Does your church support your local abortion clinic?

Media Release 7 February 2026

Right to Life believes that outside every abortion clinic in New Zealand there should be a sign that reads:-

This abortion clinic is open with the permission of the local churches!

Right to Life believes that this sign would be true and appropriate, as there is little evidence of local churches expressing opposition publically to the murder of unborn children by abortion, and the operation of an abortion clinic in their community.

When the churches of New Zealand make the sanctity of life their first priority issue, then Parliament will move to recognise our unborn children, God’s precious infants as human beings from conception endowed with an inalienable right to life, and then they will repeal the Abortion Legislation Act 2020, which allows abortion up until birth.

Right to Life believes that ALL churches have a duty to uphold the dignity and the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death. Every child from conception is a unique and unrepeatable miracle of His loving creation, who demands our respect and protection.

Right to Life believes there is a silent scream for mercy and help, rising up from the estimated 49 unborn babies murdered every day in New Zealand. Why do the churches refuse to respond to the cries of God’s precious infants?

Major churches and denominations in New Zealand actively speak out on global warming, include the

• Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

• Anglican Church

• Methodist Church

• Catholic Church

• Quakers.

These denominations often combine environmental advocacy with theological views on "caring for creation," pushing for lower carbon emissions, supporting the Eco Church NZ initiative, and making submissions on climate policy.

Right to Life asks: Why aren’t the churches prioritising opposition to abortion as the most important part of “caring for creation”?

The churches have a duty to God to uphold His teaching. God the author of life forbids the murder of His precious infants when He commands us in His fifth commandment, “thou shall not kill.”

The killing of an unborn child in the womb is murder.

Every abortion is a crime against humanity and a violation of human rights. In 2024 there were a total of 17,785 defenceless unborn children who were poisoned, scraped out of their mothers womb’s or violently dismembered.

Right to Life believes that the churches should publicly protest at every murder of the unborn. The Ministry of Health released the 2025 Annual Abortion Statistics report on 10th December 2025. It is noted that the N.Z. Catholic Bishops Conference made the only public media comment deploring the killing of innocent children.

Right to Life is disappointed that there is no evidence of any other N.Z. church leaders making public commentary on these appalling abortion statistics for 2024, in defence of the lives of the murdered unborn children and their wounded mothers.

If the churches are reluctant to defend the lives of God’s precious infants, who will defend our precious unborn children and their mothers?

If we cannot expect the churches to defend the unborn, the weakest and most defenceless members of our human family, should we expect them to defend our right to life under increasing attack from euthanasia and assisted suicide?

Ken Orr,

Spokesperson,

Right to Life New Zealand Inc.