How Should Christians Respond to Teen Pregnancy?
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A young girl, almost 16, has just learned she is about to be a mom in nine short months. She tells her boyfriend who has just turned 17. They don’t know what they should do next. They are both scared. Both have thoughts of abandonment, disappointment, fear, and grief running through their heads. They do not know what people are going to think. What if their parents kick them out or hate them?
This is a story that is sadly common in our world. Teen pregnancy is a truth we most likely will all witness, either in our own families or families we know. While as Christians, we preach purity and waiting until marriage to bring children into the world, we also must see the opportunity to share God’s love with those young people who find themselves becoming parents all too soon.
What Would Jesus Do?
Christians learn how to treat others by the example Christ gave us. While there are no specific stories of Jesus with a pregnant teenager, there are powerful examples of him loving those who were considered outcasts of society.
In Mark 2 Jesus is in Capernaum. He was teaching and people were bringing him loved ones to heal. After Jesus heals a paralytic, he goes out beside the sea and meets Levi, the son of a tax collector. Jesus sits down and begins sharing a meal with many tax collectors and sinners. In verses 16-17, the scribes who were Pharisees asked the disciples why Jesus would eat with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded by saying “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 2:17).
Jesus also finds himself in Samaria in John 4:1-42. When he reaches Samaria, he visits a well where a Samaritan woman is getting water. Jews and Samaritans were not friends, and even the disciples questioned Jesus in this. Jesus’ willingness to break the societal codes of the day left not just one woman with a new faith, but all the people of her town.
We cannot overlook the story of Mary Magdalene. Her name is mentioned numerous times in the four gospels. She was a woman who struggled, and while we do not know specifically what her trials where, we know that Jesus cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2-3). We can only speculate what Mary’s life was like when Jesus met her, but we can most likely agree that if she was carrying demons within her, she may not have been looked upon gracefully in society. Jesus did not shy away from her though, and she became one of his most dedicated followers.
There are many more instances in which Jesus boldly cared for, healed, and taught people of this world that some religious leaders and well-meaning people would turn their backs on. The lesson for us is that we should not turn our backs on others because we do not think they are behaving correctly. If anything, we should be drawn to them.
What Should the Church Do?
I am using the word “Church” in this section to refer to Christians around the world. We are all a part of the Church, the bride of Christ. The Church is an integral and necessary part of our world and individual societies. The building and all the people in it should be a safe place for teenage mothers and fathers to land.
In order to be a safe place for teen mothers and fathers, we must take an introspective look at ourselves. The church is not just a construction of walls we can hide behind. We cannot believe that the only people welcome there are the ones that have been on their best behavior. Church is not a place we look and act our best for God, it is where we can meet Him and He can begin to make us look and act better because of our relationship with Him. Church is a place for sinners who are seeking to follow Christ. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us have arrived at perfection yet.
Once we understand the role of the Church, we can then clearly see the role Christians play in the lives of pregnant teens. As the body of Christ, we can provide love, guidance, and support. Churches can create mentorships where older women can love on these young people. Support groups can be formed to help not just church members, but the community as a whole.
Christians who value support and non-judgmental thoughts toward teen mothers and fathers are helping to create a place where becoming a teen mom or dad is not a life sentence of poverty, exclusion, and dirty looks. The situation becomes a season that can be a stepping stone for healthy and successful lives for them and their child.
The Consequences of Shunning Teen Parents
When Christians look down upon teen parents, the message to them is that they have done wrong, and forgiveness is unavailable. The consequences of this message are heartbreaking and could be fatal.
Teen parents who feel ostracized by the church may decide to make drastic decisions. They lose hope and could decide to quit school, fall into a drug addiction, turn to abortion, or even suicide. These choices will only perpetuate a cycle of loss, hopelessness, and poverty.
In my personal observations of teen pregnancies and church, I have seen teens leave the church and some have yet to return. When the body of Christ does not step out, teens are left to their own devices. We must meet them where they are and choose not to leave them there.
No matter your age, finding out you are having a child can be both exciting and scary. Feelings of worthlessness and fear could lead teen moms to consider or follow through in having an abortion. Statistics from May 2024 state that six out of ten unintended pregnancies end in induced abortions. Globally, 45% of abortions are unsafe.
For more on this hard but important topic, read An Honest Look at Why Many Women Choose Abortion.
Final Thoughts
This article is not meant to be a reprimand to the Church. Rather, it is to remind the Church and all Christians that teen pregnancies are happening, and while these pregnancies may not come at the best time, they are the miracle of life in action.
An article from GotQuestions shares an important reminder for us. “It seems that one of the hardest things for Christians to remember is that it is not a sin to be pregnant. It is not a sin to be pregnant out of wedlock. And it’s not a sin to be born to unmarried parents. It is a sin to have sex outside the marriage relationship.”
Christians have a duty to love others as Christ loves them (John 15:12), and Jesus does not specify any people we should leave out. Teen parents-to-be are as precious to God as you are.
So, I leave you with this. Christians rise up and love one another. Lift teen mothers and fathers up in prayer. Share words of wisdom in love with them. Work to make this difficult season a lasting memory that showers repentance and forgiveness in their lives. Use your gifts to remind them they are loved by you and by God.
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