The Christian Institute is defending retired pastor Clive Johnston in Northern Ireland, who has been charged with preaching a Sunday morning sermon on John 3:16 in a small field with only a dozen attenders. Under the ‘Safe Access Zone’ of Irish law, the meeting was determined to be too close (across a dual lane road) to a hospital that offered abortion services. The sermon did not include the word “abortion,” there was no civil disobedience, no chanting, and no signs (details here).

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The 76 year-old retired pastor was the former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland and, if convicted, is facing a fine which could exceed thousands of dollars.

Northern Ireland is made up of 42% Catholic, 17% Presbyterian, and 12% Church of Ireland (details here). In February of 2025, the government of Northern Ireland published a briefing on recent changes to the legal framework of abortions (details here). It documents that there were 2,792 abortions in Northern Ireland in 2023/24, a significant increase since the laws changed in March of 2020. Most of those terminations (93%) were medical, or non-surgical. Further, “Safe Zones” for the protection of those considering abortions were codified in September of 2023 (details here), and include a distance of between 328 to 820 feet from a building’s entry points, at the discretion of the abortion service provider.

A Biblical Christian Perspective

Our position on the subject of abortion has been clear, with over eighty articles that either touch on or directly address the sin nature of the pro-choice position. However, there are two points that need to be considered on the subject, in our view.

First, there are times when the life of the mother is cause for exception. Absolutes, such as not killing the unborn, found in Scripture, are based on the Christian desire to attempt to live a perfect life, something which is not possible in a fallen world.

Exodus 20:13 – You shall not murder.

Second, we are all sinners in the hands of God and no one has the right to judge the decisions made by those who terminate a pregnancy without recognizing the deep and pervasive sin in their own lives (Matt. 7:3). We ALL fall short of the Lord’s standards and are subsequently condemned without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who forgives ALL our sins, regardless of what they might be.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.