Describe and explain bible quotes a Christian might use in a discussion about abortion

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

The bible does not have any direct quotes for abortion. There is only one quote that is closely linked to abortion and that is

Exodus 21:22-25

“If some men are fighting and hurt a pregnant women so that she loses her child, but she is not injured in any other way, the one who hurt her is to be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands, subject to approval of the judges. But if the woman herself is injured, the punishment shall be life for a life, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

This appears that there is no physical punishment for damaging an unborn baby by indirect action, he merely has to pay the price of the mother’s husband that is demanded by him. This appears to be saying that the life of the unborn baby is irrelevant and that the only life that matters is that of the woman the rule “life for a life, burn for a burn etc” only applies for the woman not the unborn. But we must keep in mind that there are no bible quotes linked directly to abortion. Due to the fact that a medical abortion was not available when the bible was written which explains why there are no direct quotes to abortion.

Christians will not all have the same views and opinions on abortion, as there are no set rules. Therefore if a Christian is considering abortion they may look at the following points.

The views and opinions of other people in their church

The opinion of their priest

What is written in the bible and how they may interpret it.

Overall a christian will have to decide what is right and what they believe to be wrong. These are some of the quotes a christian will find.

Genesis 1:26-27

“Then god said and now we will make human beings in our image, they will be like us and resemble us. They will have the power over the fish, the birds and all the creatures domestic and wild, large and small. So God created human beings in the image of himself he created them, male and female he created them.”

This quote can support abortion. God is saying that humans have, like him, power over all creation. Therefore it gives us the right to have abortions and would be seen to be correct.

It can also be used against abortion. If you were to believe that life starts in the womb then to perform an abortion you would be killing a creation that is made in the image of God, and you are in affect killing God. This backs up the Christian view point of the sanctity of life which is-

This is a preview of the whole essay

Life is god given, only god can take life, All life is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore human life is holy, Human life is the temple of the Holy spirit ,Life should not be destroyed, All life deserves human respect, God has a plan for every human life, Human life is precious, unique and valuable.

Jeremiah 1:5

“I chose you before I gave you life, and you before you were born I selected you……”

This quote is completely against abortion. It is god speaking to someone, he is saying that he chose him before he was born which implies he was living before he was born and therefore does not have the right to be killed in an abortion. It suggests that this life is chosen by god and that nobody has the right to take it away apart from God himself.

Job 12:10

“It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.”

This implies that God is responsible for everything that happens in life. If everything is under his control then technically humans do not have free will. If we do not have free will then we do not have the power to make and perform such important issues as abortion. But it is possible that God made us do such things as perform abortions so it could be used both for and against abortion. If God does control everything we do then we have no choice what we do so everything that happens is all because god wants it to. So if you get pregnant due to rape it’s because that is what God wanted and that you should not get an abortion to prevent it.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

“God made everything and you can no more understand what he does to you than you can understand how new life began in the womb”

This quote is directly saying, “life began in the womb” therefore to perform an abortion is to perform murder. So this quote would suggest abortion is wrong. Though again this quote implies that God is control of everything if he is in control of everything then everything happens for a reason and you should not prevent it or maybe you should as this is what God makes you do.

Psalm 139:13-16

“You created every part of me; you put me together in my mothers womb…. When my bones were being formed… when I was growing there in secret you knew that I was there. You saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me have all been recorded in your book.”

This quote seems to suggest that life has begun in the womb. By saying “when I was growing there in secret” it applies that there was a person there saying it so they are alive. Again this means that abortion is killing a life. Abortion is murder. Again “The days allotted to me have all been recorded in your book.” Seems to suggest that god is in control of all life and that there is no real free will again this suggests everything happens because God wants it to and you should not prevent it, or you should as this is what God makes you do.

Corinthians 3:16-17

“Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you! So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy and you yourselves are his temple.”

This quote says that human beings are God’s temple this makes human holy as God’s holy places are the places where God is worshipped. According to the quote God spirits lives in each human life. If you destroy life then God will destroy you. This then brings us back to whether life starts in the womb or not; if it does then abortion is murder, if it doesn’t then abortion is not murder.

Job 1:21

“I was born with nothing, I will die with nothing, the Lord gave and the Lord takes away”

This quote is strongly against abortion. It clearly says humans don’t have the right to take life if God gives and God takes away then abortion in the eyes of God, and Christians is wrong. Though it is possible that people who perform abortions and even murders because god directs them maybe that is his way of taking away life.

Matthew 6:26

“Look at the birds, they do not sew seed, gather harvest and put it in barns yet your father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than the birds?”

This quote is suggesting that humans are far more important than any other of God’s creations and that they are given the ability to look after themselves. As opposed to the birds that need God’s help to stay alive. If humans can look after themselves they can make their own decisions so they should choose for themselves whether abortion’s wrong. They have the ability to perform abortions and choose to have them so they should use it. It could also be used to say that human life is worth much more than the life of the birds so it is far greater to take it away. But surely you are only taking life away in abortion if life begins in the womb.

John 1:19

“The Word became a human being, full of grace and truth and lived amongst us.”

God came to live as a human in the form of Jesus. Therefore God dearly loves all human life and to take it away would be unjust. Also in today’s world what would happen if Mary were to have an abortion Earth would never be given a saviour. Jesus was alive before he was born in the form of God maybe this indicated that life has begun maybe even before the womb.

The Great Commandment. Mark 12:29-31

“…. The most important one (commandment) is this.. “Listen Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love your Lord Your God with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all yourself. The second most important commandment is “Love your neighbour as yourself” There is no other commandment more important than these two.”

Matthew 7:12

“Treat others as you would want them to treat you.”

These quotes could be saying that an unborn child is another or your neighbour. If you believed that human life starts in the womb then it truly would be you neighbour. If you truly loved your neighbour then you would not kill, him and if you loved him as you loved yourself then it would only be right to have an abortion if you hated yourself so much to kill yourself. A husband who may want his wife to have an abortion may think about this quote and realise that he must love his neighbour (wife) and consider and want what she should want he should learn to treat people how he would want to be treated.

Matthew 6:44-45

“….I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become sons of your father in heaven.”

This quote could be used in abortion for a woman has been raped. If you had been raped then instead of having an abortion you should “love your enemies” and embrace the child to “become sons of your father in heaven”

Matthew 7:12

“Do not judge others so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way as you judge others and he will apply to you the same the rules as you apply to others.”

This quote could be used against abortion. For if you have an abortion then when it is time for good to judge you then he will be as ruthless as you have been in wanting an abortion but this may only apply if you believe that life starts in the womb. Also if you believe that God says that life starts in the womb then he will not appreciate you having an abortion.

Luke 6:36

“Be merciful, just as your father is merciful”

This could be used for abortion if a woman was raped you should be merciful upon her and not judge, discriminate or not allow her to have one. Instead be merciful like God and help her. On the other hand you may wish to be merciful for the unborn child so instead of aborting it you should be merciful and let it continue to live.

Romans 12:21

“Do not let evil defeat you, instead conquer evil in the good”

Evil could be seen as giving birth to a child when it is that of someone who has raped you. Instead of conquering it with another evil (abortion) you should give birth to the child in an act of love which is an act of good.

Christians will see what they think is the best to do in a situation of abortion by looking at bible quotes and figuring them out such as I have. I believe that it all comes down to whether a Christian will believe that life starts in the womb. If it does then abortion is murder and the only way that abortion would be aloud was if the reason was good enough to murder another human being. Another big factor would be if a Christian believed in free will, if he didn’t then abortion would not be acceptable because it is God’s will-this is the way you will have a child. But still some Christians may believe that God will choose them to have an abortion. So it is very unclear on whether it is right or wrong to have an abortion for a Christian even using the bible it will not tell you what is the correct thing to do.