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The topic of abortion is inevitably a heated one, often accompanied by a wary ‘you can’t tell women what to do with their bodies’, or ‘I wouldn’t have one personally, but I accept another’s right to’. Often there are misconceptions involved such as where pro-choice activists have attempted to convince society that the baby is just a ‘blob of tissue’ and that removing it will solve all their problems. Emotive questions will come up like ‘what about in the case of rape? You couldn’t possibly expect a woman to go through her pregnancy then!?’ or ‘what about backyard abortions? Our society cannot go back to those horrors!’
Such misconceptions can often throw those who believe that human life is important and is worthy of protection by society. We decided to address this issue and ask firstly, what the Bible has to say about the issue; secondly, address some of the above arguments of the pro-choice lobby; and finally, look at the consequences of abortion, and the effect it has on society. We conclude by looking at the importance of our personal response to the issue and stress that as a church community we should be caring for those who have had or who are considering abortions, offering counselling and support to them as Jesus would have done.
Is Abortion mentioned in the Bible?
People (even Christians) often say ‘there is nothing in the Bible about abortion’. This statement is- at face value- technically true, however the Bible does have a lot to say about the value of human life- both pre and post birth. Andrew Lansdown has an excellent article entitled "‘Abortion: A Biblical Perspective’(1) which thoroughly documents the statements contained in the Scriptures on this issue. He highlights that ‘the Bible clearly portrays prenatal life as human life’ using examples from the Old Testament such as where Jacob grasps Esau’s heel in the womb. He also shows that “in the New Testament, the same Greek word [brephos] is used to speak of a child before and after birth”.
Lansdown also draws out the experience of Mary and Elizabeth where the baby in Elizabeth’s womb [John] leaps with joy at the approach of Jesus (a several day old embryo at the time) in Mary’s womb (Luke 1,2)! It is also interesting to note that “scripture places such weight on conception as the starting point of human life, it often begins the narrative of a person's life by referring to the sexual act that resulted in his or her conception”. One of the most well-known portions of Scripture that refers to the sacredness of pre-natal life is David’s declaration (Psalm 139:13-16) "you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. . . . All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be"
Another example is of Jeremiah where he says, "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, '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'". Finally, Lansdown points out it is important to note that God created human life [Genesis 2:7], God bestowed his own nature on human life [Genesis 1:27], God owns human life [Ezekiel 18:4], God preserves human life [Acts 17:25], God values human life [Matthew 10:29-31] and God forbids the wilful, unlawful destruction of human life [Exodus 20:13, Proverbs 6:16-17].
Reading the Scriptures holistically on this point it is hard to argue that God would look favourably on abortion.
A blob of tissue?
It has been an incredibly successful argument by the pro-choice lobby that the ‘baby’ is not a baby at all, merely a blob of tissue that is comparable to a tumour or a parasite. Believing this lie makes it a lot easier for women to claim ignorance and think the choice to abort will solve rather than create problems. The truth however is a lot different.
In 'Arguments Against Abortion' Lansdown reveals the wonder of early life: “The baby’s sex can be determined as early as four days after conception. His (or her) blood cells form as early as the seventeenth day. His eyes begin to form around the nineteenth day. His nervous system begins to form around the twentieth day. His heart begins regular pulsations (a legal sign of life) around the twenty-fifth day. His cerebral cortex begins to form around the thirty-third day, with brain waves being recordable ten days later. Around seven weeks (before most abortions are performed) the unborn child is recognisably human, with a miniature head, face and body, and tiny arms, legs, fingers and toes. Around eight weeks all his organs— brain, liver, kidneys and stomach— are functioning. Around the tenth week he can squint, swallow, kick, and grasp.”
Backyard abortions…
One argument commonly raised against the prohibition of abortion is that if the procedure becomes illegal, it will merely drive women to seek ‘backyard abortions’ which would have severe health risks or even prove fatal.
Lansdown offers a multi-part rebuttal to this argument:
“Firstly, since the advent of antibiotics, few women have died from abortions, whether legal or illegal. For example, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 1969 (before abortion was legal in any state, and before a single abortion clinic was in operation), only one woman died from an illegal abortion in the whole of Australia. The notion of women dying in droves from backyard abortions is a complete fabrication.
Secondly, laws against abortion actually protect women from backyard abortions. Where abortion is illegal, abortionists (whether backyard or front office) can be punished.
Thirdly, if abortions are not freely available, many women will not have them. Therefore they will not be exposed to danger.
Fourthly, no woman need die from a backyard abortion because no woman need have one. Backyard abortions do not become compulsory when legal abortions become unobtainable. They are performed only after women have deliberately and unlawfully sought them out.
Fifthly, while everyone laments the prospect of a woman suffering harm from a backyard abortion, such harm, should it occur, is not unjust. Abortion should not be legalised for fear that a few women may fall victim to their own schemes to kill their own babies.
Sixthly, it is monstrous to trade the actual deaths of 100,000 babies for the hypothetical deaths of a few women.”
What if rape was involved?
Even some of the most passionate pro-life supporters stumble at this question, because, despite the fact that it covers less than 1% of abortion cases, it is a very emotive one. A key presumption in the question, however, is that abortion will somehow cure the rape or that it will make the woman feel better. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
David Reardon’s book ‘Aborted Women: Silent No More’ reveals some heartbreaking quotes from two women who did decide to have an abortion. Jackie B said this: "I soon discovered that the aftermath of the abortion continued a long time after the memory of my rape had faded. I felt empty and horrible. Nobody told me about the emptiness and pain I would feel deep within, causing nightmares and deep depressions. They had all told me that after the abortion I would continue on with my life as if nothing had happened. ... I found that though I could forgive the man who raped me, I couldn't forgive myself for having the abortion." Another woman, Debbie "N" confessed: "I still feel that I probably couldn't have loved that child conceived of rape, but there are so many people who would have loved that baby dearly. The man who raped me took a few moments of my life, but I took that innocent baby's entire life."
Stand to Reason’s, Greg Koukl highlights some responses to this question that are invaluable: “(1) Why complicate the crime of rape with the crime of taking an innocent child's life? Or, to put it another way: Why should the child pay with its life because its father is a rapist?” And also “(2) I'm really glad you brought this up, because it clarifies for us what the real issue is in abortion: What kind of living thing is resting in its mother's womb? If the unborn child is not a living person, then no excuse for abortion is necessary. If it is, then no excuse for abortion is adequate.”
What if the mother’s life is in danger?
In tragic circumstances a mother’s life may be at risk by the continuation of her pregnancy. Faced with the prospect of losing one or both lives the doctor may try to induce birth in the hope of saving both. However, this situation could hardly be labelled ‘abortion’. Lansdown points out that “a doctor who induces labour and delivers the child of a woman who is about to die from toxaemia, for example, intends not to kill the child but to save the mother. And there is always the hope that the premature child, too, can be saved. If this hope proves vain, a death occurs, but not a murder.”
Health Issues
Queen’s Counsel Charles Francis has acted many times on behalf of women who have had abortions without being warned of the risks that accompany the procedure. In an article in the Herald Sun he speaks of women who have had their cases settled confidentially for a substantial payment of damages because the clinic failed to warn of the increased risk of breast cancer, psychiatric illness and psychological effects.(2)
Thomas Strahan has evaluated 1200 research studies on the detrimental effects of abortion coming up with a long list of both medical and emotional risks of abortion. These include: Medical risks: Cervical incompetence, infection, ectopic pregnancy, haemorrhage, menstrual disorders, miscarriage, rupture/perforation of uterus, loss of/damage to other organs, stillbirth, infertility, breast cancer, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, retained placenta, and blood clots.
Emotional effects: Guilt, fear of future fertility, shame, atonement baby, obsession with date of abortion, depression, sleep disorders, flashbacks, lowered self esteem, loss of sexual interest, promiscuity, weight loss or gain, decreased work capacity, Anorexia or Bulimia, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, postnatal depression and Post-Abortion Trauma.(3)
It is also interesting to note that although ‘pro-choice’ activists are usually associated with a feminist movement, research done on the practice of abortion by the Elliot Institute shows that 60% of abortions in this country are done under coercion. “This coercion came mainly from boyfriends, doctors, and parents. In fact, the male partner played a central role in the abortion decision in 95% of cases, even though 70% of the women believed having an abortion was morally wrong.”(4)
The Effect on Society
There is a poignant quote by John Stott that illustrates the gravity of the situation: “Can we claim that contemporary western society is any less decadent because it consigns its unwanted babies to the hospital incinerator instead of the local rubbish dump? Indeed modern abortion is even worse than ancient exposure because it has been commercialised, and has become, at least for some doctors and clinics, an extremely lucrative practice. But reverence for human life is an indisputable characteristic of a humane and civilized society”.(5)
In Australia there are almost 90,000 deaths by abortion per year.(6) This practice contributes to 41% of the entire number of deaths in our country! (7)
Of the reasons given for having an abortion 96% say the baby would impinge on their convenience, socio-economic status, career, or psycho-social state.(8)
Lawyer Augusto Zimmerman has an excellent article Abortion: The Crime Against Humanity, (9) comparing the historic Dred Scott decision defending slavery to the infamous Roe v Wade case.
Dred Scott: “1) black slaves belong to their masters; 2) black slaves are not human persons before the law; 3) black slaves can only acquire human rights if they become free individuals; 4) those who think slavery is morally wrong do not need to have slaves, but shall not impose their ‘personal’ opinion upon others; 5) masters have the right to do whatever they want with their property, including black slaves; 6) slavery is better for the black people.”
Roe v Wade: “1) unborn children belong to their mothers; 2) unborn children are not human persons before the law; 3) unborn children can only have human rights if they are born alive; 4) those who think abortion is morally wrong do not need to have an abortion, but shall not impose their ‘personal’ opinion upon others; 5) women have the right to do whatever they want with their property (bodies), which includes unborn children; 6) abortion is better for unwanted and/or disabled children.”
An investigation carried out by the Southern Cross Bioethics Institute revealed that 60% of Australians support abortion for cases of only a mild disability of the unborn baby.(10) Zimmerman draws the obvious comparison here to the ideology behind the Nazi reign in Germany where eugenics was used to ‘improve’ the human race. He points out the horrific example of “a baby-girl of only two weeks from natural birth was recently killed in Melbourne, Australia, because the doctor thought she could have dwarfism.”(11) Andrew Bolt also shocked readers when he shared the story of baby Jessica Jane who was aborted at 18 weeks and callously left crying in a dish before she died 80 minutes later.(12) In England, a government agency [The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH)] carried out an investigation into this issue finding that up to 50 babies a year are born alive after botched National Health Service abortions.(13) In America Congress officially recognised scientific evidence that unborn babies experience intense pain when aborted, acknowledging the evidence suggests they feel pain more acutely than at any other stage of life.
Conclusion
There are so many facets to this issue and so many arguments that have been mounted by those who spout a ‘pro-choice’ mantra. As Christians it is important to maintain perspective and be aware of the presumptions that are implicit in ‘women’s rights’ arguments. Ultimately, if we have a firm understanding of the value God places on human life at any stage and we realise that life begins from conception, we will be intellectually consistent with our view that abortion can never be justified.
In practice, however, while we should be campaigning for our society to protect the most vulnerable among us, this does not change our obligation to care for those who have decided to go through with the procedure. Shunning those in critical emotional need because of their ‘sin’ would be the very opposite of how Jesus intended his Church to respond. Hopefully, we can support those who are considering whether or not to have an abortion and convince them gently through our practical love and support that having a baby is not the end of the world, but an incredible miracle.
Read Andrew Lansdowne’s article
Read a pro-choice argument: 'Why Abortion is Moral'
Debate this issue on the forum
References
1. Andrew Lansdown, Abortion: A Biblical Perspective, Life Ministries
2. Charles Francis, Grave risk in having an abortion, Herald Sun, 24 July 2006
3. Thomas Strahan, 2001, Detrimental Effects of Abortion - an Annotated Bibliography with Commentary
4. Changing Hearts & Finding New Alternatives. Published by Respect Life Office, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, 2005.
5. Stott, John; 'New Issues Facing Christians Today. London: Harper Collins, 1999, p.349
6. ‘Termination of pregnancy—reopening the debate’, In Touch—Newsletter of the Public Health Association of Australia Inc., vol. 21, no. 11, December 2004, pp. 14–15. In ‘How many abortions are there in Australia? A discussion of abortion statistics, their limitations, and options for improved statistical collection’, Research Brief, Parliament of Australia, 14 February 2005
7. Abortion Statistics, New South Wales Right To Life.
8. Ibid
9. Augusto Zimmerman, Abortion: The Crime Against Humanity
10. Giving Women Choice: Australia Speaks on Abortion. Editors J.I. Fleming and S. Ewing. Southern Cross Bioethics Institute, 26 April 2005.
11. Muehlenberg, Bill; Dismantling the Abortion Myths. The Australian Family – Journal of the Australian Family Association, Vol.25, No.1, March 2004, p.22
12. Bolt, Andrew; Yes it’s an Abortion. Melbourne: Herald Sun, August 8, 2004.
13. Lois Rogers, Fifty babies a year are alive after abortion, The Sunday Times, November 27, 2005.
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