Why are Christians so passionately pro-life? Ultimately, it is not because of a visceral emotional response to the gruesomeness of an abortion procedure, destroying preborn babies and harming women. Emotion is a response to an experience and does not determine what is right or wrong. But neither are Christians pro-life because of a negative personal experience with abortion. Others can share similar experiences and have different moral interpretations of them. At the core, Christians are not pro-life even because of the rational science of embryology, demonstrating that human life begins at fertilization. Science can only tell us what is happening, not why it is important. Emotion, experience, and rationality cannot be the foundation for being pro-life. These are tools for trying to make sense of what is happening in the world around us. But they offer nothing when it comes to assessing the meaning or morality for what is happening.
The pro-abortion terrorists, Jane’s Revenge, who firebombed the Buffalo office, attacking pro-life organizations, insist they answer to no one, that they are their own final authority. This is the prevailing view of morality in the modern West. They use experience, emotion, and some arbitrary internal rationality to make decisions about the purpose of man and what is right or wrong based only on themselves. Yet, if 350 million people all have their own different version of purpose and morality, refusing to adhere to a common set of core values, the result is moral and judicial chaos.
Christians are taught that everyone’s heart and mind is darkened by sin and cannot be trusted to lead us to truth (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 8:6-7). In fact, the pursuit of wisdom apart from God is exactly the context for the original sin of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1, 5-6), causing grave damage and death to humanity. So, for a pro-life Christian, the moral valuation of abortion is not determined by personal experience, emotion, or even reason. That which is right or wrong is derived by what it means to be human under God. And as sinners, living in abject moral poverty, God must cut through our darkness with the light of His self-revelation, showing us our purpose. Only then will we have a meaningful moral construct, transcending mere opinion and culture, to see behaviors as truly right, helping to accomplish our purpose, or wrong, detracting from that purpose.
The reason Christians are so passionately pro-life is because God revealed that He is the author of man and therefore the final authority over man (Ps. 24:1), like a potter and the clay vessels he makes. The Bible as God’s written revelation of Himself is therefore authoritative (2 Tim. 3:16) regarding the purpose, value, and behavior of man.
So how does Christian theology relate to abortion? While the Bible regards babies in the womb as fully fledged persons in various ways, even going so far as to protect them in law (See Gn. 25:23; Ex. 21:22-25; Jg. 13:5; Jb. 31:15; Ps. 22:9-10, 139:13; Is. 44:24; Jr. 1:5; Ho. 12:3; Lk. 1:15, 41, 44; Ga. 1:15), these types of references do not tell us why it is important to protect preborn humans. To get there, God must show us what makes a human valuable.
Scripture does this by saying that all people are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and are therefore equally valuable without qualification (Gen. 9:6). This truth manifests itself throughout Scripture as the controlling tenant in how we ought to understand who we are as humans and how we ought to behave toward God and others. Jesus says, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 22:40) referring to loving God with your all and loving your neighbor as yourself.
So, if all people are deserving of protection equally because we are made in the image of God, and ‘all people’ includes both those who are born as well as those still in the womb, then preborn boys and girls carry the dignity of God and must be protected from destruction by abortion. This is why anyone holding to the Judeo-Christian worldview believes abortion is wrong always and everywhere. But there is even more to a Christian’s pro-life passion… stay tuned for part 2 on why Christians are so passionately pro-life.
Use your voice on behalf of the voiceless. Forge a more pro-life community by talking to your friends, family, and co-workers about why all people are equally valuable—including the pre-born ones.
CompassCare Never Stopped Serving Patients
On June 7th, CompassCare’s pro-life medical office in Buffalo was the victim of a brutal arson attack, perpetrated by pro-abortion terrorist group, Jane’s Revenge.
While CompassCare’s office burned, Janine was home with her two children fast asleep, unaware of the events that were transpiring. Early in the morning, Janine heard the shocking news. Who would commit such a heinous crime against an organization which had served as a beacon of hope for her in her time of need? Read more.
Telecare: Serving Women in a Post-Roe America
Objective: Serve every woman in America considering abortion with a telehealth appointment before they buy a chemical abortion online or travel to places like NY to get an abortion. CompassCare is giving away the 21st century telehealth tools to 650 medical pregnancy centers, equipping each center to serve 1,500 women a year. This will give pro-life pregnancy centers the ability to compete head-on with the billion-dollar abortion industry by 2025. Learn more.
3 comments on “How Does Christian Theology Relate to Abortion?”