The Abortion Debate: An Attack on Christianity

 

The Abortion Debate: An Attack on Christianity

 

Over the past many months, several political forces have gained national attention by effectively arguing for the restriction of abortion services. Those forces vary in their degree of opposition, with some arguing the specific week of a woman’s pregnancy while others assert that abortion services must be totally forbidden. I contend that neither of the arguments of those forces has a basis in the Bible scripture.

Several months ago I posted a document titled: “ How Should Christians Define ‘Pro-Life’ and ‘Pro-Choice Part 2”. I’m reposting these next few paragraphs as a lead-in to today’s thoughts. It is quite apparent that forces are at work to divide the Christian community under the guise of drawing a line on “Abortion” at what the Bible says. Those forces never attempt to provide a solid scriptural basis for their opinions but have cowered many otherwise thoughtful individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) into accepting their statements as “gospel” that should be accepted.

My logic follows, with some editing of my earlier post:

RE: PRO-LIFE

When God created the fish, fowl, animals, and creeping things, He gave them life (Genesis 1:20-25), but their flesh was not the same as that flesh He gave to man (1 Corinthians 15:39).  Further, only man was made in the “image” of God (an eternal spirit – (Genesis 1: 26-27; Ecclesiastes 12:7; 1 Thessalonians5:23) … and in the “likeness” of God (having a soul, containing a mind, will and emotions).  Most importantly, the Scripture identifies the specific time when “man became a living soul.” It was when “the LORD God breathed into (man’s) nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7}.  The breath infused by God is what brought life to man. The initiation of “life” in these fleshly bodies takes place when the first breath is received after leaving the mother’s womb.

Even excluding the “life” found in plant life, it is clear that human life is not to be measured by the simple joining of an ovum and a sperm cell; or the existence of a heartbeat; or some other arbitrary number of weeks of gestation chosen by man. Those metrics were generated by man, and in reality can be applied to many other animal species.  As Christians, we should not follow the disparate definitions of life generated by various men. The Bible description is the only one given by our Creator God and should be the only basis for our guidance.

Further evidence of the spiritual nature of our existence is also found in the Bible scriptures.  On the other end of the “life” spectrum for the human body, the death of our Lord Jesus on Calvary’s Cross gives the example of what happens when we transition from these physical bodies.  Scripture shows that he breathed out and released / dismissed His eternal Spirit (Matthew 27:50; John 19:30). As Christians, we know that His Spirit / Soul were transitioned to His new eternal body on Resurrection Morning.

 

Now, I’d like to expand on those concepts. 

First, it might seem simplistic to say it, but the Bible does not include the word “abortion”, nor does it devote any amount of space in the scripture to a discussion of voluntarily terminating a pregnancy. If this were a key issue in the mind of God, wouldn’t the scripture say so?

Second, one of the hallmarks of Christianity is our belief that our essence is our soul and spirit, currently “housed” in these temporary, earthen bodies. The focus of those who would divide us is to keep Christians looking at the “body” of the embryo or fetus, rather than that soul and spirit which actually define who we are. Our current “body” is only a placeholder.  Our soul / spirit is what we have faith in that will one day bring us into the presence of our Ascended Lord Jesus, and where we will receive our new eternal bodies. (1 Corinthians 15: 35-54, Philippians 3: 20-21; https://www.gotquestions.org/resurrection-body.html )

Third, carefully read the scripture in the Book of John, Chapter 3, where our Lord Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the Pharisee ruler of the Jews, why it was necessary to be “born again” to enter the kingdom of God. The emphasis was on being born both of water (through the mother’s womb and amniotic fluid) and the Spirit (the Holy Spirit that guided believers to understand that Jesus is the Son of God). The mother of each of us, as with the Virgin Mary, provided the necessary temporary human body structure. However, the Holy Spirit’s awakening of our true selves / our spirit is the key to our eternity and why we now call ourselves Christians. (Romans Chapter 8, 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, Romans 10: 9-13)

Whether it be politicians, state or local governments, or others (even other Christians), ask them why they oppose a woman’s right to determine the use of her own reproductive system and her personal relationship with her Creator.  If they have a Biblical basis, please ask them to explain it. You might be surprised at the response.  Or, maybe not.

Dr. W.A. Robinson