Being born does not suddenly make someone a human being, it is in our DNA. From science we know that the life that forms at the moment of conception is qualitatively human life. In fact, scientists have discovered that human life begins with a flash of light. While it may be hard for some to acknowledge this life as being human at such an early state, attributing humanness at any other point is purely arbitrary. The word murder refers to the unjust killing of human life, and I believe that abortion is the unjust killing of an unborn human being.
Our society not only justifies abortion, but has gone to the point of promoting abortion as a human right or more specifically a woman’s right. We can talk about human rights all we want but it is all frivolous if we do not acknowledge the right to be human. What about the unborn human being’s right to live? According to statistics by the World Health Organization, around 56 million children worldwide are being aborted every year. We live in a world where there is more societal attention towards the death of Harambe, a gorilla, than the death of numerous human beings.
The following is a breakdown of the reasons provided for seeking an abortion in America:
- 21% Inadequate finances
- 21% Not ready for responsibility
- 16% Woman’s life would be changed too much
- 12% Problems with relationships, unmarried
- 11% Too young and/or immature
- 8% Children are grown; she has all she wants
- 3% Baby has possible health problems
- <1% Pregnancy caused by rape/incest
- 4% Other
Unless the mother’s life and the child’s life are in medical danger if an abortion if not performed, there is no justifiable reason for having an abortion. Even in that scenario which accounts for 0.1% of all abortions in America, God is able to save the mother’s life and the child’s life miraculously.
People like to bring up situations like abortions in the case of rape and/or incest. I find it appalling that people would justify abortion based on these circumstances because less than 1% of all abortions in America occur due to rape and/or incest. People who have been involved in rape and/or incest have certainly been wronged, but committing two moral wrongs is not beneficial in the larger scheme of things.
Another situation people like to bring up is when the child has potential health problems. Around 3% of all abortions in America occur because the baby has potential health problems. If we know at an early stage that a child is going to be male or female, heterosexual or homosexual, able or disabled in a certain capacity, would it be moral to discriminate against the child and have an abortion? None of these things should matter in terms of whether someone is born or not. In the case of any health problems, we need to keep in mind that the unborn child is intrinsically a human being that needs to be supported. We do not go around killing unhealthy people, so why would we do that with an unborn person?
Another situation people like to bring up is when the child is being born into a family that is impoverished. Around 21% of all abortions in America occur because of inadequate finances. Having a child certainly takes up a lot of financial resources, but such hardship does not justify the murder of an unborn child. If financial difficulties justifies the killing of an unborn child, does it also justify the killing of a newborn child? Even if the potential hardships of the child are taken into account, we have to remember that life is always greater than death. People need to remember that there are plenty of individuals, churches, and non-governmental organizations that are willingly to support them through their hardships.
Ultimately, I do not see the necessity to unjustly kill a human being in any situation including a woman not being ready for responsibility, a woman worried her life would change too much, a woman having relationship problems or being unmarried, a woman being too young and/or immature, a woman having grown children or having all she wants, or any other situations. If someone does not want their child, they should have the child and give the child up for adoption instead of murdering the child.
Lacking a good reason to have an abortion and valuing personal convenience over life, the most prominent pro-choice argument is that women should be able to have an abortion since the fetus is using their body. I am not sure how they can reconcile that with the fact that newborn children are not self-reliant after being born. Even in the womb, the unborn child is a distinct person from the mother and we need to acknowledge the child’s rights. One pro-choice person I talked with strangely used organ donation as an analogy. The person basically said that we are given the option to be organ donors even if it can save someone’s life, and that women have a similar option. Organ donation is a great thing, however natural death is inevitable and we do not need to go to such extraordinary lengths to prevent death. An abortion is certainly not a natural death because it is the murder of someone long before their time to die.
Up to now I have approached the issue without bringing religion into the picture because there is no need to be Christian or religious to be a part of the pro-life movement. Here is a video by PragerU that makes good arguments. However, the Bible does have verses that can guide us in terms of abortion. Before I go into some verses, I should mention that Answers in Genesis and GotQuestions.org have great posts on this topic.
In Psalm 139:13-16, David interestingly recognizes that even his unformed substance in the womb was known by God. In light of Jeremiah 1:4-5, where God Himself calls Jeremiah, we can be sure that God has a personal relationship with an unborn child.
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:13-16, NASB)
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “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.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5, NASB)
Furthermore, in the Book of Exodus, God appointed a punishment against anyone who hits a woman causing her to give birth prematurely. If there is no injury to the child, a fine would be demanded. However, if there was any injury to the child, the penalty would even include life for a life. Some English translations interpret this passage differently to say that the fine was for a miscarriage and that the life in question was the mother’s. John Piper has a great article refuting those interpretations. This passage clearly shows us that all human life is equal in God’s eyes, whether unborn or born.
“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. “But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. (Exodus 21:22-25, NASB)