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Response
The decision of whether or not to undergo an abortion is a painful, complex, and challenging one. If you are open to listening, we would like to outline some reasons why opting against an abortion could be beneficial. There exist valid justifications, encompassing spiritual, practical, emotional, and factual aspects, supporting the choice not to have an abortion. If you are seeking assistance regarding abortion, please reach out to “If Not For Grace Ministries” (www.infg.org) for complimentary resources and counseling.
An abortion involves the intentional termination of a human life while it is still in the womb. It is recognized as life because of its growth and development. It is acknowledged as human due to basic biological principles indicating that offspring resemble their parents. This fundamental truth was established by God in the initial chapter of Genesis when He decreed that all living beings were to reproduce “after their kind” «And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. », (Genesis 1:11,24, 28). As the parents are human, the unborn life within the mother is also human. Therefore, abortion equates to the deliberate extermination of that unborn human life. This stands as a compelling reason to avoid having an abortion.
Each woman’s circumstances are unique, and abortions are pursued for various reasons. To arrive at a logical rationale for why a woman should refrain from having an abortion, she should pose the inverse of this question: Why should I proceed with an abortion? Why should I end my child’s life while it is still in the womb? At this juncture, proponents of pro-choice often introduce the sensitive topics of rape and incest as a diversion. While
While both rape and incest are terrible crimes and should be punished by law, the reality is that the percentage of women seeking abortions for these reasons is very low. This diversion does not change the fact that, regardless of the circumstances of conception, a child is just as human as any other. How the child was conceived does not affect the humanity of the baby. If abortion is considered the intentional killing of an innocent, developing fetus, then it remains a form of murder even if the child resulted from violence or incestuous relationships. Taking the life of an innocent does not diminish the harm caused by evil.
By removing the diversion, the reasons for seeking abortion boil down to two: personal choice or to protect the mother’s life. Since cases where abortion is necessary to save the mother’s life are even rarer, this argument receives more attention than it merits. Modern medicine can provide remarkable care for pregnant women without endangering their babies, making this issue a distraction from the real concern: personal choice. Lately, the medical argument has expanded to include the concept of “mental health of the mother,” a vague term encompassing any feelings of fear or uncertainty triggered by the pregnancy. This argument is merely an extension of the diversion and should be recognized as such. Some women fear that their lives and futures will be ruined if they continue the pregnancy. However, crisis pregnancy centers support mothers throughout their pregnancies and assist them in making the best decisions for both the mother and the baby. These options may involve support if she chooses to keep the baby or assistance with adoption if that is her decision.
Due to widespread sexual immorality in our society, unplanned pregnancies are common. When modern culture decided to divorce sexuality from morality, the issues escalated. God never intended such a separation. He designed sex to be a sacred act that is meant to be within the bounds of a committed marital relationship.
For the marriage relationship and for children to be welcomed into that marriage, regardless of whether or not they were a surprise to the parents (Genesis 1:23-24; Psalm 127:3). Scripture is clear that every human being has intrinsic value simply because every human being is a unique creation of God. There may be accidental parents, but there are no accidental children (Psalm 139).
A man and a woman can partner with God in the creation of a unique human being, but the man and woman are not the creators of that human being. As many infertile couples can attest, the desire for children plus sexual activity does not necessarily produce a child. God says that life is in His hands. He takes strong issue with those who believe they have the right to murder innocent children. In fact, God brought harsh judgment upon nations that offered their babies to false gods (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 20:31). Why do we imagine He is not equally outraged when we offer our babies to our gods of culture, money, fame, or convenience?
So the final answer is that a woman should not have an abortion because it is the murder of an innocent human being. God’s command against murder precedes the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses (Genesis 9:5-6). This was a universal decree for all humanity. God is the only Giver of life, and only He can dictate when that life should end. Murder is the most arrogant sin a human being can commit because it requires the murderer to usurp God’s right to determine the lifespan of another person. Murder sets a human being in the place of God. In Genesis 9:5, God says, “For your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. . . . From each human being . . . I will demand an accounting for the life of another hHuman being.” Those who willingly participate in an abortion must answer to the Creator of that life.
However, abortion is not the unpardonable sin. When Jesus offered Himself on the cross in our place, abortion was among the sins He suffered for. He took murder, rape, incest, and abortion upon Himself and paid the price we owe God «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we come to Jesus in faith, confessing our sin and turning away from it, God offers a full pardon. He considers His Son’s death and resurrection as sufficient payment for violating His commands. But He also does not take that payment lightly. Forgiveness does not offer us an excuse to continue heaping sin upon His Son’s shoulders (Romans 6:1-6).
Even when the sin of abortion has been washed away by the blood of Jesus, the effects remain. Women who have had abortions often suffer years of shame and regret. Some have fertility problems later on, caused by violating their bodies in the unnatural act of tearing a growing fetus from its mother’s womb. Many women who have had abortions live every day with the knowledge of what they have done and are haunted by thoughts such as, “He would be six years old today,” or “She would have graduated high school this year.” Those who naturally miscarry have some of those same thoughts, but they come without the guilt and regret abortion brings.
Abortion can seem like a quick and easy solution to the problem of an unplanned pregnancy. But sin is never the best way. Never. Sin has eternal repercussions that it never advertises up front. Sin costs more than we want to pay and hurts more than we thought it would. You should not have an abortion because you and your baby deserve better than that. Seek God’s answers instead.
