Abortion & the Bible - Part 2

By: Gary Hutchens

The issue of abortion is one of many that are tearing our culture and country apart. As noted in the previous article, the 1973 Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade touched off a firestorm of protests, marches, demonstrations, debates and legal challenges to the ruling by those opposed to abortion. The recent ruling by the current Supreme Court, reversing the original ruling, has touched off a similar firestorm by the abortion rights advocates. Its culture is the basic mindset of a nation. Our culture, and therefore our nation, is severely fractured over abortion. It has resulted in not just disharmony, but blatant animosity between the opposing sides.

In writing on this issue our fundamental question is, “Does the Bible say anything on the subject of abortion?” Many might find license for the practice, noting that there is no specific “Thou shalt not practice abortion” statement in the scriptures. However, the principle of abortion is dealt with repeatedly. A baby developing within a mother’s womb exhibits life. An abortion procedure violently kills that life. That is fact. If such action were taken on a baby, young child or adult outside the womb it would classified as murder. Murder is continually condemned in the Bible (note scripture references in previous article), and in the laws of our land.

But there’s much more in the scriptures that point to the sanctity of life in the womb. Abortion advocates attempt to justify the decision to abort a baby by classifying the act as “a woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body.” But that statement purposely avoids mention of the baby within the womb. It treats the baby as an object that can be discarded. How does the Bible view a baby within a mother’s womb?

The wise man listed seven things that are an “abomination” to God. One of them is “Hands that shed innocent blood,” (Prov. 6:16-17). What is more innocent than a baby in a mother’s womb?

​Mary, expectant with baby Jesus, visited her relative Elizabeth, also expectant with child. Luke’s account describes the reaction of the baby within Elizabeth’s womb: “For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” (Lk.1:44). Obvious, responsive life present within her womb. Because of a growing recognition among health professionals of a presence of awareness and response on the part of a baby within the womb, parents are often encouraged to talk and read to their baby, and even play soothing music for the little one.
How does God view babies within the womb? Note these texts as examples: “...the LORD said to her: ‘Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body;...’” (Gen. 25:23). “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely...if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,” (Ex. 21:22-23). “The Lord has called Me from the womb.” And, “And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His servant,” (Isa. 49:1, 5). “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5). “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matt. 1:23).

​Many additional scripture texts could be cited, but these are sufficient to emphasize that God sees more than a lump of cells within a mother’s womb. He sees a human being! In regards to many issues our culture is on a dark path. Considering the moral implications, abortion may be the most glaring, and potentially condemning, issue among them. Typically, more than one million babies are aborted each year...