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Abortion Statistics in the Republic of Ireland
Statement on Abortion Statistics in the Republic of Ireland
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland is appalled to learn that 6,666 pre-born children were killed in Ireland in 2019. With the protection of Irish law, six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six acts of lethal violence were carried out against defenceless human beings. Irish citizens should be horrified at what their society now tolerates – indeed, in some quarters, celebrates. Irish political leaders, including the President and outgoing Taoiseach, should consider the account that they and all of us will one day have to give to our Maker – “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The statistics for the first year of abortion-on-demand in Ireland provide clear and tragic proof that the arguments made by pro-life campaigners in 2018 were correct. Pro-life campaigners refused to believe that abortion legislation would be mainly for “Fatal Foetal Abnormalities” – and these accounted for only 100 of the 6,666 abortions, or 1.5%.
Pro-life campaigners pointed out that the law already provided for action to be taken if a mother’s life was at risk, and highlighted that such a scenario is extremely rare; just 24 of the 6,666 abortions were to protect the health of the mother, or 0.36%.
Six thousand, five hundred and forty-two other abortions were carried out, as well as 375 Irish women travelling to Britain, taking the overall figure to over 7,000 lives terminated, twice what it used to be.
These are the numbers involved in what is an unjustifiable attack on the sanctity of human life – something God has expressly forbidden, both in the Ten Commandments (“You shall not murder”, Exodus 20:13) and throughout Scripture.
Procuring or carrying out an abortion is an offence to a holy God, but there is still hope for those who repent. Jesus Christ was crucified to bear the punishment of sinful men and women. Such is the love of God, that those caught up in the sin of abortion can find forgiveness and redemption.
We urge Ireland as a nation to repent of her sin and acknowledge Christ Jesus as King of the nations and the only Redeemer of human beings.