When our nation was founded, the great issue that most divided us was the question of slavery. The division grew to such a degree that it resulted in the Civil War, a dark time in our nation’s history that saw brother kill brother, father kill son, regions at war with one another. At the war’s end, the question of slavery was settled, but the institutional racism continues, festering in our nation in a way that still is seen today.
But with the end of the Civil War, we began to find other issues to divide us. One of the most divisive issues in our nation today is the question of a woman’s right to an abortion. With the ruling in Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court took the issue from the control of each state and made it a national right. And ever since that decision in 1973, the tensions have arisen and threaten us as never before.
The division is not one of legality, though that is part of the division. It is more importantly a question of morality. And questions of morality need to at least consider what the Bible teaches about abortion.
What Does the Bible Say About Abortion?
It may come as a surprise to some, but there is no verse in the Bible that says, “Thou shalt not have abortions.” We can look at every reputable concordance and we will not find the word abortion anywhere in the Bible. One can conclude that the Bible is silent on the issue.
But that person would be wrong.
As in any issue where the Bible is silent on a particular issue, all we need to do is look at the overall teachings found in the Bible to get a sense of where God stands on the matter in question. So it is with abortion.
The first question we need to address in the matter is, “When does life begin?” There are three verses, two from the Old Testament and one from the New, which speak to the idea of when life begins.
“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” (Psalm 139:13-14).
“The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘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 1:4-5).
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy’” (Luke 1:41-44).
The first verses come from a psalm that speaks of God’s intimate knowledge of us and His presence with us always. The second verses are at Jeremiah’s calling to be God’s prophet. The last few verses from Luke speak of when Mary, having been told she will be the mother of Jesus, visits her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pregnant with the child that would grow up to be John the Baptist.
There is no question that the Bible, then, recognizes that life is found in the womb, though it does not specifically state that life begins at conception. However, such an interpretation seems to be consistent with the messages of these verses. Taken together, particularly Jeremiah, the verses indicate that the life within a womb is complete—that is, it is a physical, spiritual and conscious life within the womb. The fact that God is intimately aware of us in the womb speaks to His valuing the life of a fetus, and that leads to the conclusion that the Bible regards human life to be at the earliest stages of life, even at conception.
When we consider these verses and then consider one of the Ten Commandments—“You shall not murder” (Exodus 19:13)—then it seems very clear that the Bible is against abortion. It would be very difficult to conclude otherwise.
Is Abortion Always Wrong?
And, yet, there is the question that still needs to be asked: Is abortion always wrong? Having clearly stated that the Bible speaks against abortion, why do we need to ask that question? The answer is that the Bible does allow for somethings that it otherwise is against.
For instance, divorce is a violation of God’s will. “’I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel, ‘and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,’ says the Lord Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith” (Malachi 2:16). This verse speaks to the issue of why God is not willing to accept the offerings brought to His altar. God tells the people that by divorcing, they break faith with their wives.
“Some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ ‘What did Moses command you?’ He replied. They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.’ ‘It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,’ Jesus replied” (Mark 10:2-5). When being tested by the Pharisees regarding marriage and divorce, Jesus’ response indicates that, while God is against divorce, He also recognizes the hardness of our hearts and makes provision for the events that might lead to divorce.
God hates divorce, yet He allows it. We can see that again in 1 Corinthians 7. But the point is, there are times that the Bible may instruct us against something, but it makes provision for exceptions.
The issue of murder is one such case, both Biblically and legally. Murder is wrong in the Bible and in the laws of our nation and our states, but there are exceptions carved into both. No one calls the taking of a human life murder when the act is done in the midst of war. No one has ever been charged with murder for the killing of an enemy in battle.
Likewise, we understand that the taking of a human life can be allowed if it is done in the preservation of another’s life. We call that self-defense. Self-defense is harming or killing someone when a person feels their life or the life of another person is endangered by another person.
And capital punishment is not considered murder, even though it entails the taking of another’s life. The Bible allows it (at least in the Old Testament), the federal government and many of our states allow for the taking of a life as punishment for certain crimes.
Knowing, then, that the Bible does carve out exceptions to things the Bible is against, let’s look again at abortion, and ask again if abortion is always wrong? Perhaps another way to say it is, “Are there times when an abortion is permissible?”
Most people will say that an abortion is permissible in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother. And I think that such exceptions should be allowed. And here’s where it gets sticky.
If we are going to allow for abortions in these instances, if we are going to provide for abortions in those exceptions—just as we allow killing in the name of national defense, self-defense or conviction of a capital offense—then it seems only reasonable that we should make abortion readily available at a moment’s notice. There should be no laws making access to an abortion virtually impossible for a woman if she needs one for any one of these exceptions.
I have a gentleman in my church who is having to undergo extensive heart surgery. When he was initially told he would need the surgery, the doctors weren’t sure if the procedure could be done through inserting a tube into his body and doing surgery through the tube, or whether they would have to open his chest up. He was of the opinion that if it was to be the latter, he would prefer it done at a local hospital rather than travel to Houston for the procedure. His doctor said he understood my friend’s point, and he agreed that a local doctor could do the procedure and do it well and successfully. The doctor pointed out, though, that while the local doctor had the skills to do the job, the Houston doctors had far more experience in the procedure, including dealing with unexpected issues that might arise from the surgery. This experience could be crucial in such delicate matters. My friend, seeing the wisdom of skills accompanied with experience was the better option than local, and he is having his procedure in Houston.
The same idea should be present in the matter of any surgery, particularly abortion. I am the father of two daughters. If, God forbid, either of them needed an abortion to preserve their life, I would want a skilled, experienced surgeon doing the procedure, and I would also want capable therapists present to work with my daughter(s) after the fact. I would also add that if the choice came between saving the life of my daughter or the life of the fetus within her, my daughter will win that decision every time.
And let’s go one step further. If God is against divorce but allows for divorce for any and all reasons—there are no exceptions for the permission of divorce such as abusive behavior, adultery, criminal activity—then should society preclude abortions for any reason?
Even though the Bible may disallow something or be against something, doesn’t make it illegal in our society. (The reverse is true also—society sometimes prohibits that which the Bible allows.) Do not think for one moment that I believe that he decision to abort a living fetus should be a haphazard decision. I believe it to be a decision of the last resort, one that must be reached after all other options are eliminated. And if, after all due deliberation, it is determined that an abortion is best for all concerned, then I believe the abortion should be available to that woman who has made the decision.
We have lived in a world where abortions were outlawed, with the result that many young women have had to travel out of state for the procedure or else rely on a back-alley procedure that endangered her life. I cannot see how that is beneficial to anyone.
“But if we make abortions readily available to anyone who’s pregnant, not every abortion will be done only as a last resort.” Granted, there will those who abuse the system. That’s true of almost everything that is available in society, though. There are always people who look for loopholes or ways to game the system. There are those who seek to push the envelope to their advantage. It is a part of human nature. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make a benefit available to thousands when tens are going to abuse it. That makes no sense to me.
Conclusion
I believe the Bible is very clear that life begins at conception. There are ample verses that speak to that issue. And it is also very true that the Bible speaks forcibly against murder. But it’s also very true that the Bible makes exceptions to the taking of a human life without calling it murder.
Abortion is a divisive issue in our society, perhaps the most divisive sense the issue of slavery was resolved with the passage of the 13th Amendment following the Civil War. The Evangelical view toward abortion has led us to go down roads we may not have thought we would travel but for this issue.
It is time we reexamine this issue with the eyes and heart of Christ. As is always the case in any issue in our world, the compassion of Christ and the love of God must be always the guiding principles that determine how we respond to an issue. I know that many will not agree with my position as stated in this paper, and I’m not asking anyone to come over to my way of thinking without much prayer and consideration. But I do hope, after reading this, each reader will come away with an openness to consider that it is possible to see this issue from another angle.
© 2018 Glynn Beaty