Let me start by saying abortion is always wrong because it is always murder! Plain and simple, I could finish the article right here and now with that statement; however, some will disagree. Therefore, I will try to compose a worthy enough argument that it is and show in detail below the case for life rather than death. This is my belief, and one, I ultimately think is rooted in the Scriptures of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alongside His Church.
The Value of Life
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13
When we start with the value of life, we must determine what this value is. What makes us humans different from any other life form in the animal kingdom? Imago Dei is a Latin phrase that means “in the image of God.” This is the object of thought that makes us above all other life forms. The thought that we have been personally created by God for the purpose of displaying His image is unique to us alone. We do not share this with any other created being, not animals nor even angels. This image can also be understood as what we call the “soul,” allowing us to be conscious and self-aware, capable of reason, emotion, morality, and spiritual connection with God. Of this, we share nothing with any other created being; God breathes the “breath of life” into man alone. This is why human life is so valuable and why we must have laws in place that protect it in all forms. We see God treats man differently than animals in regards to death because one is more valuable and, therefore, requires a higher punishment. If none of this is true, then, I do not see why we would have laws in place that put human life as more valuable than that of a donkey. Yet, we know this is true because we hold strongly to such laws that protect every person that has been born.
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. For God made man in his own image.” Gen 9:6
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.” Exodus 22:1
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 4, Section 2:
“After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, after his own image…”
Now that we have established that human life derives its value from God and the soul/image/breath of life is what sets us apart, we must try to understand when this begins. The differing opinions found are either that it starts at conception or is found after being born. I think the Bible would land on the side of conception rather than birth. The distinction between birth and conception is one we see all throughout the Bible. We have many passages speaking in great detail and length about the relationship between God and children in the womb. On top of that, we see the interaction between the Holy Spirit and the unborn in John the Baptist. We find in the context of the Bible that the Holy Spirit only dwells in those who are alive and are individual people. Not to mention, it would stand to reason that God doesn’t have intimate relationships with those who don’t possess this concept of Imago Dei. This all points to the value of life that the unborn possess straight from conception. We see a noticeable distinction between birth and conception; below are a few verses that speak towards the subject.
Birth and Conception
“On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” Psalm 22:10
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;” Jeremiah 1:5
“he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” Luke 1:15
“Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’” Job 3:3
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5
And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” Gen 25:23
“Unborn Child is the Object of God’s Intricate Handiwork in the Womb” – Scott B. Rae
Another place of examination in many ways is how in our laws today and God’s laws, they treat the unborn with the same value as those outside the womb. Take, for instance, the laws in place that demand justice for the unrightful taking of an unborn life that is being carried by the mother. These can be found in Exodus 21 and our Fetal Homicide Laws (you will find both below). If we didn’t regard the unborn fetus as a separate person, we wouldn’t have such laws in place. If we didn’t attribute such value to the life of the fetus, we wouldn’t hold those who harm it with such heavily weighted laws. What’s the difference here between a “lawful” abortion and taking the life of the unborn who would have been carried out? The difference happens to be found in whether or not the mother wants the child. If the mother wants the child, then it is treated and valued as an individual made in the image of God. But if she doesn’t want the child, as long as they haven’t been born, they can be terminated and discarded as if they were a parasite. How is this not seen as unlawful wicked partiality of the highest form? We have no right to choose who is born and who isn’t. This is just a modern-day form of the Holocaust, but even worse because the approval and number of this Holocaust outweigh the actual Holocaust. According to the Guttmacher Institute, between 1973 and 2020, approximately 63 million legal abortions were performed in the United States.
Unborn Victims of Violence Act (2004): Also known as the Laci and Conner Peterson Act, this federal law makes it a crime to cause harm to a fetus during the commission of a federal crime, such as an assault or a violent attack. Under this law, the death of an unborn child due to an act of violence can result in separate charges for the death of the fetus, even if the mother survives.
The law applies when a fetus is harmed or killed during the commission of a federal crime like assault, carjacking, or other violent crimes, and it treats the fetus as a separate victim. Fetal Homicide Laws: In some states, fetal homicide laws specifically address the harm or death of an unborn child as a result of an attack on the pregnant woman. These laws allow for the prosecution of a person who causes the death of a fetus, and the fetus may be considered a separate victim.
Truth about Abortion
“You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Lev 18:21
The number one reason why women pursue abortions is the fact that the baby is not wanted. Plain and simple, they are putting their needs first over the child’s. Now there are a number of reasons that are found under that umbrella reason, such as lack of financial resources, inconvenient timing, relationship issues, health issues for the mother and/or baby, rape, incest, and many more.
73%: Not financially ready or unable to afford a child 74%: Impact on work, school, or ability to care for dependents 48%: Relationship issues 50%: Not ready for a child or more children 12%: Health concerns for the woman 12%: Fetal health issues or abnormalities 1%: Pregnancy from rape or incest. –Stats from Guttmacher Institute’s 2020 survey
However, none of these reasons justify the taking of another person’s life. In the case of the 1% where a horrible act of rape brings forth a child, just because the law was broken against the mother, the mother does not have the right to break the law against the child’s life. In the scenario where the child’s life is in danger or they might not get to live the fullest life, choose life and let God’s will be done. We do not know the outcome of every story, and who are we to prevent a supernatural healing from the Lord from taking place? We tend to put ourselves in the place of God when it comes to the value of life.
One area where I believe the Roman Catholic Church is actually right about something is in regards to some forms of birth control being abortive. Not all birth control is abortive, but the grand majority are those that kill the fertilized egg and prevent it from implanting in the uterus. This is very much a form of early abortion. Many Christians are blind to this very truth, much like I once was. We tend to be of either two categories: First, we might be ignorant of the truth, not knowing what is taking place and how it happens. Secondly, we tend to want to justify it because it’s the easiest and most common form of birth control. We tend to think that it must not be wrong if thousands of other Christians are doing it. Wrong sin is still sin, no matter how many people justify it or are blind to it.
The what if’s and 1% arguments
- What if the baby comes from the horrible act of Rape or Incest(1%)?
Then that baby deserves to live, period! The criminal guilty of the act should face the highest penalty that the law can demand, which is the death penalty. The innocent baby should live while the guilty are punished. That brings up the question, “why should the mother have to carry this baby through full term since it was an injustice done against her?” Because thou shall not murder! We have already determined that the baby’s life is separate from that of the mothers, and the baby has the same rights as anyone else created in the Image of God(Imago dei). Adoption is always a viable option if the mother doesn’t want and/or is unable to care for the child. - What if it comes down to it being dangerous for the mother to give birth and a decision has to be made between the two lives (2% or less)?
Our God is a merciful God, and no situation is ever 100% certain. Ultimately, if He decides to take mother and/or child, then that is His prerogative/will, and He has every right to do so. However, the moment you decide to terminate the child, you have taken that decision into your own hands and turned a chance into a certainty, and his blood is upon your own head. The outcome of the mother is never fully known however if you choose to abort the child you are now guilty of taking that life. God alone is sovereign over death. Our job is to do what we can to save both lives. If He takes one or the other, that’s out of our hands. Deliberately murdering one so that the other may live will never be acceptable. - What if they’re abnormalities or health issues that would be permanent and might cause a short life are known of pre-birth(less than 1%)?
Again this falls under the category of who are we to choose who gets to live and who doesn’t. Neither are we to place value upon some more than others because of abnormalities. God is the giver of life and we should seek to embrace the gift that he has given. Besides, it would be an honor to be the mother to show this sweet baby all the love they will ever receive on this side of heaven. It would be an act of love and grace to hold this baby for its last breath either an hour after birth or a couple of days. Wouldn’t you prefer dying in the arms of the people you love, rather than being dismembered gruesomely, or injected with the same poison they give criminals on death row? - “But, the Baby is dependent on the mother for life; therefore, it does not have the same right as the mother, and it is the mothers choice on what happens.”
Being dependent does not equate to being non-personal. Many people are dependent on others for various aspects of their well-being throughout their lives. While infants are entirely dependent on their mothers for nutrition, care, and survival. Yet, most would agree that an infant is a distinct individual person with inherent value, regardless of that dependence. Personhood is not defined by whether or not someone can survive independently. An elderly person in a hospital or a person in a coma may rely on others for care, but we would still regard them as individuals deserving of rights and dignity.
From a scientific standpoint, a fetus is a distinct biological entity with its own unique DNA, separate from the mother’s. From the moment of conception, the fetus has its own genetic makeup that differentiates it from both the mother and the father. This identity is formed through the combination of genetic material from both the father and mother, creating a completely new and independent organism. While the fetus relies on the mother for survival in the early stages of development, its genetic makeup and biological processes remain separate, highlighting its status as a distinct entity.
Let us terminate the act of abortion
“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” – Exodus 21:22-25
“You shall not murder.” – Exodus 20:13
Question 105: What doth God require in the sixth commandment?
Answer: That neither in thoughts, nor words, nor gestures, much less in deeds, I dishonor, hate, wound, or kill my neighbor, by myself or by another; but that I lay aside all desire of revenge: also, that I hurt not myself, nor willfully expose myself to any danger. Wherefore also the magistrate is armed with the sword, to prevent murder. Heidelberg Catechism
It is not enough that Roe v. Wade has fallen; most states have just picked up where it left off. While we can rejoice in the limits being placed on it and the directions we are heading in, we cannot let up. We must continue to fight for the unborn because they cannot stand up for themselves. Let no man take what God has given; such life is a gift from Him. If you have caused an abortion and/or have supported the taking of life, there is forgiveness in Jesus! Don’t be hardened in sin or advocate for more sins. Abortion is the murder of the unborn; let us not forget this. We should never seek to justify evil for any reason. Might we overcome that which is evil with good.
“You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child” Didache [A.D. 70]
“In our case, a murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from the other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in its seed” Tertullian (Apology 9:8 [A.D. 197]).
“I cannot bring myself to speak of the many virgins who daily fall and are lost to the bosom of the Church, their mother. . . . Some go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception. Some, when they find themselves with child through their sin, use drugs to procure abortion, and when, as often happens, they die with their offspring, they enter the lower world laden with the guilt not only of adultery against Christ but also of suicide and child murder” Jerome (Letters 22:13 [A.D. 396]).
“Killing children is wrong. This basic and fundamental truth should not require a law or a statement from the government. Laws exist to guide society to protect the innocent and punish the wrongdoer. Laws against killing should not be necessary. The abortion debates and contentions in our country have revealed the depravity of a people who explicitly chose their own rights over the lives of their children. Adults must care for children, not kill them. It is time to repent of the evils of abortion and for our sins of self-centered godless living.” Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
“We have historically affirmed the biblical teaching of the sanctity of all human life, and all medical evidence indicates that abortion ends the life of a developing human being. Our national laws permit a policy commonly referred to as “abortion on demand.” We reaffirm the view of the Scriptures on the sacredness and dignity of all human life, born and unborn. We express opposition to all policies that allow “abortion on demand.”” Southern Baptist Convention
“Unborn children are living creatures in the image of God, given by God as a blessing to their parents. Between conception and birth they are the objects of God’s particular providence and care as they are being prepared by God for the responsibilities and privileges of postnatal life. Scripture obligates us to treat unborn children as human persons in all decisions and actions involving them. They should not, therefore, be destroyed by voluntary abortion” Orthodox Presbyterian Church
The Church has always taught against abortion; it is only now, in modern times, that some so-called “Christians” are pro-abortion. We should all come together and rally around God’s word to denounce the act of abortion and call it what it is: “Modern Day Child Sacrifice.” Might this article have been eye-opening to the blind and deceived? May it restore hope in the giver of life, who is our Heavenly Father. Might we never forget to extend grace and mercy to those who have gone through this, as there is forgiveness for those who belong to Christ.
“If it’s not a human being, then why are you harvesting organs from it?” “As a surgeon, I have operated on infants pre-born. I can assure you that they are very much alive.” —Dr. Ben Carson
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