Introduction
Abortion
is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. It brings to question the
sanctity of life. The debate on abortion rights has been on-going. Christians
also have divided view on this particular issue. How should we as Christians
respond to this in a way that is pleasing to God’s eyes?
It is
also crucial to take into consideration the situations in which people choose
to go through with abortion. Abortion is seen as an option in situations such
as teenage pregnancies where they do not have the ability to care for the child
or the fact that the child is seen as a liability to the teenager’s future;
rape cases where the child would be emotional baggage to the victim and problem
pregnancies that threaten the mother’s life such as ectopic pregnancies,
pregnancies with side conditions like HIV, STDs, tumors, cancer etc.
Examining arguments
for abortion rights
Pro-choice
advocates have argued to defend their case on the basis that abortion is not
murder and claim that the Bible supports this argument. An article by Curtis F.
in Reverb Press[1] quotes five
bible verses to substantiate his point. From the article, Curtis F. states that
the Bible never outlaws abortion and in fact, supports abortion. He quotes the
following verses Exodus 21:22-25 (RSV), Ecclesiastes 6:3-5, Numbers
3:39-40, Genesis 2:7 and Numbers 5:27.
When men strive
together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is a miscarriage, and yet
no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined, according as the woman's
husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. If any
harm follows, then you shall give 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 (RSV)
From this verse, Curtis F. argues that the unborn child is
not regarded as a human life as a miscarriage is not seen as a harm as only a
fine is administered. However, the “an eye for an eye” comes into play if the
mother is injured. This served as a point to validate that abortion is
acceptable since the unborn child does not have the value of human life. This
is indeed a plausible opinion, however with research, it is shown that other
translations do not assume that a miscarriage occurred and as such if the child
is well, a fine is applied but if there is injury to the mother or the child,
the “an eye for an eye” rule is then applied. This then illustrates that the foetus
is considered with the value of a human life. An article by John Piper[2]
presents on the misuse of the above verse and a more accurate translation upon
examining the Hebrew words and their meaning.
And when men
fight and strike a pregnant woman ('ishah harah) and her children (yeladeyha)
go forth (weyatse'u), and there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the
husband of the woman may put upon him; and he shall give by the judges. But if
there is injury, you shall give 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 (NIV, with Hebrew in parentheses)
As such, I find that as a Christian, we often refer to the
Word to guide us in Christian living. Sometimes, we tend to extract the wrong
meaning from the verses unconsciously or consciously to suit our issue of
contention, forgetting to read the verses in context. This then leads us into
wrongly interpreting God’s word. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that
we learn how to read the Bible to understand God. We should strive to read the
Bible in context of the situation. Theological studies such as studies in
Hebrew or Greek also helps us better understand and select a translation that
provides a meaning closer to the original written Word which then allows us to
see with clarity God’s view on the issue. Without knowing God’s view, we are
unable to live in His likeliness.
Arguments
against abortion
Throughout
Scripture, God affirms the value of every human life—from children in the womb
to the elderly. The Bible shows that God has a relationship with us before we
were created. He knew us right from the beginning and loved us. The verses
below show how God is intimately involved in creation and development of man,
how each life is valuable in the sight of God who made us and gave us life.
“Before I
formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
-
Jeremiah
1:5
For you created
my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because
I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed
body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be.
-
Psalm
139:13-16
Children are a
heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands
of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver
is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their
opponents in court.
-
Psalm
127:3-5
You have made
them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You
made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their
feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild.
-
Psalm 8:5-7
Pro-life
arguments highlight the value of human life which is undeniable and that
abortion is murder. Exodus 20:13 is brought forth because it is written that
“You shall not murder” (NIV). With the fact that an unborn child is a human
life, terminating it through abortion is tantamount to murder and hence,
breaking the commandments of God.
Taking a
perspective on the consequences on abortion, it is likely to affect the chances
of conceiving in the future which may lead to regret for many. A crucial point
is actually on the mental consequence after abortion.
Sue Bohlin[3]
writes that after having an abortion, many women are relieved at having avoided
the stress and responsibility of pregnancy and a baby, but abortions eventually
cause serious emotional damage in millions of women. They may then suffer from
Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS) as they do not grieve over the loss of their child
since abortion is deemed acceptable. The emotional stress is not released, it
sometimes come back as guilt which haunts them. From this perspective, it is
not just the unborn child that bears the brunt of the abortion but the mother
as well. Consequently, abortion may not bring relief in situations but rather a
burden that will be hard to bear. If a Christian is in this position, she may
struggle with the guilt of allowing her child to be killed. Unless she realizes
Christ has redeemed her of her sins, she will not be able to run to God and let
go of her burden, affecting her spiritual walk with God.
In light of
this, abortion is an option that has its pros and cons. We cannot condemn it as
there are cases that do require abortions in certain situations. It cannot be
firmly said that abortion is immoral or deemed as acceptable. On the contrary,
it is the heart that is behind the action that has to be examined.
Situations
where abortion seem to be the only option
In cases such as teenage pregnancies, abortion appears to be
a way out as having the baby may ruin the future of the teenagers or perhaps
due to the inability to care or support the child financially. However,
choosing abortion in this situation to avoid the responsibility that arises
from the teenagers’ decision for pleasure is selfish. Allowing abortion implies
that people do not need to bear with the consequences of their actions. To
condone abortion in this aspect disregards the value of human life. God gave us
the freedom to choose and that is what makes us human, however, we still have
to bear the consequences of the decisions we make. Other options such as
keeping the child or putting the child for adoption can be considered than following
through with abortion which has negative effects emotionally or physically.
People argue that abortion is morally right in rape cases
because the child is a reminder of the victim’s pain or trauma, like an
emotional baggage. It is undeniable that the child is potentially a memory the
victim would want to erase but as Christians, we know that we have to forgive
and love even when it is hard. God will be with us through it all and He will
not give us something that we cannot bear. Abortion is not the solution of the
problem but Christ is. Even if it is rape, abortion will not remove the
root of the sin. Truly, society should recognize the urgent need of education
and laws to rid rape culture especially in countries like India.
As mentioned above, there are certain situations that call
for abortions such as problem pregnancies which include ectopic pregnancies (the egg implants itself in the
fallopian tube – which leads from the ovary to the womb. In rarer cases, it implants itself in the abdominal cavity or an ovary) or pregnancies with other
conditions such as cancer, tumours, HIV/AIDS etc. These situations endanger the
mother’s life and the foetus’ survival is questionable. In many ectopic
pregnancies, if left, the growing
foetus may rupture the fallopian tube or other organs which can cause severe
internal bleeding. Around five women a year die from an ectopic pregnancy in
the UK[4]. In life-threatening situations, abortions may be inevitable to
save the mother’s life. However, there are still cases in which the foetus may
survive to be delivered prematurely. For this reason, the choice to abort the
foetus rests in the hands of the parents.
With advancements in
science and technology, neurological tests through maternal blood testing and
amniocentesis (99.4% accuracy[5] for Down syndrome test) can be carried
out to analyse the chromosomal breakdown of the foetus for any disorders. These
tests are often done for pregnant mothers over 35 years of age or after in
vitro fertilisation (IVF). When the foetus is tested positive for disabilities
or genetic disorders, parents are offered abortion in the early stages despite
a small probability that the child may turn out fine. Even if the child is
diagnosed with such conditions, is abortion right as Christians? Under those
circumstances, it is definitely difficult however God’s love reminds us that He
loves us regardless of our sinful nature and how we respond to him. As a
Christian, we understand God’s love and respond towards Him in the way we live
our lives, aspiring to be Christ-like. Do we then reject a child that is
disabled? Some people do find that it is better to abort the child than let him
suffer handicapped or disabled. But above all, through the brokenness and weakness, it makes it easier for others
to see the power and glory of the Lord in them, because His power is perfected
in weakness and disability does not mean one cannot lead a happy life. God’s
will for us is that we be changed into the image of Jesus. Christians are told
to take up the cross and follow Jesus. The Bible tells us that the path will
not be easy and there is suffering to bear but we gladly boast in our
weaknesses, that the power of Christ may be upon us. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10).
The pain of difficult circumstances is often His chosen method to help us grow
in godliness and in the lives of those touched by the tragedy of a child’s
handicap. When it is a matter of life and death, as abortion is, it is not our
place to avoid the pain but to trust in God.
How should we
respond?
The
big question is still how we as Christians should respond to this issue of
abortion. Here is a case study: Presbyterian Church (USA) voted down measure to
publicly condemn ‘abortion’ of babies born alive in June 2014[6].
The church upholds “the ability and
responsibility of women, guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, to make
good moral choices in regard to problem pregnancies.” Though the position of
the church is not pro-abortion, the PC(USA) recognizes that there are circumstances
when abortion may be a responsible choice within a Christian ethical framework
and is consistent with longstanding Presbyterian
affirmations of freedom of conscience informed by the Holy Spirit.
With this in mind, condemning abortion does not
solve the problem. There are situations in which abortion is a better choice,
yet at the same time, it is understood to be an action that takes away life.
Regardless of whether abortion is a sin, it is still a decision for an
individual to make. What matters is the heart behind our actions. But Christians
should not judge others or condemn people who may have gone through abortions
or even if they did it for selfish reasons. It is important to remember that we
are called to love our neighbours and enemies. Instead, we can step up to help
people in making informed choices by sharing about the effects of abortion as
well as the Gospel so that they may involve God in this decision-making process
and grow in His holiness. For it is said:
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name
of God’s one and only Son.
- John 3:18
In
addition, it would be better to target the root that renders the need for some
abortions: sin. As sin plagues our society, teenage pregnancies and rape
culture is rampant in numerous countries. Educating the younger generations is
necessary so that they see the consequences of their actions. But ultimately,
God’s salvation is the answer to sin. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we
die to our sins and are renewed. As such, our response is to share about God’s
love and be salt and light of the world, as a living testimony for others.
[1] F., Curtis.
"5 Verses That Prove The Bible Supports Abortion Rights." July 09,
2015. Accessed May 30, 2016.
http://reverbpress.com/religion/bible-supports-abortion/.
[2]Piper, John.
"The Misuse of Exodus 21:22-25 by Pro-Choice Advocates." Desiring
God. February 08, 1989. Accessed May 29, 2016.
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-misuse-of-exodus-2122-25-by-pro-choice-advocates.
[3] Bohlin, Sue. "Abortion: A Biblical View."
Probe Ministries. September 15, 2014. Accessed May 30, 2016.
https://www.probe.org/abortion-a-biblical-view/.
[4] Sims, Paul,
and Jill Foster. "The Mother Who Risked Everything to Have Her Ectopic
Baby." Mail Online. June 26, 2011. Accessed May 30, 2016. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2008476/The-mother-risked-ectopic-baby.html).
[5] Todd, Nivin
C.S, Dr. "Amniocentesis Test: Risks, Benefits, Accuracy, and More."
WebMD. June 8, 2015. Accessed May 30, 2016.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/amniocentesis?page=2.
[6] Andersen,
Kirsten. "Presbyterian Church (USA) Voted down Measure to Condemn
‘abortion’ of Babies Born Alive." June 25, 2014. Accessed May 30, 2016.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/presbyterian-church-usa-voted-down-measure-to-condemn-abortion-of-babies-bo.
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