The Question of Abortion

Richard Hollerman

We refer to the “Question” of abortion although we think that there is no “question” at all about the act but, as you are aware, this is a highly-charged issue that is facing the United States of America. (We might add here that this issue of killing babies pertains to all peoples on earth, especially places like India, Russia, Japan, China, and other places where the rate of abortion is particularly high!) The question is: Should we look upon abortion as something we should recognize as an unfortunate happening or should we view it as murder, thus something that God would find objectionable?

Ronald Reagan, who (as we understand it) was against abortion, but who waffled regarding this issue, said, “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” We might smile at this quotation, especially since many pro-abortionists do admire this past president. But it does tell us something: that many of those who want abortion “rights” (although there is no “right” from God to kill one’s baby or any other child) will not kill their own babies.

Let’s deal with a number of points that should be considered carefully as we proceed. We should want to know what God says at this point. After all, “What does the Scripture say?” is very important to the child of God (Romans 4:3). We believe that all of our readers should remember that God has made you and me—thus we should hold this matter as very important. We know that many people are atheists, thus they would think that this matter is ridiculous, therefore we shouldn’t even be dealing with it. But we think that most people know enough truth to realize that God has created you and me, thus we must reject atheism, agnosticism, and every other “ism” that would detract from the truth of God.

Now let’s ask the relevant question: Why would anyone choose abortion or anything like it? Consider this. Some people would want to avoid anything to do with killing a baby. This is why many Catholics would object to contraceptives—preventing conception in a natural or artificial manner. They would want to keep from all killing of babies or allowing conception of a baby.

I know that two of the reasons why some might oppose abortion would be these: The first would be that many babies are unwanted and if abortion were totally forbidden these babies would be allowed to be born to parents who would find them objectionable.

Second, many (or most) abortions would be promoted since one or two of the parents were involved in sexual activity that brought them to the “need” to kill their babies. It may be that the mother failed or refused to use any “birth control” and thereby became pregnant—thus she wants to kill the baby to avoid the “problems” related to an unwanted baby. Or, secondly, a man desires a sexual relationship and doesn’t want to use “protection” of any kind. It may be one or two of these reasons.

There may be other elements that should be considered. For many, sex is more important that having a child. In other words, they want the “pleasure” of a sexual relationship without the concomitant child conceived. Further, many of these people are unbelievers, thus they will do anything to prevent bearing a child and are willing to kill the baby that comes as a result of their undisciplined life.

Again, many are using abortion as a form of child birth control  If these people fail to use contraceptives or refuse to do so, abortion would be a way to avoid the responsibility of bearing an unwanted baby. Again, if one or two of the parents learn that a child is handicapped or the bearer of a serious physical condition, abortion may be an alternative—at least in their thinking.

Another consideration is that millions of these people who are positive to abortion or killing a baby have been to high schools, colleges, or universities where the professors or teachers are liberal and want their students to kill their babies rather than bear an unwanted baby or learn of a physical handicap of some sort. Since many of these would be atheistic or would believe in evolution, nothing is present to prevent them from taking a convenient abortion to avoid a troublesome pregnancy.

Perhaps we may mention three additional points that would bear heavily on one’s decision to murder a baby. First, at least in theory, they assume that the baby is not really human, thus they can do away with this life and go on with their own life. With the extensive research of the present time with medical researchers, we think that this sort of promotion of abortion is becoming more and more ridiculous.

Second, the important question may be asked: When does a child become human? Let’s remember here the additional but related question: When did Jesus become human? The Bible teaches that Mary “was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18b). We read further that “the Child [Jesus] who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (v. 20b). Then in the next verse, we read that in a dream, an angel said to Joseph, “She [Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (1:21). Then, we read that the prophet Isaiah is quoted, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (Mattew1:23). The text says that Joseph “kept her [Mary] a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and they called His name Jesus” (v. 23).

All of this shows that Jesus, even prebirth, was considered to be a human being worthy of respect. He was wanted even as a child. They didn’t wait for nine months or any length of time to recognize Him as being human—an actual human being.

Third, was Jesus merely a human child at the point of birth? We think that many (even professing Christians) somehow think that Christ became human and experienced the incarnation (became flesh) at the point of birth in Bethlehem! No, this is not when the incarnation occurred, but it happened nine months earlier, at the time that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, in Nazareth (not Bethlehem). The angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord” and not the “future mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43). Before Jesus was born, Mary was said to be “with child” and not with a fetus (Luke 2:5-6). If Jesus was conceived nine months before His birth (in about 5 or 6 BC), we know that babies today are conceived about nine months before they are born. Therefore, we must treat even unborn babies with great respect—from the time of conception! We must not kill the conceived child and not just the child who has been born!

These are some of the reasons why some unbelievers choose to kill their unborn babies today and claim to do so with no qualms of conscience. It may also be why government stipulations say that an unborn child can be murdered without penalty. What about you? Will you respect life—the life of an unborn baby—or will you kill it, in keeping with governmental laws?