The
Bible, the Battle Over Abortion,
and
Common Sense
by Web
Minister Paul J. Bern
First,
allow me to make this disclaimer: this is not an anti-abortion
sermon, nor is it a treatise on women's rights. This week's
commentary is simply to point out the errors on both sides. I am, if
nothing else, an equal opportunity preacher, and pointing out error
is part of my job description. Undoubtedly you are aware that Georgia
governor Brian Kemp has just signed into law a bill that will not
allow an abortion for any pregnancy more than 6 weeks old, or until a
fetal heartbeat can be detected. Although I will decline to comment
about that, both sides throughout the US have only themselves to
blame for all the disunity that I'm seeing. They fail to realize that
those in power in high places – sometimes called the “Deep State”
– are playing one side off against the other for their own benefit.
Stop allowing yourselves to be manipulated so easily!
To the
'pro-lifers', I'd like to say that, while I can certainly relate to
your zeal and passion, if you all possessed the same zeal and passion
for those already born, you could really make this world a better
place in which to live. To those who are from the 'right to choose'
camp, if you truly want your rights protected, join the fight for
Medicare for all, which would include coverage for prescriptions. You
know, like birth control pills at only nominal cost? It would be much
cheaper and less time consuming than having an abortion, that's for
sure.
Many
people presume that a human being is created at the time of
conception, but this belief is neither supported medically nor by the
Bible. The fact that a living sperm penetrates a living ovum
resulting in the formation of a living fetus does not mean that the
fetus is a living human being, or at least not yet. According to
conceiveeasy.com, “On
the twelfth day, the embryo is formed and this stage continues until
the sixth week of pregnancy. Many scientists say that the embryo
consists of all the organs and parts that a full-grown human being
consists of. This is why it should be considered as a living
organism. The embryo is then called the fetus until the stage of
birth. However, this is scientific proof and people are more into
politics and ethics. Each has one’s own thinking. The pro-choice
people, for example, say that though the prenatal form is alive
biologically, it can’t be regarded as another person. They say that
the fetus is not a person itself. It is actually a person in the
making. They believe that the fetus becomes a baby at a certain stage
of the development of the brain. They believe that the parent should
decide whether the person growing inside her is living or not
depending on their beliefs.” (You may read the entire article
from
here)
According to the Bible, a fetus is not a living person with a soul
until after drawing its first breath. God formed man according to
Genesis 2:7, which says, “.... the Lord formed man from the dust
of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and
man became a living being”. Although the man was fully formed
by God in all respects, he was not a living being until after taking
his first breath. In Job 33:4, it states: “The spirit of God has
made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” We were
all formed prior to our birth, but we weren't living beings until God
breathed life unto us.
Again,
to quote Ezekiel 37 verses 5 and 6, “This is what the Sovereign
Lord says to these bones: 'I will make breath to enter you, and you
will come to life. I will attach tendons to you, and make flesh to
come upon you and cover you with skin; and put breath in you, and you
will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord'”
In
Exodus 21:22 it is written: “If men who are fighting hit a
pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no
serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's
husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury,
you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for
bruise”. It should be quite clear from this that the aborted
fetus is not considered a living human being, since the resulting
punishment for the abortion is nothing more than a fine. It is not
classified by the Bible as a capital offense under these
circumstances unless the baby, its mother, or both are intentionally
harmed or killed.
It is
further stated in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16,
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and God's
Spirit lives in you?” We are alive in Christ when we die to
ourselves. If an unborn fetus lives within the womb, but is not yet a
human being until it draws its first breath, how can the fetus die to
itself in the Spirit prior to its birth? Since the Bible is
absolutely clear about this topic, that question actually becomes
moot. One can not kill something that has not been born or taken a
breath. This means that a stillborn would not be considered a human
being either. Of course, every living sperm has the potential of
becoming a human being, although not one in a million will make it;
the rest are aborted. It would appear that God does not have any more
regard for the loss of a fetus than he does for the loss of a
placenta, or of a foreskin during circumcision, despite the fact that
these were living tissue as the result of conception.
Now
let's take this to the next level, which has to do with being born
again. When Jesus taught Nicodemus about being born again, he said “I
tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is
born of the water and of the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, and
spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my
saying, 'you must be born again'. The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where
it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John
3, verses 5-8) Flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit to Spirit.
Being born of the water is a reference to childbirth first and to
water baptism secondly. Being born of the Spirit of Christ refers to
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Plus, when we read our Bible, it says
quite clearly in Galatians chapter two and verse 20, “I have
been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in
me”. We are charged with the duty of being followers of Jesus
right up to the very end as well.
One of
the commandments in Exodus 20 verse 13 that was spoken by God to
Moses states: “You shall not kill”. According to the Mosaic text,
this should read “You must not murder”, since the Bible has
commandments stating that people shall be put to death for a number
of different offenses. For example, Exodus 21:17 states: “Whoever
curses his father or mother shall be put to death.” There are
also other capital offenses listed in Exodus 21. The popular ten
commandments (in the original Old Testament text there are over 600
of them) that are enumerated in Exodus 20 were given by God to Moses
on tablets of stone. Verse 13 simply says, “You shall not
murder”. I think that sums it up very nicely. There is nothing
in the Bible to indicate that an unborn fetus is considered to be
living tissue. According to the scriptures I already quoted, it does
not become a living being until after it has taken a breath.
But, under no circumstances should this be interpreted
as my being pro-abortion either. As I wrote in the first paragraph, I
don't take sides. Period. I refuse to.
Those
who say, 'If you're a Christian, you have to be against abortion, and
you must also vote conservative Republican', are simply reciting
talking points from false teachers, and there are a disturbing number
of them who have infiltrated the Church. Many cite the scripture
found in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a
prophet to the nations." God is omnipotent. He has known all
of us since before creation. Does this scripture pinpoint when a
fetus becomes a living being? In Numbers 5, it describes "the
Lord" ordering an abortion. It's clearly stated in verse 22,
"May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that
your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries." Many argue
that this is a misinterpretation, but I'm not so sure about that. It
is better to err on the side of caution with regard to the scriptures
than not. Before false teachers turned the issue of reproductive
choice into a political football, views on this matter were far less
extreme.
Does
this mean I am pro-life or pro-choice? No and No. Sorry, but I will
not allow anyone to label or compartmentalize me like that, nor will
I use this faith-based blog as a political platform. But I do think
that if the mother does not want the baby because she cannot care for
it, then she should put the child up for adoption. But what's the
underlying cause for all these unwanted pregnancies? Why are so many
women getting pregnant in the first place? Part of the problem has to
do with substance abuse. People do things when they are intoxicated
or high that they would never do when they're sober, and that's all
I'm going to say about that for now. The other reason is a lack of
access to birth control. The solution is to pass Medicare for all
with prescription drug coverage. That means calling and emailing your
Congressional representatives and senators and demanding they pass
Medicare for all. It's the only fair solution. Let's protest in the
streets until we get what we want. Like free contraceptives.
In
cases where abortion is necessary, such as when the baby is already
dead before birth, in cases of rape or incest, or when the mother's
life is in jeopardy (excluding cases of induced childbirth), in those
events an abortion should be performed by qualified medical personnel
or under a doctor's direct supervision. But those are the only
exceptions. But women here in Georgia can still get an abortion
during the first six weeks of pregnancy without incurring any
liability. Whether this is too soon during the pregnancy continues to
be hotly debated. In the end, if abortion was such a grievous sin
Jesus would have mentioned it. He never mentioned it even once.
Enough said!
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