivity towards the victims of war with the lack of attention to “those who are even more defenceless, developing in their mother's womb”.
The Alliance also criticises the terminology used in the public debate: “Introducing abortion as one of the sexual and reproductive rights is a paradox, since in reality it is about preventing reproduction. Talking about voluntary termination of pregnancy is to ignore the fact that it is not a matter of flipping a switch, but of eliminating a life”.
Conscientious objection and professional freedom
The AEE also expresses its opposition to the lists of healthcare professionals who object to abortion, an initiative implemented by the current administration. It supports the opposition of the Official College of Physicians of Madrid because “it represents unjustified control over doctors who freely decide to object”, the Evangelical Alliance warns, describing such a register as “a blacklist to be avoided”.
Conscientious objection “is a fundamental right that protects people from having to declare their beliefs”.
“Ending more than 100,000 human lives a year is not progress”
In its conclusion, the Evangelical Alliance rejects the idea that the liberalisation of abortion is synonymous with social progress. “A society such as Spain's, where more than 100,000 human lives are ended each year, is by no means progressive because of this”, it states.
The death of so many unborn reflects “the failure of the pillars of social justice, ethics, values and a sense of the future’ and a society ‘destined for an uncertain future”.
According to official statistics presented by the government this October, 106,172 abortions were performed in 2024, the highest figure in more than a decade.
In France, abortion was included in the Constitution after a social debate in which evangelicals took a stand against it. In the Netherlands, a similar initiative was rejected.
The Spanish Evangelical Alliance statement on abortion of 13 October can be downloaded here (Spanish).
Originally published by Evangelical Focus. Republished with permission.
