Civil Society and Abortions

Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
Civil Society and Abortions
Monday 21st March 2022

Civil Society

I’ve been thinking a lot about what constitutes a civil society since C-19 and that has only intensified since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Below is a helpful graphic. When the State Sector, the Private Sector and what is often referred to as the Third Sector is ‘intertwined’ and all three sectors are working well with mutual respect between them, then we have a civil society. Civil society is like a social fabric that provides stability to a society. It is where people talk, create, engage, and support each other. But it provides further critical functions such as monitoring of the state and the private sector, advocating for citizens’ rights, and promoting alternatives to the existing mainstream. Notable, in many countries civil society plays a vital role in providing an array of social services.

Sector organisations that represent a sector or an industry is civil society. Upholding the rule of law is civil society. Opportunities for public debate is civil society at work. Protest and ‘going against the grain’ is also civil society at work. Lobby groups and special interest groups being allowed to function unencumbered is civil society at work as is freedom of speech. Churches play an important part in civil society. When civil society is working well then that same society will inevitably be a democratic society and a more JUST society.

Civil society is like a social fabric that provides stability to a society.

Source: Civil Society Academy

POV. I believe as Christians we have a biblical duty to work towards a civil society. In fact we should advocate for it and we should actively participate in it. It is about the ‘welfare of the city’. History attests to this. Christians have contributed hugely to making communities and whole societies better places to live. Whether it is as public servants, scientists, doctors, teachers and academics. Churches and church organisations have done the same in starting hospitals, schools and social service organisations of many kinds. It’s a stunning record quite frankly.

When Government and public institutions have lost their moral moorings Christians have stood against these regimes often at considerable cost to themselves. This is to good and right. How it is done of course is as important as actually doing it but that is another topic for another day.

Finally. A civil society does not have to be a Christian society to be civil. It can and often is informed by a Christian worldview but a so called Christian society is a completely different thing and a problematic thing at that.

Abortions in NZ are declining year on year.

Every abortion is a tragedy. In 2003 we had 20.8 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44, our highest rate ever. In 2019 we had 13.1 per 1000 women aged 15-44 (or a total of 12,857 abortions).
Source: Statistics NZ

Though that is still far too many abortions, there is no doubt that the drop off is as a result of the very good work pro-life organisations, individuals and crisis pregnancy centres have done over the years. A special shout out to Voice for Life, formerly SPUC, who for over 50 years have advocated for the life of the unborn child. They are worthy of our support.

Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.