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I generally avoid political topics here because I find the ensuing arguments distract from my goal of helping couples have better marriages and sex lives. But I think this is a big enough deal I need to address it.
Let me start by saying I am opposed to abortion unless it’s to save the life of the mother. However, for me, that is not a religious conviction because I honestly don’t think the Bible addresses it. I read a well-done article that said Protestants didn’t believe the Bible condemned abortion 45 years ago. I was twelve when Roe v. Wade went down and I know this to be accurate.
For me, this is a human rights issue. We have a long history of making certain groups of people less than human so we can control, enslave, or kill them, and I see abortion as more of the same. Once we start down that road, who’s next? Do we euthanise grandma because she’s old and we’re tired of paying for her care? What about the child with significant mental and/or physical disabilities? We’re putting convenience and “freedom” ahead of the sanctity of life. It’s not how a civilised society acts, IMHO.
We have to draw a line and say “life starts here.” From a purely scientific standpoint, I don’t see any point other than conception where we can do that. I won’t split hairs with those who say implantation, but past that any line is arbitrary.
That all said, what I really want to discuss here is how I think those of us who follow Jesus have failed on this issue. It looks like we might have a win this year, but it will be short-lived. The majority of the country wants some level of abortion to be legal and the majority will win out.
It seems to me we should have been spending our time and money trying to change minds, rather than trying to legislate what the majority oppose. And I think the human rights issue is the way to go. You probably don’t know that about 11% of self-proclaimed atheists are opposed to abortion. It’s not something the media is going to tell you, but it’s true. These folks see abortion as a human rights issue.
I’ve changed some people’s minds about abortion over the years. It’s a slow process and it requires being able to share what you believe in a clear, rational, non-hateful way. It’s a lot like evangelism. It helps to know that most folks who are for abortions really do see it as a matter of a woman’s choice and really don’t see it as murder. Calling such folks “baby killers” only entrenches them and makes them hate the pro-life side all the more. That’s not helping and I don’t think it’s an example of speaking the truth in love. Also know that while the majority of people are opposed to outlawing all abortions, the majority are also opposed to all abortions for any reason at any point during pregnancy. Very few folks are down with the extreme laws both sides are trying to pass.
Finally, one of the favourite arguments of the pro-choice folks is that those who opposed abortion only care about babies until they are born. After that, they are on their own. While this is not true, there is plenty one can point to that supports the idea. Many “on the left” are better about caring for the poor than some on the right. Given Jesus commanded us to care for the poor, the widow, and the orphan, we should be all about this and it should be obvious. Let’s do such a good job of this we take this “argument” away from those who are for abortion.
A post worth reading:
mike glenn | Prayer Isn’t the Opposite of Action ◄ “Prayer is never a substitute for action, but the needed first step to faithful and good action. Without prayer, our “help” ends up being misguided at best, and harmful at worst.”
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The patheos.com article is and has always been revisionist in its own right, notably because it launches out of the gate to mis-use Exod.21.22 by trying to claim that abortion ≠ murder because child death isn’t penalized as murder. That author is talking out his butt: Any number of translations shows, even KJV, the phrase in question translates as something akin to “her child goes out from her but no [serious] injury occurs.” Death would be a pretty serious injury. I can’t do squat in Hebrew, but I can manage the LXX Greek: “και εξελθη το παιδιον αυτης”, roughly “and out the child from herself,” or in less wooden English, “the baby leaves her,” which (combined with following phrases indicating circumstance) shows trauma-induced premature birth, not death of the baby. NASB footnotes, “lit. her children come out”; NET offers a whole paragraph of commentary, explaining difference of opinion and their choice of “born premature” on contextual grounds, exactly due to (non-death) penalty following. The entire premise of that author is garbage because the comparison between Exod.21.22 with abortion is faulty from the outset.
While we’re at it, we can reach all the way back to the Didache, ca. 2nd century (claiming to be yet farther back with apostolic authorship, but unproven/unprovable, hence not canonical), which says in 2.2 “you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten” (“οὐ φονεύσεις τέκνον ἐν φθορᾷ, οὐδὲ γεννηθὲν ἀποκτενεῖς”). That text was cited by such Protestant luminaries as Calvin and Wesley. You can find the Didache in The Early Church Fathers series, a 37-volume work containing the writings of numerous figures of the early church, including Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Theophilus, Clement of Rome, Origen, and many others.
I was b.1960, not yet 13 when Roe was decided, and I have distinct memories of my mother (b.1921) pitching a major fit over Roe, and my church at the time — a perfectly ordinary Presbyterian congregation in central Ohio — having much to say about/against it. It is decidedly not a new idea that any Christian in any era would argue vehemently against abortion not on political grounds, but straight-up theological principles.
@karl – Also Presbieterain, and I felt it was wrong by 1979 when a female friend had one. But I don’t recall anyone claiming the Bible said it was wrong. It was just so clearly morally wrong to us.
The debate over Exod 21:22 is complex and I don’t see how either side can claim to have it 100%. I do know that in Jewish law a child doesn’t have a soul until it takes a breath. I don’t agree with that, but it is the teaching. Regardless, I find it a weak argument, and useless with those who are not following God.
Paul— one of the most well-thought out and well-presented arguments from a Christian that I have yet to read. And yes, I am a Christian, and I agree with much of what you have written here, and have personally felt this way for a long time, but it’s certainly not the “traditional Christian” approach to handling the topic of abortion. Well done.
“‘You shall do no murder; you shall not commit adultery’; you shall not commit sodomy; you shall not commit fornication; “you shall not steal”; you shalt not use magic; you shall not use potions; YOU SHALL NOT PROCURE ABORTION, nor commit infanticide; “you shall not covet your neighbor’s goods’”~ Didache 2.2
Written between 70-90 CE, the Didache (full title: “The Teachings of the Lord To the Gentiles By the Twelve Apostles”) was a sort of catechism for Christian converts. It’s use was widespread, and was rejected from inclusion in the New Testament because it was deemed “too Jewish.”
So while the canonical Bible may seem ambiguous about abortion, it appears that the Early Church was not.
@CSL – Thanks for the history, my librarian friend.
I think it’s a biblical concept, just not spelt out. One of several things I wish God had been clear about.
Paul,
I almost agreed with all the points you made in this post. The focus ought to be on the gospel of Christ that transforms lives, not on changing laws alone. The problem is in the hearts of people and out of those hearts, all the evil of the world proceeds. If we change the laws but not the people’s souls, the laws will become powerless at the end. The Lord said that we need to clean the inside of the cup so the outside can be cleaned; otherwise we will have white washed tombs- people, beautiful on the outside but full of decay on the inside.
@Karel Justo – Exactly. What they need is Jesus.
Andy Stanley has a new book that discusses this. I’ve not read it, but an interview with him about it sounded like he nailed it.
When we replace the Gospel with good things, we have still replaced the Gospel!.
Hi Paul, I’m a big fan of your ministry, and don’t recall ever commenting, but in this case I must. I find it interesting that we are in agreement here around conviction, but not in the source of that conviction.
Its very unclear to me how you separate morality from what the Bible teaches as if its something to be inferred or understood apart from biblical teaching.
You communicate:
“…for me, that is not a religious conviction because I honestly don’t think the Bible addresses it”
and in a comment:
“But I don’t recall anyone claiming the Bible said it was wrong. It was just so clearly morally wrong to us”
How do you have any sense of informed morality apart from what the Bible teaches? I do not agree that the issue is complex, and I feel need the need to communicate caution to my brothers and sisters as believers out there around this idea.
When we start pulling apart moral code from what is informed in scripture we walk a dangerous path that leads toward relativism. There either is or is not a standard for truth, and that standard either is or is not authoritative. Are there ideas today that were not options for consideration in past – yes, but I do not believe it wise to communicate that there is an issue of “morality” by which the bible is silent. For that to be true morality must be informed by something extra-biblical.
Scripture is clear that murder is wrong: several references – but – see Matt 5:21 for Jesus affirmation of old testament law and elevating it to anger being the standard. He elevated the expectations and affirmed a healthy selection of OT ideas at the same time.
Humanity has dignity, because we have been imparted the image of our creator (Gen 1:27) – as a result of this we are valuable. This either is or is not true, and as a believer I think it risky to determine some form of morality that is not derived from and based in the teachings of scripture.
I concur that as believers we are not going to be successful at legislating morality – this is and always will be a heart issue. I support that notion, but at the same time believe we are to defend those who cannot defend themselves – and certainly this grouping includes the unborn:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute – Prov 31:8
You comments about believers caring for the widows and orphans and poor – also spot on and convicting to us as a larger body. I pray we each take hold of that and lean into it to drive our actions such that we can fulfill Jesus words in Matthew 5: that our light would shine before men in such a way that they would SEE our good deeds and glorify our FATHER in heaven.
Thank you Paul for the work you invest here to direct us toward Jesus and our spouses. I encourage you that your voice is powerful, and I worry this specific post may lead some toward ideas that are harmful.
@Concerned Reader – The Bible gives me a moral framework which allows me to determine if something is or is not moral. Some things are specifically mentioned, but not everything is, so we need an understanding that allows us to discern the morality of things.
The Jews had a long list of rules in an attempt to cover everything. Paul said that they were like children, being protected by a “child conductor” – a slave took right children to and from school. When Jesus died we no longer needed that salve as we were given the Holy Spirit to help us decide things.
Yes, Scripture is clear murder is wrong. However, the Bible never calls abortion murder. This is why I said, and still maintain, that the Bible is silent on the issue. Claiming the Bible says things it does not say (and I am not accusing you of that) is both wrong and harmful.
If we decide abortion is murder, then yes, the Bible is clear about what we should do. But since the Bible is silent on the issue, we must make that determination first.