The Bible suggests we should provide for our children or we are sinning. 1 Timothy 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” This suggests it is the parents’ duty to provide for their child and give the baby all the love and support it needs. If there wasn’t that support, because the baby wasn’t planned, they could be seen as sinning as they are unable to provide for their child so abortion would be the answer in helping them not to sin and feel guilty.
The Bible tells us God is in control. “God created man” This suggest it is God’s decision to whether the baby should live or die. Therefore by having an abortion you are denying God’s choice.
The Bible suggests God is inside each person. 1 Corinthians 3:17: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” This illustrates again why abortion should not happen according to Catholics because by killing a baby you are killing God.
It tells us in the Bible that God created us, Psalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb.” This is telling us that God created us just they way he wanted us therefore by having an abortion you are destroying something God made. This leads on two the next point. The Bible suggests we were created for some purpose. Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This suggests that God created us for some kind of purpose therefore we should not have an abortion so that, that purpose is fulfilled or else without that person this world could possibly be different to what it should be.
The Bible teaches that we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and therefore to destroy any human life is to deny the sanctity of human life (the belief that all human life is sacred and not ours to decided when it ends) therefore abortion is going against God will.
The Bible teaches us that sex before marriage is wrong and that marriage should be kept pure it tells us this in Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed should be kept pure”. This suggests that abortion is unnecessary as sex should be done inside a secure marriage where children can grow up usually in a stable home.
1b) Explain how Christians have acted on the teachings about Abortion
The Bible teaches us that sex before marriage is wrong and that marriage should be kept pure it tells us this in Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed should be kept pure”. Christians especially Catholics have decided to act upon this and get Married before having sex to avoid the need of Abortion because therefore the baby has more reason to live as there is a secure family for there to be no big issues. God also is in favour of a secure family. 3
Evangelical Christians in the UK and America have promoted organizations such as ‘The Silver Ring Thing’ which is a schools roadshow that promotes not having sex before marriage, by making a pledge and wearing a ring so you remind yourself that you have made a promise to yourself and your future lifelong partner, that having sex and hopefully even one’s virginity, is going to be a special gift to that one person. The gift of you body (the temple of the Holy Spirit) is then given to each other on your wedding night. By doing this you could be preventing the need for an abortion as inside a secure relationship like marriage the purpose of marrying someone is to start a family. 3
As Catholics are so against abortion they decide to support organisations such as SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) and L.I.F.E. (the UK’s leading pro-life charity). SPUC defends human life from conception till natural death. They have designed an organisation with a Catholic approach to tackle abortion because they believe it is murder, which the Bible says is wrong.
Christians support organisations such as ‘Care for the Family’ as they believe family life is important. They are suggesting an alternative to abortion and instead to have a family. This way you are not killing a child. This organisation help families take care of financial issues so they are able to provide for their children and they also help single mums/dads and unhappy parents therefore this help could prevent the need for abortion. This is also showing Christian love towards the parents and the child.
Christians act upon their views about abortion by using contraception. This helps to avoid an unwanted pregnancy and therefore there is no need for an abortion. Catholics go with the natural forms of contraception due to the fact they believe having sex has one purpose and that is to pro-create. Protestants are relaxed about which to use and believe using any kind of contraception is fine as they are allowing the act of love. 3
David Steele campaigned for abortion to become legal because too many women were going to have back-street abortions. He was a committed Christian but was also appalled by back street abortions that allowed women to bleed to death. He told us that the women needed to be safe, as well as the baby there fore showing agape love. He believed abortion was right under exceptional circumstances. 3
Many Christians based on their beliefs about abortion (for or against) have decided to support single mums. This suggests they are most likely to be against abortion and are righteous towards the mother for not getting rid of it. Also by supporting the single mum they are showing agape love and going by the quote in the Bible “love your neighbour”. 3
Christians support Child homes such as “BREAK” which care for children who are unable to be looked after by their family. This goes along with the idea that abortion is wrong and that the baby has the right to live (agape). This organisation supports anti-abortion because it suggests that there is an alternative and babies do not have to be killed. It could also suggest that every child has the right to be loved and part of a family. Although they are showing an alternative to abortion, it is also suggesting that due to women not having abortions 1000s children have been sent to these homes where they aren’t in a proper loving family (which god designed for us to be in) therefore suggests it’s better to have an abortion in the right circumstance. 4
1c) Is Abortion justified? Give your opinion and include a wide source of Opinions.
There are two main Church views. Catholics believe abortion is never justified. They believe it is an act of murder (ten commandments) and an unworthy cause. This suggests the baby has a right to live and it is unnecessary and wrong to kill a living baby.
Protestants have a more relaxed view on Abortion. They tend to include the life of the mother is important too, which tends to differ their overall view. For example: The mother may not be fit to look after a child by herself - she may have little money and no father to help her. This suggests that it may be kinder to let the child die because then the mother will not have to go through pain and the child won’t have to live an unwanted life. This is seen as the lesser of two evils.
Many people that don’t have a religion also have views. Some say there is a great need for abortions because we are overpopulating the planet therefore by allowing abortions the birth rate is kept low.
The Bible contains no specific prohibition on abortion, although several passages (e.g. psalm 139:13) strongly indicate that life begins at conception, in which case abortion is considered a sin (murder).
I believe that abortion is okay in 1 condition: The baby is severely disabled. Having a disabled child will be a strain on a marriage and on finances and social reasons because they will need extra care, money and support by parents and possibly guardians (teachers) and distant family. I also believe it can be a form of correcting nature. The body naturally miscarries a child particularly when the child is unhealthy. Sometimes the body carries on supporting the child despite its condition whether this is right in severe cases of disability to the child can be sometimes kinder to let the child die at a very young age (up to 22 weeks).
However any other cases including rape the baby should still survive because many women are infertile and unable to have children. If you keep the child you are allowing them to have that chance of having children. Despite the awful history the child is healthy and I would prefer to live a healthy life than to have died due to the fact I was the result of a sexual offence.
Overall I believe the abortion issues should evolve around who’s life is more important; the life of the mother or the life of the unborn child, and not because who want a girl or a boy or whether it was an accident and you’re in a stable relationship.
