What Does The Bible Say About Abortion?
In light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, to overturn federal abortion legislation, it is critical we subjectively discern from a Biblical perspective how a Christian should respond to the abortion debate.
The landmark decision of Roe vs. Wade (410 U.S. 113) by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s right to have an abortion without government restriction, if she so chooses.
Therefore, abortion has been legal in the United States for the past 49 years, resulting in the death of an estimated 63,459,781 babies since the court decision passed, which likely does not capture all undocumented abortions performed as well.
Keep in mind, the topic of abortion is incredibly divisive in political and religious communities because it magnifies whose life we are ultimately protecting under judicial law: Mother (pro-choice) or Baby (pro-life).
“Abortion is the most serious ethical issue that the United States has ever faced.”
— R.C. Sproul
Pro-choice proponents, which refer to themselves as pro-reproductive rights, believe a woman has the right to choose for herself what she does to her body, which includes whether she wants to have children at all and when. They believe timing of the pregnancy is of little to no consequence, because a woman should have the right to terminate her abortion at any time as the law allows.
Conversely, pro-life supporters within the religious, scientific, and medical fields, such as the American College of Pediatricians, believe life begins at conception-fertilization. Therefore, one can conclude that aborting a single-celled embryo is equivalent to ending the life of a human being and should be disallowed.
However, where the debate becomes difficult to discern hinges on the extremes. What if the mother’s life is at risk if she carries the baby full term? What if doctors predict the baby will be born with disabilities or handicaps? What if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest?
All are valid questions and difficult to discern, which is why we must reconcile what God’s Word says regarding the abortion debate if we profess ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.
TRUTH:
Christianity’s response to the abortion debate is simple. For if we identify as “born-again” (John 3:3), we are held accountable by the absolute truth of God’s Word to trust and obey what it teaches entirely. Therefore, whatever the Bible teaches regarding the sanctity of human life SHOULD BE what every Christian adopts as their personal doctrine of ethics and morality.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
The challenge is pro-choice proponents do not adhere to the same foundation of truth, therefore using the Bible to defend a position which refuses a woman’s right to access and choose an abortion is considered, in their opinion, an infringement on basic human rights.
Again, extreme instances (rape, incest, at-risk pregnancy, etc.) are typically used to challenge and refute the Biblical argument that unequivocally, abortion is murder and should not be allowed. Their argument is that the pregnancy was either nonvolitional due to a crime committed or has the potential to catastrophically impact the mother or baby’s life, hence abortion is a reasonable and justifiable alternative.
What is sad is the pro-choice camp has successfully used religious imposition and extreme arguments to gain support for their abortion agenda from the faith community, hence why so many self-proclaimed Christians (and even church denominations) waffle on the issue under the following premises.
- “I personally would not have an abortion, but I cannot impose my religious beliefs on someone else.”
- “I personally would not have an abortion, but I believe it is okay under extreme circumstances.”
Unfortunately, many Christians fail to comprehend that if abortion is allowed under ANY circumstance, what the Bible says in correlation to the issue is irrelevant, therefore calling into question EVERYTHING the Bible teaches universally. In other words, if you can refute one point of Scripture you can refute it all, which is why Jesus repeatedly emphasized the validity of Scripture as the absolute truth of God.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17–18).
Jesus did not provide opportunity for doubting Scripture’s inerrancy. Therefore, we cannot hold to what the Bible says about abortion yet have an escape clause attached to it, even in extreme circumstances.
CONSEQUENCES:
What we cannot miss from the Biblical position is that abortion is equated to murder, which no born-again Christian should endorse. For God is the sole creator of mankind and each life is precious to Him because He foreknew us before He created us.
“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” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Consequently, to understand the Bible’s position more clearly, we must first consider the grave consequences attributed to committing murder from God’s perspective.
“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).
“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 24:17).
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6).
Simply stated, God does not want mankind to make foolish choices which require equivalent retribution (i.e. eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth). Therefore, the wise decision for us to live by would be to avoid committing murder in any form or fashion (abortion included).
However, the greater issue at hand is how abortion allows consequences of action to be minimized. Case in point, pregnancy is the result of unprotected sex. Therefore, to avoid getting pregnant, choose abstinence since the decision to have sex in most cases is a personal choice and not the result of rape or incest.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).
Unfortunately, abortion has literally been used as a means to an end to avoid consequences because it allows a couple to enjoy the pleasures of sex with no strings attached. It provides an escape opportunity to avoid accountability (extreme cases excluded), which only exacerbates the problem further rather than forcing people to take personal responsibility instead.
“It isn’t sex by itself that makes abortion. It is sex plus covetousness: desiring things that God does not will for us to have because we are not willing to find our satisfaction in him. Illicit sex and unencumbered freedom without children: for these we covet, and abortion is the result.”
— John Piper
The same justification holds true from pro-choice advocates under the justification that perhaps a woman is unable to rear the child properly. In other words, it would do more harm than good to birth a child into an unfavorable environment, therefore avoid it altogether.
What we must understand about the pro-choice position is their argument is all about ACCESS. In other words, don’t infringe upon a woman’s freedom or “basic human right” to ACCESS an abortion. Because according to them, if Roe vs. Wade is overturned, ACCESS to birth control, sex education, and reproductive health care suddenly disappear as well.
Unfortunately, that argument is nothing more than a scare tactic to make people believe ALL their freedoms and access to general health care will be stripped away if abortion is specifically banned. However, preventing a pregnancy through birth control methods is completely different than ending a pregnancy via abortion. Therefore, they should not be a package deal in the abortion debate.
EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES:
Where the rubber meets the road for most Christians who struggle with banning ALL abortions is due to extreme circumstances. How can a woman or young girl be forced to carry a pregnancy full term if it was the result of rape or incest, or if the pregnancy poses a life-threatening risk?
Keep in mind, extreme circumstances account for a small % of abortions in the United States. For example, rape, incest, and life endangerment to the mother accounted for only 0.36% of all accounted abortions in the state of Florida during 2020 (out of a total of 74,868), yet these are the predominate reasons pro-choice advocates use to justify abortions.
Regardless of how small a percentage they are, though, extreme circumstances are an extremely difficult position to address and undoubtedly, a hyper-sensitive issue as well. However, Psalm 139:13-16 provides a clear answer regarding God’s sovereignty concerning the sanctity of life.
“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 was none of them” (Psalm 139:13–16).
What Psalm 139:13-16 affirms is that nothing we experience, good or bad, happens by accident without God knowing. More importantly, it affirms that God foreknew the choices we would make in our lives and the trials we’d face regarding pregnancy, whether the result of sins committed against us or potential life-threatening circumstances. However, Scripture’s response to both situations is clear.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
In other words, God encourages us to trust Him completely, come what may. For we may not be able to see the future nor understand the reasons our lives come to various crossroads, but God knows what lies beyond the horizon if we’d simply trust His omniscient sovereignty amidst our trials, worry, and confusion.
“In their book, ‘Victims and Victors,’ David Reardon and associates draw on the accounts of 192 women who experienced pregnancy as the result of rape or incest. It turns out that when victims of violence speak for themselves, their opinion of abortion is nearly unanimous and the exact opposite of what most would predict: Nearly all the women interviewed said they regretted aborting their babies conceived via rape or incest. Of those giving an opinion, more than 90 percent said they would discourage other victims of sexual violence from having abortions. Not one who gave birth to a child expressed regret.”
— Randy Alcorn
Undoubtedly, no Christian wishes harm to come on another person. Therefore, we pray all people would come to salvation through Jesus Christ according to His Word so that all their choices are God-honoring.
Granted, it doesn’t make the abortion debate any easier to reconcile nor appease pro-choice advocates in any way, but knowing what Scripture says about abortion does provide adequate rationale from a Biblical perspective regarding why pro-life supporters believe the way we do.
BOTTOM-LINE:
If we’re honest with ourselves, in most situations, the crux of the abortion debate hinges upon whose interest we’re looking out for most.
As Christians, we are called to consider others more worthy than ourselves. Therefore, we must reconcile WHO we feel is more important in the abortion debate: The mother who has a choice or the innocent child who does not.
“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16–19).
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Therefore, abortion is truly a debate about self-interest vs. self-sacrifice, and pro-life supporters feel compelled to speak on behalf of the unborn and protect their lives since they cannot defend themselves.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3–5).
It does not alleviate the difficulty of disallowing abortion under extreme circumstances, but it places the reality of the situation in plain sight if we consider, as John Piper explains, what happens during an abortion procedure.
“If we were made to watch a doctor pull off the little baby’s legs and arms one by one and place them on the table like a dentist removing cotton from your mouth – if all Americans were made to see what it really is, the pro-life goal of abortion being unthinkable (not just illegal) would be much nearer.”
— John Piper
Abortion is not an easy issue to address, especially for those who’ve had an abortion or are considering one in the future. However, Scripture affirms we can rest confidently in the assurance that God will make all things new to those who repent of their sins and reconcile their hearts to Him.
For He alone can heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3), create beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3), and restore the years we have wasted away (Joel 2:25). Yes, He can even provide a way of escape in extreme circumstances so abortion is never an option we would ever consider or allow in the future.
We simply need to put our complete trust in His sovereignty forevermore because He knows what it is best for us and will never forsake us, no matter how far we’ve fallen away from His grace and mercy.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:1–4).
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10–12).
GET INFORMED:
Please be informed and educated about abortion procedures and gain a better understanding of what they entail, visit: PRO LIFE CONNECT. This resource provides accurate, evidence based information designed to educate and inform people about the medical, emotional, and social aspects of abortion. Understanding the facts is a critical step in making informed decisions and engaging thoughtfully in the abortion debate.
BIBLE VERSES ADVOCATING FOR THE PRE-BORN
Psalm 139:13-16 “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.”
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Human beings are created in the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature.”
Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Psalm 119:73 “Your hands made me and formed me.”
Job 10 :11-12 “You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love.”
Matthew 1:20 “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’”
Psalm 100:3. “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.’”
Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Psalm 127:3-5 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
Luke 1:15 “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”
Luke 1:41, 44 “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. [And she exclaimed], ‘when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.’”
Isaiah 49:1, 5 “The Lord called me from the womb… formed me from the womb to be his servant.”
Galatians 1:15 “But God set me apart from the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me.”
Isaiah 45:9-11 “How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker! He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground. Does clay say to a potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does a pot say, ‘You don’t have any skill’? How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father, ‘Why did you give me life?’ How terrible for anyone who says to his mother, ‘Why have you brought me into the world?’ The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He made them. He says to them, ‘Are you asking me about what will happen to my children? Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?’”
Exodus 4:11 “The Lord said to him, ‘Who makes a man able to talk? Who makes him unable to hear or speak? Who makes him able to see? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord.’”
1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.’”
Exodus 23:7 “Do not kill the innocent and righteous.”
Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.”
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 man according to his work?”
Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.”
Psalm 10:12-15 “Lord, rise up! God, show your power! Don’t forget those who are helpless. Why do sinful people attack you with their words? Why do they say to themselves, ‘He won’t hold us accountable’? God, you see trouble and sadness. You take note of it. You do something about it. So those who are attacked place themselves in your care. You help children whose fathers have died. Take away the power of bad and sinful people. Hold them accountable for the evil things they do. Uncover all the evil they have done.”
Isaiah 58: 6-10 “Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain. Share your food with hungry people. Provide homeless people with a place to stay. Give naked people clothes to wear. Provide for the needs of your own family. Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That is because I always do what is right. You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, ‘Here I am.’ Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them. Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed. Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun.”
Matthew 25: 34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Luke 4: 18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”
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***By Daniel Ploof at Journey Into The Wilderness and the Advocacy team at Focus On The Family / Photo by lifenews.com
Topics of Interest:
Support for Crisis Pregnancies in USA & UK
