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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Final Research Paper
Abortion and the Biblical Perspective
Submitted to Professor Joe Easterling
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
THEO 650 – D03
Public Theology
by
Joshua Arlaus
August 8thth, 2022.
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Introduction
Something that is normally a big concern in our country is the topic of abortion.
Something that is often questioned when it comes to politics and new leadership in our country is
whether they choose to stand for or against the topic of abortion. What most Americans want to
know is if these individuals are more on the pro-life side or more on the pro-choice side of the
fence. When a new individual decides to compete for office, the question about abortion stance is
usually something that must be responded to sooner or later. In a generation where abortion
opinions are here and there, it doesn’t seem like this topic is going to disappear or get any easier
any time soon. Since there are so many different opinions and changing laws, it seems that the
debate over the ethicality of abortion will press on for many years.
In 1973, when Roe Vs. Wade was legalized, there have been many debates over abortion
specifically from the religious and political parties. This leaves us asking whether abortion is
approved by God or if it’s considered a sin and should be avoided at all costs. With so many
different opinions on the topic, I am utilizing this paper to illuminate the description and history
of abortion, along with God’s perspective on abortion from the context of the Bible to explain
how abortion is sinful and not approved by God.
Abortions History
Abortion is described as “the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus,
resulting in, or caused by its death” (Iran J Psychiatry, 2011). When an individual chooses to
have an abortion performed, that individual is choosing to take a living organism out of a
woman’s body and end its life growing process with no option of reversal. Though people may
have different opinions about the life and consciousness of a baby in the womb before it is born,
it is still a life in God’s eyes and God created that organism in that womb with an entire life and
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plan prepared ahead of time. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the
nations.” This passage proves that even though someone is in the womb and not yet breathing the
breath of life as we know it, they are still a full life preconceived in thought by God himself. This
question causes us to ask when does life truly start for someone then? From God’s point of view
life starts inside the womb and not after birth. Living organisms need food, movement, and
growth in some form to live. When a baby is in the womb it is constantly growing, needing to be
fed via umbilical cord, and often making movements. A non-living organism would not be able
to do this.
Origin
Abortion has been a topic of discussion for many generations. Abortions can be traced
back all the way to colonial America. Abortion law was not seen on file until around 1821.
Before this point there were not any consequences for abortion. After quickening was put into
place, women were not allowed to have abortions as they pleased anymore. But there were
certain exceptions that applied at this time and can still apply today. Rape cases and situations
where abortion may be deemed medically necessary to save lives are viewed differently. For
example, in the nation of Sudan, abortion is not allowed and is treated as a punishable crime,
unless it is necessary to save a woman’s life. A large chunk of history when it comes to abortions
started around the 18th century when a woman named Sarah Grosvenor wanted an abortion
during her later months in around 1742. The problem arose when the abortion killed her 10 days
after it was performed from an infection. At this time, abortions were illegal and the doctor at the
time was named Dr. Hallowell. Dr. Hallowell was charged with a misdemeanor and the courts
never chose to admit or confirm that it was a murder. This sparked different opinions about
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abortions and abortions were normally not aloud until around 1973. Before Roe Vs. Wade,
abortion was banned for almost a century. Roe Vs. Wade was a case that really changed how we
viewed abortion in America and how the laws were influenced as well. 1973, abortion was
deemed legal in America. Rananan Dine stated, “The Court ruling declared that all women had
the right to terminate a pregnancy until the fetus was viable outside the womb.” This was an
unusual moment where the court chose to step over God’s law in our past.
The Stats
Since Roe Vs. Wade there have been over 62 million children that have been killed
through abortions in America (All American Life League, 2020). The sad part is that Is more
children that individuals that live in some states such as Maine or Montana (US States - Ranked
by Population 2022). California and New York are known as the states that have the highest rate
of abortions out of the entire country. The CDC made a statement saying that the bulk of
abortions are between African American women and white women. Over 90% of these abortions
were executed before the 13-week mark, whereas the rest were after at 14-20, or 21 weeks and
higher. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).
The Eugenic Movement
Abortion can even be dated back to Adolf Hitler. The reason I say this is because Adolf
Hitler believed in Eugenics. Eugenics is a term used to describe how people involve applying
principles of genetics and heredity for the purpose of improving humans” (Laura Rivard, 2014).
Hitler felt that many other races were inferior to him and because of this he tried to have them
murdered off, yet the issue in America came down to the attacks on abortion that were rooted in
racism and white supremacy (Baker Carrie).
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Eugenics focuses on removing any traits that it may deem negative. In the United States
during the 1800’s, there was worry because white women were not having as many babies as
previously recorded in history and the population began to worry that what they considered an
inferior race would outnumber the Caucasian race. Because of this, it was encouraged for more
fit and well-rounded white woman to have children. During this time, because of this, the
government began using sterilization to start minimizing who they considered unfit, such as the
African American’s, those that were not financially stable, and those that were uneducated. Laura
Rivard stated that, “In an attempt to prevent these groups from propagating, eugenicists helped
drive legislation for their forced sterilization” This caused many individuals of color to abort
their children. Deciding who should live and die due to an opinion of materialistic inferiority is a
sin. Exodus 20:13 tell us that killing is a sin and is not approved by God. It’s also a sin to abort a
child just because you may be worried or afraid.
God knows the reasons for why he does anything, and God knew these individuals’
situations before he blessed them with the babies that they decided to murder out of their own
will, fears, or insecurities. Just as mentioned earlier in Jeremiah, God had an entire plan for
Jeremiah before he was in the womb. Individuals must think of babies this way. People must
understand that the life starts in God’s eyes before individuals are even put in the womb. So, by
the time they are in the womb, they are already living and loved creatures by God.
Worldly Perspective on Abortion
The world’s perspective on abortion is completely divided when it comes to abortions
origin, history, and sinfulness. The bible tells us in John 17:11, “I have given them thy word; and
the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I
pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from
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the evil.” This should inform us that even though we are here on Earth, we will still see and hear
many things that are contrary to God’s will. It has always been hard to live in the world as a
Christian, but it is beginning to get more and more challenging as time goes on. Temptation and
false information are so prevalent in this world. It can be easy to get confused or fall off track if
we are not focused on holding to Christ’s word. Since the world is so sinful, it can be extremely
challenging to make the proper ethical choices in one’s life if one does not focus on God’s word
or studying the Bible.
As a Christian, individuals can seek God’s word and will on life experiences so that
believers can make better informed decisions. It is a lot more challenging to make decisions that
are blessed by God without studying the Bible, praying, and meditating on his word often. This
can make it a lot easier for the Devil to bring tempting thoughts into the mind during times of
trouble, confusion, or pain. Without knowing these tactics that Jesus illuminates through the
pages of the Bible, we can become easy prey to the enemies’ ways. As Christians, we can
thankfully always seek God’s perspective through prayer and the pages of the Bible instead of
leaning on our own thoughts and the experiences of others. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. It is a beautiful gift to be able to seek out the
perspective of the creator and to be guided into success by him as well. We can avoid so much
sin by prayer and strategic scripture utilization.
America tends to focus on three different perspectives when it comes to abortion.
According to Bellinger, individuals may be pro-life, pro-choice, or can be considered the middle.
Pro-choice individuals believe that people fighting abortion goes against the rights of women.
They believe that women should have the choice to do whatever they want with their bodies
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when they are pregnant. Pro-life individuals believe that it is best to keep the children alive and
seek other ways of getting rid of the baby such as adoption. The individuals in the middle
struggle with making a solidified choice. They see pros and cons from both sides of the
spectrum. There are even Christians that are divided on this topic. Some believers still believe
that if abortions are performed early, that they are not considered murder. Some people can
believe in Christ as Lord and savior without having the proper biblical knowledge about his
perspective though. As in some people can be believers and not read the Bible and because of
this can make many ignorant decisions in life that are contrary to God’s will for them. Michael
Jones stated, “For years, there have been both opposition and toleration for abortion in the
Christians’ cycle.”
God’s Word
The Holy Bible is trustworthy and true according to Erickson. Erickson states that the
Bible is inerrant. God’s word is our example and standard for how we should view life.
Christians utilize the Bible for as much as they can. Every book in the Bible can be learned from
in some form or another. We can learn what to do, what not to do, and so on. The Bible tells us in
2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness.” Therefore, we need to focus on doing everything that the Bible
tells us. So that we can receive blessings from God and not his wrath instead.
The Bible also tells us in Colossians 3:25, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for
their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” Sin should never be taken lightly. 1 John 3:4 explains
how sin is transgression against God’s holy law. Those who support this wickedness need
understanding and clarity. Mark 9:42 states, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those
who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around
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their neck, and they were thrown into the sea.” If individuals knew what was waiting for them
due to their ignorance and willingness to approve of something that God has deemed evil ahead
of time, I believe people would think differently. For this reason, it is so beneficial to read the
Bible and spend time in God’s word. It is also extremely beneficial to pray and meditate on
God’s word as well. All three of these together create a beautiful experience filled with grace and
blessings and help us make strategic and ethical choices in God’s sight.
Adria Paul states that abortion is so horrible because it mixes multiple sins. When people
choose to undertake a perform an abortion, this choice also includes a lack of faith and murder.
Proverbs 6:16-19 speaks about the sins that God hates. The passage states, “There are six things
the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed
innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false
witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Abortion is the
practice of shedding innocent blood. These children cannot defend nor speak for themselves.
They never have the chance to live the life that God envisioned for them when he created them.
God wants us to multiply on earth and be fruitful. Not to kill his children over fear and
worry. Genesis 1:28 tells us, “Be fruitful and multiply.” We can find many scriptures that speak
about God’s disapproval of murder in any form. Andria Paul also states, “Life is a gift that is
offer freely by God and must be appreciated with joy, love, and gratitude by humanity.” When
people choose to abort these children, they don’t have the chance to experience that gift on Earth.
God is the creator and giver of life and God should be the only one to take life away as listed in
Job 1:21 when it says, “The Lord kills, and makes alive: he brings down to the grave and brings
up.”
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Consequences
Each action has an effect in some form or another. God explains to us that when we sin
against him we will be held accountable. Romans 14:12 states, “So then each of us will give an
account of himself to God.” When that account comes, how can we defend ourselves if we are
supporters of murder in mass? The consequences of sin are death as listed in Romans 6:23. When
God is not obeyed there are always consequences. When the Devil chose to cause a rebellion in
Heaven against God and they challenged God’s word, the Devil and all of his followers were
sent down to earth and casted out of Heaven permanently. The Devil and his followers known as
demons were also set as destined for hell because of their rebellion. This is an example of what
happens when we willingly go against God’s word. We do not want to follow in the Devils
footsteps. If the Devil and his followers could not stand to God in any way and were easily
casted out and defeated after their sins, no individual should feel comfortable sinning and
rebelling against God the same way. The wages of sin are death and eternal life in hell.
Other than this most severe consequence, the world also faces many consequences
because of abortions. The economy is hit because people utilize money on this. Also, when
individuals have abortions they could be killing individuals that are meant to help better our
planet in some way. Imagine the condition of our earth if Leonardo Da Vinci was aborted. An
individual that helped us learn so much about anatomy, technology, philosophy, art, and so much
more that still heavily use and learn from today. Or Abraham Lincoln. The man that God chose to
use to free the slaves. We never know God’s plan for someone so we should never be willing to
just take these babies lives. One of the last consequences of abortions that I’d like to touch on
comes down to the psychological effects that a woman could experience after making this choice
to abort their baby. Many women report heavy guilt and deal with many problems after due to
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this. People struggle with eating, face depression, are suicidal, and so much more after they
realize what they have done and spend time thinking about what could have been. Woman can
even be harmed because of abortions and experience life threatening problems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, abortion has been a topic of debate and a problem in our world for
hundreds of years. It could be traced back even further. Abortion has bounced from illegal, to
legal, and back. Regardless of any individual’s particular perspective on this topic, it is important
to note that the Bible tells us that God does not approve of this. Whether someone still chooses to
believe contrary to this is their individual business, but Christians should do their best to inform
people of the truth. We are not responsible for the choices that other people make but we are
responsible for our effort in informing people of God’s word and God’s will. It is a sin to murder,
and abortion is murder. God is the creator of life and only God has the right to take life away. If
we choose to act contrary to God’s will, we must face the consequences. When we act in
accordance with God’s will, we experience times of grace and blessing. We get to choose what
we will experience in this world.
Bibliography
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