Queer pastor argues abortion should be used to avoid “challenging households”

A self-styled “queer” Protestant pastor recently defended abortion because it “helps” children avoid being born into “challenging households,” a stance that has drawn strong criticism from pro-life advocates. The pastor in question, Kurt Kaufman, now serving as a ministerial associate at First Baptist Church of Denver, argued in a viral interview that access to abortion protects both the mother and existing children by preventing births into unsupportive or unhealthy family environments.

According to Kaufman, many children today are “forced to be born” into difficult circumstances because of restrictive laws, which he says contribute to conditions that no child should experience. He asserted that offering reproductive choice spares children from growing up in households that are “unsupportive, unhealthy, and right-challenging.” Kaufman framed his support for abortion as an act of compassion, claiming that children themselves benefit when they are not born into hardship.

Critics of Kaufman were swift to condemn his remarks. Some commentators pointed out the moral incoherence in advocating for the killing of unborn children because of potential future difficulties. Others noted that Kaufman himself has acknowledged growing up with alcoholic parents, raising questions about whether overcoming adversity could be possible rather than avoided by ending life. Critics also challenged the idea that society should treat vulnerable children as if their lives are contingent on having ideal homes, emphasizing that human dignity should not depend on living conditions.