Almost every issue of consequence can be complicated and nuanced. Abortion is no exception. People come to this topic with very different foundational assumptions. Why is this such a charged issue and does God even care about it?
Those who hold a strict “my body, my choice” viewpoint believe that abortion involves only one human life. They do not consider the fetus to be a separate human being and therefore, it does not have rights. In their opinion, abortion is simply a matter of personal autonomy, often with little or no collateral damage.
If a fetus is not an intrinsically valued developing baby, pleas to protect it make little sense. A woman with this kind of thinking obviously would not want some random man telling her what to do with what she considers her own body. Some pro-choice proponents advocate for zero restrictions on abortion, while others believe there should be some related to gestational age.
For the people who believe there are at least two separate lives involved in any pregnancy, the basic human rights of the developing baby or babies must be considered along with the rights of the mother-to-be. Within this framework, the collateral damage that comes with abortion is the very worst kind-that of a human life. Certainly, we should expect a person with the moral conviction that life is uniquely sacred and that a pregnant woman is carrying a developing baby to stand up for the protection of that preborn life. For that person to do anything else would be wildly unethical. This point could not be overstated. “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:17
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)
When human life begins and how sacred that life is are at the crux of this matter. Pregnancy is a biological reality, but the question of when life starts is not always considered scientific. Does it begin with the embryo at conception, when a fetal heartbeat is first detected, when the fetus is viable, usually between 22 and 24 weeks of gestation, or when the baby naturally enters the world? Some see this question as philosophical or theological.
Almost everyone agrees that the life of the fetus or baby is not more valuable than the life of the mother and that doctors should do everything possible to save the life of the mother, if it comes to that. Most pro-life advocates believe in exceptions for rape, incest, life-limiting fetal anomalies and medical emergencies.
Beliefs amongst people of faith run the gamut, with many “conservative” Christians supporting limits on abortion or wanting it banned altogether, other than the aforementioned exceptions. These folks are more likely to believe in the historical interpretation of the Bible that God’s design is for sex to be reserved for one man and one woman within the covenant of marriage. Within this context, an unplanned pregnancy still might come with financial hardships or with less-than-ideal timing.
Consistency
To put it in a very simplistic way, those with a consistent pro-choice view say that no one should impose beliefs against the bodily autonomy of another person. Freedom is paramount, as long as it does not harm anyone else. They would oppose laws prohibiting prostitution and drug use (as long as the user did not then operate a vehicle, etc.), or requiring the wearing of a seat belt or getting vaccinations. They would not hold a pregnant woman responsible for using drugs or drinking too much and thereby hurting the fetus. A drunk driver, for example, who killed a pregnant woman would be charged with only one death.
People with a consistent pro-life stance value all human life and oppose ending life at any time once it begins, to when it naturally ends. They would believe the death penalty and euthanasia are wrong. They would actively support public and or private efforts to provide for at least the most basic human needs of individuals and families.
If you don’t like it, don’t do it
There are folks who believe that if you don’t like prostitution or drug use or vaccinations then you should not engage in those things, but let others do what they want. Pro-choice advocates might say, “if you don’t like abortion, don’t have one.” Once again, they do not see abortion as ending a human life.
For those who believe abortion is terminating life, this would FEEL like hearing in the 1700s, “if you don’t like slavery, don’t own one.” Many slaveowners were genuinely convinced that slaves were subhuman or animals without souls, as atrocious as that sounds. For the abolitionists who understood the humanity of African-Americans, the idea of simply not owning slaves if you didn’t like slavery would have been abhorrent. This is the way it COMES ACROSS for those convicted that human life indeed has begun in the womb of a pregnant woman.
Similarly, those with the pro-choice conviction, saying, “I personally would not have an abortion, but don’t want to tell someone else how to live” would SEEM to the pro-life friend like hearing, “I personally would not own a slave, but don’t want to tell someone else how to live.” If we believe an action is injuring or taking a life, we condemn it not only for ourselves, but also for others.
Abortion as agonizing
Until recently, I assumed abortion was universally an agonizing decision for women. Watching the Women’s March in DC in January 2017 was the first time I saw women who were celebrating their abortions. They did not represent all women, and my guess would be they did not represent most women. Still, there are websites like We Testify and Shout Your Abortion which encourage women to share and celebrate their abortion stories. One goal is to destigmatize one woman having multiple abortions.
In the eighties a good friend of mine shared an apartment with three gals at our university, and all three had abortions. She said they used it like birth control. I didn’t and don’t believe this was/is the norm. Several years ago, a philosophy professor was teaching a medical ethics class to nursing students who happened to be young women. The professor spoke of abortion as a gut-wrenching choice. Several students corrected him. They said it was not so serious. One told of a gal who was planning an exotic beach vacation and wanted to look good in a bikini, so she terminated her pregnancy.
Unlike these few examples, abortion must be an incredibly tough decision for a lot of women. Many have found themselves in what seemed like hopeless situations. We probably know various women who have regretted and not regretted their choice.
Infanticide
Obviously, most people would be disgusted at the suggestion of killing an infant. Still, in this day and age, there are philosophers applying for positions at U.S. universities who have no moral problem with infanticide. My uneducated guess is that this is rare, but I know it happens.
Peter Singer, the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, is recognized widely as the most influential living philosopher. As a utilitarian, he believes the only important moral question is whether something reduces suffering and/or increases happiness for the largest number of people. He is an atheist who does not believe in the sanctity of human life but that a human infant lacks personhood, since it is not rational, autonomous or self-conscious. If given the ability to save only one, an adult chimpanzee or a human infant, Singer says we might be morally obligated to rescue the life of the chimp. In Singer’s mind, parents choosing infanticide of disabled newborns or girls with China’s One Child policy is fine if they conclude this will make them happier. He sees this as a logical conclusion of allowing abortion.
From a philosophical or theological viewpoint, it is not a major leap from approving late-term or no-restriction abortion to infanticide. In practice, however, the vast majority of us never would deem infanticide acceptable. In the U.S., abortions into the sixth month of pregnancy and beyond are quite rare.
One Christian perspective
As Christians, we believe in the sanctity of human life because, being created in God’s image, we each are intrinsically and uniquely valuable. Jesus showed us and taught us that our love for our neighbors should be sincere and evident. Thankfully, God is forgiving to all of us who seek forgiveness. We should continue to support foster care, adoption, quality public education, school feeding programs, etc. and help destigmatize giving up a baby for adoption, while standing up peacefully for what we believe about the right to life.
Our state lawmakers must carefully and clearly write legislation that protects the life of the mother and helps doctors give quality medical care. We have got to listen and engage empathetically with those from all perspectives on this issue, understanding that it is a heart-wrenching topic for many. In his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton said he wanted abortion to be “safe, legal, and rare.” Unfortunately, we don’t hear much about it being “rare” these days. I believe God does care about abortion because God so loves the world.
celiastone 