A biblical stance against abortion.

Image Source

After my post about the Pro-Life Midwives of Exodus 1, I thought it might be worthwhile exploring the biblical evidence that supports the pro-life movement. I hope you find this helpful and thought provoking, no matter what your stance on the topic is.

The first thing I want to say though is that we are called to not only speak the truth, but to do so in love. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to do this, and 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be prepared to give the reason for what we believe with gentleness and respect. We don't go condemning people, but we are commanded to call out sin where we see it, and abortion most certainly is an evil we need to expose as Christians.

• Jeremiah 22:3

Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

God commands us to be righteous and just, and to deliver and protect those who are weaker than us and who need our protection. The above verse is just one of countless instructions to do so. In the words of Michael Spielman, director of Abort73: "By explicitly commanding us to care for those whose livelihood is in jeopardy (orphans and widows) God is implicitly commanding us to care for those whose lives are in jeopardy (abortion-vulnerable children)." (Abort-73: A Biblical Mandate to Do Something About Abortion). There is no one more innocent and no one weaker than babies that are still in the womb.

• Proverbs 24:11-12:

Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay each man according to his work?

This verse doesnt give us any context as to when it is appropriate to rescue those being taken away to death, God simply commands us to intervene and work to save those who are innocent and being killed. Since foetuses are human beings (genetically, physically, etc), this verse must apply to them. Once again, in the words of Michael Spielman: "Babies in the womb are smaller, more dependent, and less developed than newborns, but these are all quantitative differences, not qualitative. Newborns are smaller, more dependent and less developed than three-year-olds, but that doesn’t make them any less human or any less worthy of protection. If we know that God is pleased with those who help spare the lives of babies after they’re born, we can infer that he is also pleased with those who spare the lives of babies before they’re born."

• Leviticus 20:1-5

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.

We don't sacrifice our children to Molech, but we sacrifice them for the sake of convenience, to avoid shame, for self and for better job opportunities. (See also Psalm 106:37-38). Very rarely are abortions performed to preserve the mother's life. On a side note, this is surely also a mandate to protect and care for your own children. So many parent's these days have kids and don't truly love and look after them. Don't sacrifice your kids for the sake of work.

• In conclusion...

The examples and verses above are by no means exhaustive - there are far more reasons that I have not explored yet. Nevertheless these three examples demonstrate that God calls his people to stand up for the weak and oppressed - and foetuses are surely counted within those categories. He calls us to save those being taken away to death and he condemns the sacrificing of children to false 'gods'.

If you're interested in the topic then do some research! Go find some more bible verses, you can start with Psalm 139. See if there is any biblical support for the pro-choice stance. Comment and tell me I'm wrong if there is a biblical reason for it.

Proverbs 6:17 proclaims that God hates, "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood" John 8:44 "[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning". Abortion seems to fit much better with Satan's desires than God's.

I have no doubt that God hates abortion. Do you?

P.s. Another reminder: Even though we should hate abortion, we should not hate the people who perform them or have them done. That's a hard balance to find, but we should love them and gently, respectfully and lovingly explain to them the gospel and why abortion is evil in God's sight and why it should be evil in ours also.

Pro-life Midwives

Image Source

 Exodus 1:15-22

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” 

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” 

So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

There aren't any explicit references to abortion in the bible. Nevertheless God obviously knew that it would be a common thing in the future and he has provided enough reason from the bible to say that it is sinful and evil.

What we see in the verses above is one reference that supports the pro-life campaign. Pharaoh ordered that all the Israelite boys be killed, but that the girls be allowed to live. The two midwives who he commanded to do this disobeyed him, and God blessed them for it.

There is absolutely no difference between a baby when it is in the womb and when it is born. Biologically nothing changes between those two points in time: it still is human, with the same DNA. Mentally the baby is the same as well. It also relies on the mother just as much before birth as afterward. The only thing that changes is the physical location of that child and if it is not aborted then it would grow to be a man or woman with thoughts, opinions, likes, dislikes and feelings. Babies are human, as are foetuses, as are adults.

God blesses these women for preserving the life of these children, even though it would have been inconvenient and even dangerous for them. He blesses them. That means he agrees with what they did. Children are a blessing from God - don't kill them before they have a chance to live.

Abortion is evil and it is sinful. Don't get me wrong - we all sin. We all stuff up. Those who have had an abortion are no worse then anyone else: we all deserve God's wrath (hell) eternally. But that isn't an excuse to keep sinning. It's a reason to come running to Jesus who offers forgiveness, to repent and to change. To follow him instead of living our own ways.

If you've had an abortion, then repent of it and turn to God - he will forgive.

Just stop the killing.