[Abortion instrument, 100 AD, 2011 AD]
(-the best I could find to illustrate my point-)
The first socially and culturally acceptable practice I would like to examine from a Christian perspective is abortion. A practice that should have every Christian screaming and running for the door if someone said they had to do it. If a Christian willingly agrees to this practice they should know it is unbiblical. They should be examining their heart and their heads to assure they are walking a Christian walk if they pursue this course of action. I believe the more liberal of our persuasion prefer the term pro-choice. I personally see it as pro-murder...but enough of my views. Let's look at the Biblical aspects and the early church father's original stance on abortion / infanticide by viewing writings of early Church. I'll probably catch fire from others for this topic but I really don't care. I guess I'm feeling ornery of late and I feel like tackling the tough issues right now. Perhaps it is because I am tired of a godless culture defining what is "acceptable" when my conscience and every fiber of my being tells me its disgusting and morally reprehensible. Perhaps I have gotten tired of an immoral world defining what is right when my God's word has clearly told me it is wrong.
For the sake of brevity and clarity I will save the topic of pregnancy terminations due to survival threat to the mother and/or rape issues for another post. I am not avoiding it. That would be intellectual cowardice and an easy way out. I will not do this. These two variables (rape & survival) in particular are thorny at best when it comes to the choice to have an abortion. Unfortunately, these variables are often used to re-frame the argument of killing an unborn child. In these situations the victims of rape often become a victim twice. First from the rapist and then by the politicized pro-choice movement that use them as exceptions to the rule-not he norm. They can be addressed but I will not be addressing them directly here as they are multi-faceted and every scenario like this needs to be addressed on an individual basis.
As is obvious, everyone is free to choose their own actions, right or wrong. People can make righteous decisions...and unrighteous ones. I agree, it is a matter of choice: The choice to murder or not to murder. I cannot make people do things. I can inform them though. I will say that, in my opinion, the only possible acceptable situation for termination is if BOTH lives are in jeopardy and even this is a tentative situational and positional statement. In any case this should be exceptionally rare. I will be primarily focusing on abortion as birth control method and abortion as irresponsibility of the parties involved (i.e.: people that want to play, but they don't want to pay). The type of irresponsible behavior that ends up leading to wholesale slaughter. Unfortunately, adult businesses/enterprises like Planned Parenthood usually prey on those in society that are socially or financially disenfranchised or worse, they prey on the young. Young girls that have a much more difficult time making mature decisions in the absence of a parent (where many will need to make this decision as parents are not informed most times). These young women will then need to live with this traumatic and life-changing decision the rest of their lives.
The Bible is clear of the condition of the unborn in the womb and murder in general. I will throw in a few early Christian views sources for good measure as many were based in the Bible anyway. Let’s review shall we?
Biblical Sources:
Human life begins in the womb.
Psalms 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.
Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Exodus 20:13
"Thou Shall not Murder"
Luke 1:41
“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit”
Luke 1:44
“For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”
In other words, infants in the womb are reactive. They respond to stimuli. This is the sign of a cognizant being (human)
Exodus 21:22-23
"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life…”
In other words, if a pregnant woman is struck and the unborn dies, so do you. Which is to say that the Bible sees unborn and born…as the same thing. They are synonymous.
Matthew 18:10
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven".
In other words, Jesus tells us not to despise or look down upon the least powerful and significant (by human standards) of humans. In general humans by their nature are unique and special and are not little more than evolved apes. They are prized by their Creator.
Extra-Biblical Sources:
You shall not kill the child by obtaining an abortion. Nor, again, shall you destroy him after he is born. Barnabas (c. 70-130, E), 1.148.
What cause is there for the exposure of child? The man who did not desire to beget children had no right to marry at all. He certainly does not have the right to become the murderer of his children, because of licentious indulgence. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195), E,2.368.
Among surgeons' tools there is a certain instrument that is formed with a nicely adjusted flexible frame for first of all opening the uterus and then keeping it open. It also has a circular blade, by means of which the limbs within the womb are dissected with careful, but unflinching care. Its last appendage is a blunted or covered hook, by which the entire fetus is extracted by a violent delivery. There is also a copper needle or spike, by which the actual death is brought about in this treacherous robbery of life. From its infanticide function, they give it the name, "killer of the infant" –which infant of course, had once been alive. Tertullian (c. 210) 3.206
You shall not slay your child by causing abortion, nor kill the baby that is born. For "everything that is shaped and has received a soul from God, if it is slain, shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed" [Ezek. 21:23, LXX]. Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c. 390, E), 7.466
As you can see from the extra-biblical sources…we have not advanced or made progress in this area. The media and abortion advocates would have you believe just the opposite. Things are much better now that we have the killing covered by our insurance and by the taxpayers through organizations like Planned Parenthood (thank you Margaret Sanger, NOT!). If anything we have regressed as we have now industrialized and automated the processes to make the killing more expedient, efficient and clean. Out of sight out of mind. Frankly, we are just as barbaric in our butchery as we have always been. Sick man sick!
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Please note that I have not condemned any people who have had an abortion. God is merciful and forgives those that are repentant and contrite. I am no different. To do any less as a sinner would make me a hypocrite. But...BUT! I do condemn and become intolerant of those that claim to be Christians and participate in this heinous practice. I am especially intolerant of a culture and society that not only okays this behavior and things that lead to it (immorality, premarital sex, etc.) but actually encourage it as being an acceptable form of birth-control or an acceptable means to “get rid” of unwanted pregnancy…as if the unborn child is some type of waste or a piece of trash.
Any practice that leaves one dead and the other injured is not health care...its either an attack or war. As I said before, it is indeed a choice. A choice to murder a defenseless innocent or not to murder. I have barely scratched the surface of this cancer that has attached itself to the soul of society and individual humans but at least I have articulated a moral pro-Christian, pro-life positional statement.
3 comments:
Thank you for the brave and biblical stance!
As a father of a very young child and a child soon to be born my greatest fear is the loss of those innocent lives who mean so much to me. I can't imagine willing to give those lives up, or the mindset of any who would. It is something I can never understand.
Thanks Andy. I used to be more tentative in my approach to apologetics but issues like abortion leave no room for being weak in the knees. The other side has aggressively pushed this issue. Constantly mis-framing the arguement. It's a woman's right. Yes, yes it is. A woman can chose to kill or not to kill. Where are the unborn's rights? God has clearly stated in His word that children are human in the womb and life begins at conception. I see this as no different than the sacrifices to Molech in the Old Testament...and this country and others are already starting to pay dearly for out sins...and our silence about this atrocity. God bless you and yours brother.
i live in New Zealand where abortion is technically illegal. but you wouldn't know it, so many here find ways around the law. they go to their doctors who have sworn the hippocratic oath & a paper is signed which avers the woman will lose her sanity if forced to become a mother. then there is a procedure often at taxpayers expense. the Lord says "from the moment of conception it is a life!" therefore i believe we are bringing down a curse on our country & not surprised at the mine accidents, earthquakes & tornadoes we are starting to have here! i even saw a tidal wave & more volcanic eruptions of the sort that formed this land in some dreams i've had! we must all pray for our countries & our peoples to REPENT of all this wickedness! don't even get me started on being "gay" which is to turn against the entire Human Race! it's Gross Treachery which had a death penalty against it under God's Justice Covenant! yet pastors are admitting to it (FALSE pastors!) & even being proud of it! :(
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