Morality

Abortion must be regarded as legitimate in certain circumstances

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. Many who claim to be Evangelical Christians all over the world countenance abortion in certain circumstances.

The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (which is the largest Presbyterian denomination in America, with roughly 3,000,000 members in 11,500 churches), is a member of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, which seeks ‘to encourage and coordinate support for safeguarding the legal option of abortion.’ Its 1985 Assembly reaffirmed its support for the right to abortion.

The Mennonite General Conference’s 1977 statement, the Church of the Brethren’s 1984 declaration, a 1980 United Methodist Church document, a 1979 Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod statement, 1979 and 1980 American Lutheran Church statements, a 1989 Southern Baptist Convention resolution, a 1988 American Baptist Churches statement, and a 1971 National Association of Evangelicals resolution regard abortion as legitimate in certain circumstances.

The Italian Waldensian-Methodists Churches in 1978 (at their annual meeting which took place at Torre Pellice, Tourin) approved a statement supporting abortion.

Evangelist Billy Graham in The Billy Graham Christian Worker's Handbook (1997 edition) writes: ‘We should accept abortion in these cases: rape or incest or if the delivery of the child is a threat to a mother's life." (page 19). In the 1996 revised 2001 edition he writes: ‘Even sincere Christians may differ on whether or not abortion is ever justified, especially in difficult situations such as rape or incest, or when tests reveal that the unborn child has severe abnormalities’ (The Billy Graham Christian Worker's Handbook, page 21)

Intervarsity Press published a book in 1985 called Brave New People by Gareth Jones. Here are some quotes from this book: ‘If abortion is contemplated, a reasonable decision will take into account the fetus, and also the parents and siblings" (p. 157); ‘In this instance it has to be decided whether abortion will benefit the fetus’ (p. 158); ‘No biblical passage speaks of humans possessing personhood before birth’ (p. 169); ‘I am prepared to admit there may be circumstances where, very regretfully, even Christians may have to contemplate an abortion" (p. 173); ‘Unfortunately, some families cannot cope with such a challenge, and a compromise must be reluctantly adopted, namely, termination of the pregnancy [abortion] ... God's love for the weak ... requires comparable concern for the abnormal and for those likely to be rejected by society’ (p. 179).

Confutation

Abortion is never legitimate, not even when the woman has been raped or has committed incest or when the delivery of the child is a threat to a mother's life, for abortion is a murder in the sight of God. Did God not say: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13 – NKJV)? Why then should abortion, which is the killing of a human being, be regarded as legitimate in certain cases? Someone may ask me, ‘Why do you call the embryo (the product of conception in the first eight weeks from conception) and the fetus (the product of conception more than eight weeks after conception) a human being?’ I call both the embryo and the fetus a human being, for according to the Holy Scripture human life begins at conception, therefore the moment the sperm unites with the egg, a new human life has begun. Every pregnant woman has got a child, that is, a human being, in her womb; no matter how long she has been pregnant, her womb contains a human being whom no one – except God – has the right to put to death. God gave the following commandment to the Israelites, which makes it clear that in the sight of God the product of conception is a child or a human life, no matter how long it has been in the womb of the woman: “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But 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 21:22-24 – NKJV). Notice that the man who struck a pregnant woman had to be punished if the pregnant woman gave birth prematurely but no harm followed, but also if any harm followed. However, while in the former case the punishment consisted of a fine which the striker had to pay, in the latter case it would consist of his death if the child was born dead. ‘Life for life’ was the law. Now notice that the law calls the product of conception, which is in the womb of a pregnant woman, ‘life’ regardless of the time it has been in the womb of the woman. This proves that in the sight of God every pregnant woman has a human life in her womb, and that life is sacred. In other words, whether a woman is two weeks pregnant or three months pregnant or eight months pregnant, that ‘thing’ which is in her womb is a human life which must be recognized as a child and has the same rights as all other children.

In addition to this, it must be said that according to the Holy Scripture it is God who forms the child in the womb of his mother. For David said to God: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skilfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16 – NKJV), and Job, when he compared himself with his servants, asked, “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15 – NKJV). Therefore, to abort a pregnancy is to abort the work God is doing. Do you want to destroy God’s work? Know this, that if you decide to destroy the work of His hand God will not leave you unpunished for you will bear the consequences of your rebellion against God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, brethren; fear God.

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