When honestly considering the issue of abortion, we must ask “WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN?” If life does not begin until after birth, abortion is but the removal of physical tissue, a minor operation. However, if life begins at conception and before birth, abortion is the destruction of that life which translates into killing a human being or murder. If human kind is but an animal, created by natural forces over time as the evolutionists say, (not created in “the image of God”) as Scripture teaches (Gen. 1:27) it would not be so bad after all, would it? Therefore, we must:
Let the Scripture Speak. Several passages clearly show that the pre-born child is a person from moment of conception:
- Luke 1:41-44, “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” “Elizabeth calls the preborn child in the sixth month of pregnancy a baby (Greek brephos, “baby infant”) This is the same Greek word that is used for a child after it is born, as in Luke 2:16, where Jesus is called a “baby (brephos) lying in a manager” (See Luke 18:15; 2 Timothy 3:15). Elizabeth also says that the baby “leaped for joy,” which attributes personal human activity to him. He was able to hear Mary’s voice and somehow, even prior to birth, feel joyful about it. (Note that modern medical research shows that preborn children can distinguish and become familiar with the voices of their father, mother, or other family members.”[1]
- Psalm 139:13, “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” Here David speaks of himself as a distinct person in his mother’s womb. (Me)
- Jer. 1:5, “5 “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This means that in the mind of God we existed even before conception. Note: Before I was born my mother sanctified me unto the Lord and at first I resisted going into the ministry but at age 26 God conscripted me to preach and teach the gospel.
- Genesis 25: 22-23, “22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?|” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.” Rebecca was pregnant with Jacob and Esau “And the Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb…” thus the pre-born children are viewed as children in the womb. Exodus 21:22-25 – If a man would hit a pregnant woman and harm the unborn child, he was put to death. Additional Scriptures: Genesis 1:27; Gen. 4:1; Psalms 51:5; Job 3:3; Exodus 20:13.
- Let Science Speak : See attached article from a brilliant scientist now working on her PhD in molecular medicine, Ms. Angela Bennett, granddaughter of Dr. Bennett.
- Do the Arguments for Abortion Justify Its Practice:
- Argument #1 – The unborn fetus is not a person. In Roe vs Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that the unborn fetus is not a person as defined by our Constitution and therefore had no rights as a person. The Bible shows otherwise.
- Argument #2 – The woman has control of her own body. The Supreme Court ruled that this right was implied by the constitution’s right to privacy provisions. The right to life transcends the right to privacy. No persons, including women, have an absolute right to do anything they wish with their bodies. The fetus, though sharing geographical space within a woman’s body and connected to her, has a distinct genetic imprint and in essence is a separate entity, not a part of the woman’s body. The father, grandparents, and other ancestors contribute to the unique genetic structure of the fetus. Is the woman free to destroy her body through suicide? To mutilate it or use it as a battering ram to injure others?
- Argument #3 – Abortion is a necessary form of birth control, preventing the overpopulation of the world. Birth control is justified, but not by abortion. Birth control is the prevention of life before it occurs. Abortion is the destruction of life after it has occurred.
- Argument #4 – A woman should not give birth to a life she does not want. A woman may have a vote on this before conception, but not after. All life is given by God. It can only be taken by God. (Job 1:21).
- Argument #5 – No woman should have to bear a child fathered by a criminal. Less than one percent of abortions are because of rape. Abortion would be a non-issue if it occurred only in the case of rape.
- Argument #6 – Psychologically, it is unwise for a women to have a baby she does not want. As a pastor, I have found that women who have experienced abortion often have indescribable psychological problems. Says Bill Hybels, a great pastor of thousands in Chicago, “I have talked to many women who say to me, ‘Please tell the truth to the women in the church. Abortion is not a quick fix. What accompanies the ‘quick fix’ may very well be a lifetime of regret – shadows, sinister thoughts, crippling dreams, and nightmares.” (Bill Hybels, One Church’s Answer to Abortion).
- Argument #7 – Poor, ignorant women will get back alley abortions and die. This is a concern to me, especially in the case of ignorant, victimized women. But the answer is not to legalize abortion, no more than it would be to legalize terrorism so the terrorists will not make
[1] Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010, p 158.