This past week, a U.S. Supreme Court document was leaked to the public, revealing the Court’s potential to overturn the Roe vs. Wade ruling of 1973. That landmark decision ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy without excessive government-imposed restrictions. However, the leaked document asserts that the U.S. Constitution does not refer to abortion and does not implicitly protect a right to an abortion. In addition, any provision to protect such a right under the Fourteenth Amendment must be deeply rooted in the nation’s history.
If the Court’s final decision overturns Roe vs. Wade, it will not put an end to abortion. Instead, it would return the legislative authority to each state government to enact the people’s will. Therefore, in all likelihood, abortion would remain freely available in the more liberal states. In contrast, conservative states would impose more stringent requirements or even make the procedure illegal within their borders. Even so, what is the overarching argument when it comes to abortion? Is it not the right to exercise our God-given free will to choose?
Let’s face it, we all make bad decisions in life, and God honors our decision because of the gift He gave us to make our own choices. However, that is not to say He agrees with or condones our bad decisions, especially if such a decision contradicts His word or violates His commandments. Therefore, if God allows us to make our own choices, good or bad, why should a woman’s decision to have an abortion be different? Is it not a simple exercise of her God-given free will to make that choice for herself? The answer is no because the gift of free will carries great responsibility.
For example, a man going to work chooses to exceed the speed limit and drive recklessly without concern for other drivers or pedestrians. He is employing his free will to make that choice. However, failing to see a stop sign, he hits a child crossing the street and, as a result, the child dies at the hospital. Should the driver be held accountable? Should the driver have exercised better judgment and been concerned about the lives of others? Indeed, he should have. Certainly, the child did not choose to die, but if given a choice, she would have chosen to live, just as you or I would have chosen.
So what makes abortion the exception to the law? What makes it a viable option without any concern for the life of an unborn child? Regarding pregnancy and free will, a woman’s choice to have an abortion denies the child’s God-given gift of free will to choose life over death. Therefore, the advocacy for a woman’s “right to choose” inherently denies that same right to the unborn life when she decides to have an abortion. Is it fair for one person’s right to refuse or cancel that same right for others? The answer is no, but what do you do when there are two opposing acts of free will– one seeking abortion, the other desiring life? In that case, the one that aligns with God’s law must always take precedence. However, there is another overarching question: When does life begin?
Pro-choice groups maintain there is no scientific consensus on when human life begins and that an embryo is not yet a life; instead, it is only the potential for life. That supports the view that an embryo is not a living being but only a residing cluster of cells with a potential for life; therefore, its termination is not a homicidal act. Conversely, pro-life groups assert that human life begins at conception and abortion is a preconceived act of murder. They seek to have states define a constitutionally protected person as a human being at any development stage. Regardless of these two opposing views, what does the authority of God’s word say?
Once God breathed life into Adam, He set into motion the action of perpetual life through the bearing of offspring. An example of this motion is visible in the universe’s rapid expansion, which scientists have traced to a single point in time, often referred to as “The Big Bang.” In like fashion, life continues to expand and move forward because of God’s initial motion with the breath of life. Nowhere else in the Bible does God breathe life into another human being, and that is because the breath of life is perpetual. When Jesus became an embryo inside Mary’s womb, he did not cease being God and become a potential for life. No, He was life! He was God at conception through resurrection—he was and is God!
Therefore, life begins at conception, according to the pages of Scripture. However, many would say not everyone chooses to believe in God or the Bible. While that is undoubtedly true, it does not negate the sovereign authority of God and His holy word. Even more concerning is that some people of faith support abortion, even though it contradicts God’s commandment: “You shall not commit murder.” In good conscience, a person cannot say, “I am a devout child of God, but I support abortion.” That is the same as saying, “I am a follower of Jesus, but I believe it’s okay to lie, steal, cheat, and commit adultery. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Whether the SCOTUS decides to uphold or overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973, the violent act of abortion, the callous and malicious murder of an innocent, helpless unborn infant, will not go away. The world will continue to elevate itself above God, saying, “We know what’s best for us,” while the helpless infants pay the ultimate price under the false security of their mother’s womb. Let’s put this into perspective. In World War II, approximately 6 million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazi regime. It is estimated that more than 63 million abortions have occurred in the United States since the decision over Roe vs. Wade five decades ago. 63 million lives….
So what is the correct answer? How do we move forward as ambassadors for Christ to try and minimize the senseless slaughter of innocent blood? First, we need to continue in prayer, asking God to touch the hearts of young mothers everywhere who are considering an abortion. Pray for our legislators that they would impose laws and reflect God’s sovereign laws. We need to educate our children and support our local crisis pregnancy centers. Above all else, we must continue to share the love and good news of Jesus Christ, for He is the supreme game-changer who can make the ultimate difference in the lives of these young mothers. Yes, church, let us pray and take action to help these frightened mothers and show them the love of God, for that is where the true battle lies, not in the courts. []
References:
Amerini, Fabrizio. Aquinas On The Beginning And End Of Human Life. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University
Press, 2013. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
Baker, Warren., ed. Strong’s Complete Word Study Concordance: Expanded Edition. Chattanooga: AMG
Publishers, 2004. Print.
Fahmy, Dalia. 8 key findings about Catholics and abortion. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/10/20/8-key-findings-about-catholics-and-abortion/
Cdc.gov. Center for Disease Control, 2016. Web. 18 February 2016
Christian Life Resources. U.S. Abortion Statistics By Year (1973-Current). Retrieved from
https://christianliferesources.com/2018/04/15/u-s-abortion-statistics-by-year-1973-current/
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Ed. Frederick C. Mish. 11th. Springfield: Merriam-
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Roe v. Wade. No. 113. Supreme Ct. of the US. 1973.
Will, Jonathan F. “Beyond Abortion: Why The Personhood Movement Implicates Reproductive Choice.”
American Journal Of Law & Medicine 39.4 (2013): 573-616 44p. CINAHL Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
Weerstra, Hans M., “Christian Worldview Development.” Regent.blackboard.com International Journal Of
Frontier Missions. 1997. Web. 15 Feb. 2016
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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