God values human life not on the basis of human accomplishments or contributions, but because He created them and are the object of Gods love (Romans 5:6-8
Biblically, then, all human life is sacred in God’s sight, and we are told in many places that the deliberate ending of any life is sinful. Exodus 20:13 states categorically: ‘ You shall not murder! And Exodus 23:7 says ‘..do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.’
Finally, we remember, as Paul tells Timothy: ‘Everything that God created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks’ – Timothy 4:4
- Explain how Christians may respond to the question of abortion.
Living in the midst of a sinful world, Christians are often confronted with moral issues for which they can find no easy answers to. Many Christians have faced conflict over the morality of abortion.
Abortion is a complex issue which has always existed. Women have sought abortion because they have felt unable socially, physically, emotionally or financially to take care of a child.
The legalisation of abortion was in response to the numbers of deaths and injuries brought about by illegal abortions. Legal abortion was sought by the women’s movement who believed that a woman must have the right to choose what she does with her own body. It is still a controversial area and there are strong pro – and ant –abortion groups who constantly lobby governments to have the law made tighter or more liberal.
Among and within the different Churches there are many different view points. Abortion is a highly emotional issue as it touches on the key question, when does life begin.
Christians respond to the question of abortion differently because they are influenced by the society around them as well as by their faith. Some Christian denominations today do not give very clear teaching on abortion.
The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) has particularly strong views on abortion. The long tradition of the Roman Catholic Church has been to recognise the unborn child as a human, a gift of God and worthy of complete respect as a human being with the right to life. The RCC teaches that to kill an unborn child at whatever stage is wrong. Even while very tiny and hardly developed, the embryo or foetus is the beginning of human life, and life is God’s gift.
There is a long tradition of condemnation of abortion within the church. Whatever the reasons advanced for abortion, the RCC teaches that the unborn child should be protected. Abortion should never be used as a means of birth control. In this context it should be noted that several birth control methods are in fact agents of abortion according to the church, since they prevent the fertilised egg from implanting, or they prevent the development fertilised egg in the mother’s womb.
The Church of England is against abortion in principle but generally accepts that each case is special. Therefore while abortion should not be generally accepted – certainly not as a method birth control. Abortion may be permitted in certain cases such as when there is a risk to a woman’s life, when conception results from rape and when there is a risk that a baby would be born handicapped.
The Church of England said in a report in 1984 that ‘the foetus is to be specially respected and protected’. However, it went on to say that ‘nonetheless the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct if it endangers the life of the mother’.
The Church of Scotland’s Board of Social Responsibility in 1987 came to the conclusion that ‘abortion has no moral justification and represents the unwarranted destruction of human life that is made in the image of God’. But it was careful to say that this was only in ‘the great majority of cases’.
The view of the Protestant churches is that abortion is generally undesirable, but that it may be acceptable in some circumstances. It is not always clear what these circumstances might be. This is may be why there is a minority Protestant group (Christians for Free Choice) campaigns for greater emphasis on what they see as a woman’s right to make the decision to have an abortion. However, some Evangelical Christians, basing their views on the Bible, are firmly opposed to abortion.
Responding to this dilemma, Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) want to relate to the question of abortion in ways that reveal faith in God as the Creator and Sustainer of life and in ways that reflect Christian responsibility and freedom.
Seventh-Day Adventists believe that prenatal human life is a magnificent gift of God. God’s ideal for human beings affirms the sanctity of human life, in God’s image, and requires respect for prenatal life. However, SDA’s state that, decision about life must be made in the context of a fallen world. Abortion is never an action of little moral consequence. Abortion should be performed only for the most serious reasons.
Women at times may face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman’s life, serious jeopardy to her health, severe congenital defects carefully diagnosed in the foetus and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. The final decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not should be made by the pregnant woman after appropriate consultation. She should be aided in her decision by accurate information, biblical principles, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Christian’s opposition to abortion on demand is based on the Bible’s clear teaching that the baby in the womb is a human being created in God’s image, and has therefore the same right to life afforded to all his children.
c. ‘Abortion is never justified’.
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer.
Most people are glad to be alive, but not all life is wanted. The girl who gets pregnant nine months before important exams would willingly get rid of the life in her womb. On the other hand, contraception may fail or women may be raped. Why, under such circumstances, should a woman be forced to give birth to an unwanted child.
