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5 surprising teachings about abortion in the Bible

5 surprising teachings about abortion in the Bible

Last updated on: July 15, 2015 at 11:36 am by Dave Willis

5 surprising teachings about abortion in the Bible 2015-07-15T11:36:37-05:00 Dave Willis

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Yesterday, a news story broke where an undercover video was shown allegedly capturing a Planned Parenthood worker brokering a deal to sell the body parts of their aborted fetuses. The woman on the video goes into graphic detail about how the tiny organs are harvested while she casually sips her wine and eats her salad. The viral video has propelled outrage all over the internet and launched hashtags such as #PPSellsBodyParts.

This story has put the abortion debate back into the national spotlight. As a Christian (and a pastor), I’ve never seen abortion as a “political” issue, but rather as a moral crisis. Our President himself has said that answering the question of “When does life begin?” is, “above my pay grade,” so it seems only fitting to look above his pay grade to the Creator of life Himself. Below are the some truths from the Bible about how God views life, death and abortion.

If you’ve never before read what the Bible actually says about abortion, these facts might surprise you…

Regardless of your faith (or lack of faith), I hope these principles will shape your own thinking on these important issues of life and death.

1. God’s plan for each human life starts BEFORE birth.

The Bible paints a beautiful picture of God’s delicate handiwork in the womb. We are loved by Him and He has a plan for each of us even before birth. One of the many beautiful pictures of this in the Bible is when John the Baptist “leaped inside his mother’s womb” when the news of Jesus was announced. The Bible gives countless examples of God’s unique calling on a person’s life from before their birth.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5

2. Life begins at conception.

The Bible alludes to this in many way. One verse (below) refers to the Father (not the Mother) being the one who “gave life,” which is a direct reference to the moment of conception being the start of life as opposed to the moment of birth.

“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.” Proverbs 23:22

3. Abortion is murder*.

Abortion causes physical pain the unborn child and it literally stops a beating heart. If the end of a heartbeat marks a death, then why don’t we measure the start of a life by the beginning of a heartbeat? Even in the Bible, the intentional or unintentional killing of a “fetus” was a criminal offense. In the Old Testament, causing the death or serious injury of a pregnant mother OR an unborn child was punishable by death.

“If people are fighting and 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” Exodus 21:22-23

*** If YOU have had an abortion**, please know that God loves you, He is for you and He desires to bring healing and hope to replace your pain. His grace is bigger than our biggest sins.

4. EVERY life is precious to God.

In some instances, abortion has become a way of selective breeding. We terminate lives who don’t fit with our cultural preferences. For instance, children with Downs Syndrome are aborted at an alarming rate. The Bible teaches us that God values the sanctity and beauty of every human life, and we should do the same.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Your works are wonderful; I know that well.” Psalm 139:13

5. It’s our responsibility to speak up for the unborn.

I rarely write about anything political, because I believe the family (not the government) is the foundation for society. This is not just a political issue, but a moral outrage and we should all take action to defend the cause of the unborn. I believe we will each be held accountable by God for what we did (or didn’t do) when it came to defending the rights of the unborn. When we value the lives of the unborn, we value humanity itself. When we remain silent, we give away a part of our own humanity in the process.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8

Please share this post using the links below, so we can continue to celebrate the value of life and defend the rights of the unborn.

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