The Issue...Abortion
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:13-16, ESV
The United States Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand Jan. 22, 1973. throughout all nine months of pregnancy and in all 50 states. Without a doubt, Roe vs. Wade has led to the greatest moral evil of our time – the murdering of these precious unborn babies in the womb.
Proponents of “choice” have tried to make this issue about “women’s rights,” “freedom of choice” and “reproductive rights.” But clearly, the murdering of an innocent child is far more than a health issue or a civil right. The pro-choice group tries to soften the harshness of abortion with more politically correct terms such as “removing the products of conception” or “ending a pregnancy.” But no amount of spin it can outweigh the fact that abortion ends the life of a baby growing inside its mother’s womb.
Since 1973, an estimated 44 million babies have been aborted – 1.5 million innocent lives ended every year. That’s one every twenty seconds. Although we often hear abortion must be legalized for cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother, the reality is that social reasons and convenience account for 93 percent of all abortions.
Everyone knows someone who has had an abortion. Techniques such as suction aspiration, D & E, salt poisoning, RU 486/Mifeprex, prostaglandin’s and partial-birth abortion are all too common in our society. In fact, at the current rate, 1 in 3 American women will have had an abortion by the time she reaches 45 years of age. And 1 in 6 abortions are performed on a woman who calls herself a “born-again” Christian.
The Christian Response:
Every believer can effectively defend the pro-life position with biblical, scientific and philosophical evidence.
The Bible does not expressly use the word “abortion.” But Scripture clearly teaches against murder, which is the taking of innocent life. And Jeremiah 1:5 makes it clear that life begins at conception: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Ultrasound and sonogram technology now affords us a window to the womb through technology that was not available in 1973. Ultrasound machines produce a clear image of an unborn child in the womb as early as eight weeks after conception. These tools are crisis pregnancy centers’ most valuable, life affirming tool to defend the unborn. Statistics indicate that 90 percent of women with an unplanned pregnancy will decide not to abort if they can see the baby via ultrasound and hear its heartbeat.
When defending the sanctity of life, it’s important to determine “what” it is. If the woman is pregnant with a baby, there is no other justifiable argument for abortion – because a baby is a human being that is entitled to all the rights and privileges we enjoy here in America.
Here are some common pro-abortion arguments, paired with appropriate faith-based responses:
- It’s not a baby/person; it’s just a blob of tissue. On day 1, at fertilization, all human chromosomes are present and life begins. By day 22, the heart begins to beat. At the end of the third week, the child’s backbone, spinal column and nervous system are formed. By week 5, eyes, legs and hands begin to develop. By week 6 – when most women just realize they are pregnant – brain waves are detectable. Clearly, a baby is not just a blob of tissue, but a creation of God with great potential.
- It’s my body/a woman’s choice. As we have already determined, this is a baby inside of the womb and this child is entitled to a choice as well. Killing a baby is never a choice for anyone, regardless of the unwanted circumstances. A woman facing an unplanned pregnancy deserves to be treated with utmost respect and given quality information about the options available to her, so she can make a healthy choice is made for herself and for her child.
- What will we do with the unwanted children? This argument usually has the connotation that some women cannot afford another child. The point must be made then that killing a child does not end poverty. Ideally this is not a society that can dispose of someone because they become too much of a financial burden.
- If abortion is made illegal, women will die in back-alley abortions. The law cannot be faulted for making it more risky for someone to kill a baby. It doesn’t make sense to abolish crimes to make life safer for criminals. Also, an abortion is a health risk even when performed through an experienced abortion provider. It’s vital that Christians refer women with unplanned pregnancies to pro-life clinics and other facilities that provide facts about the risks involved in obtaining abortions.
- What about a woman who’s been raped or a victim of incest? In the case of rape or incest, there are two victims: the mother and the baby. Studies have shown that when a woman feels as if abortion is her only option and follows through with it, she often later feels as if she was not only a victim in the rape but that she in return victimized her child. Meanwhile, mothers who found support to carry their children to term and then either parent or place the child for adoption, felt they’d turned a big negative into a positive. We need to support both victims in these situations.
The best way Christians can help shape the culture regarding the subject of abortion is to express our pro-life view whenever and wherever possible. Seize each moment and persuasively defend life at every opportunity. Support your local crisis pregnancy center or medical clinic that is working with clients every day, encouraging women to keep their babies.