Landmark UK Abortion Ruling

Until recently, UK women seeking abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy were breaking the law, for which they could be legally prosecuted (BBC, June 17, 2025). British members of parliament (MPs) recently voted to rescind the penalty for having an abortion after 24 weeks in both England and Wales. Although it will still be illegal for health care providers to perform abortions after 24 weeks, this bill paves the way for pregnant women, themselves, who have such abortions—even up until birth—to avoid punishment.

One MP attempted to attach an addendum to the bill, requiring that women receiving abortion pills by mail must have a face-to-face medical consultation prior to receiving a prescription. However, the measure failed, and the “pills-by-post” abortions will continue. Abortion advocates view this new bill as validation that “women’s rights and autonomy matter,” but what about the rights of the unborn child?

The Bible warns that at the end of the age, people will be “brutal” and “despisers of good” (2 Timothy 3:3). Isaiah warned that they would descend to the point where they “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). As humanity slides further from biblical morality in the selfish pursuit of personal pleasures, we should expect to see a decreasing desire to preserve and protect life—including the life of a defenseless child in the womb. It is difficult to convince people to protect life when they believe that there is no transcendent purpose for that life, as the doctrine of evolution dictates. It will ultimately take the return of the Messiah to teach individuals and nations the true and awesome meaning of life. You can learn more by listening to or reading What Is the Meaning of Life?