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Abortion

Updated: Aug 14

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The pro-life position is based on the historic Christian belief that human life is sacred from conception to natural death, making abortion morally unacceptable. This stance is grounded in Scripture, tradition, and the belief in the inherent dignity of every human being as created in the image of God. Christians who oppose abortion argue that it violates the sanctity of life, contradicts biblical teachings, and undermines societal values.



Theological Foundations of the Pro-Life Position

Traditional Christian theology holds that human life is a divine gift, created in the imago Dei—the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). This endows every human, including the unborn, with inherent worth and dignity. The sanctity of life begins at conception because God’s creative act is not limited by human definitions of personhood. The consistent teaching of the early church, such as the Didache (circa 1st century) explicitly condemns abortion as akin to murder: “You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.” This reflects a historical Christian consensus, upheld by Catholic, Orthodox, and classical Protestant traditions, that life in the womb is sacred and under God’s authority. The pro-life position is a continuation of a theology that views God as the author of life, challenging contemporary arguments that frame abortion as a matter of personal autonomy.



Biblical Basis for Opposing Abortion

Scripture provides a robust foundation for the pro-life stance, affirming the personhood and value of the unborn. Psalm 139:13-16, where David declares, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb,” highlights God’s intimate involvement in creating each person from conception. The fetus is not a potential human but a person with a divine purpose, “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God from conception to birth. Similarly, Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”—reveals God’s foreknowledge and purpose for individuals before birth. God establishes humans identity as persons, not as disposable biological matter. In the New Testament, Luke 1:41-44 describes John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s womb at the presence of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, suggesting the spiritual significance of the unborn. A clear implication of the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) is that abortion violates this commandment by ending an innocent human life, supported by scientific evidence of a unique genetic code at conception.



The Role of Human Dignity

The concept of human dignity is foundational to the pro-life position. Traditional Christians assert that every person bears God’s image, making them inherently valuable. Scientific advancements, such as ultrasound technology reveal that by eight weeks, a fetus has a heartbeat, brain activity, and distinct human features. Science confirms what Scripture assumes: the unborn have their own unique DNA code as as such are fully human, bearing the same dignity as any born person. While Christians can acknowledge the complexities of pregnancy, particularly in cases of rape, incest, or health risks, the answer to human difficulties is not the destruction of another human life. We advocate for compassionate alternatives, such as adoption and support for mothers in crisis, aligning with the Christian call to love one’s neighbor and protecting the vulnerable from unjust death.



Handling Life-Threatening Pregnancies

Dr. Chris Cirucci, a pro-life OBGYN and president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, provides critical insight into handling pregnancies where the mother's life is at risk. She emphasizes that such cases are "extremely rare" and that abortion is not typically necessary to save the mother's life. In situations like severe preeclampsia or infection due to premature rupture of membranes, Cirucci advocates for separating the mother and baby through early delivery or cesarean section, rather than actively terminating the pregnancy. For example, in a case of infection at 19-20 weeks, inducing labor may be necessary to save the mother, but this is not an abortion, as the intent is not to actively kill the baby but to address the medical emergency while treating the baby with dignity. Cirucci stresses maximizing outcomes for both patients—mother and baby—guided by ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence, ensuring no harm is done to either. This approach aligns with the pro-life commitment to value both lives, offering dignity to the baby, such as allowing the mother to hold it, even if survival is not possible.



Chemical Abortions and Certain Forms of Birth Control

Chemical abortions and certain forms of birth control raise significant ethical concerns due to their potential to end human life after conception. Chemical abortions account for approximately 63% of abortions in the United States since their approval in 2000. They involve a two-pill regimen: mifepristone (RU-486), which blocks progesterone to kill the embryo, and misoprostol, which induces contractions to expel it. These are not as safe as promoted, with risks including severe bleeding, infection, and incomplete abortions requiring surgical intervention, affecting 3-5% of women who end up in the ER. In many cases there is a lack of medical supervision, as pills are increasingly obtained online without ultrasounds, raising risks like undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies.


When considering birth control, it is important to distinguish between methods like the combination pill (estrogen and progesterone), which primarily prevents ovulation and can be seen as consistent with a pro-life ethic, and progesterone-only pills (mini-pills) or intrauterine devices (IUDs), which may prevent implantation of a fertilized embryo. So called emergency contraception, such as the morning-after pill (progesterone or ulipristal acetate), are also problemmatic as they can prevent implantation, potentially acting as an abortifacient depending on timing.



Pro-Life vs. Abolitionist Movement

The traditional pro-life position seeks to protect the unborn through education, advocacy, and legislative measures, often working within existing legal frameworks to reduce abortions and support mothers. The rising abortion abolitionist movement takes a different approach. While they also seeks to protect the unborn through civil discussion and legislative measures, they go a step further by calling for the immediate criminalization of abortion. They advocate for equal protection laws that establish the human rights of the pre-born and call for the criminal prosecution of all participants who engage in the active, malicious and premeditated death of the pre-born be subject to prosecution, whether that includes the doctor, the mother and/or the father. While both groups share the belief in the sanctity of life from conception, traditional pro-lifers emphasize a more incremental approach that combines compassion, practical support, and gradual policy change, whereas abolitionists prioritize immediate legal provisions combined with a call to repentance and salvation.



Broader Implications for Christian Ethics and Society

The pro-life position sees abortion as a symptom of deeper societal issues, such as sin, sexual promiscuity, selfishness, poverty and lack of family support, which Christians are called to address through practical love, legislative advocacy and Gospel preaching. Cultural narratives that normalize abortion reflect a devaluation of life rooted in secular individualism. Christians ought to engage society with both truth and grace, supporting policies that protect the unborn while fostering a culture of life through community resources and education.



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