Notes:
Biblical Case for the Pro-Life Position
-
Summary of Argument:
-
- P1: It is wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being.
- P2: Abortion intentionally kills an innocent human being.
Therefore, - C: Abortion is morally wrong.
- Explanation:
Scripture is clear that all humans have value because they bear the image of their maker (Genesis 1:26-28; James 3:9). In laymen’s terms, that means humans are valuable in virtue of the kind of thing they are rather than some function they perform. Humans have value simple because they are human.
Put differently, humans are equal in their fundamental or intrinsic dignity. Our culture, however, confuses intrinsic dignity with attributed dignity and thus mistakenly grounds the right to life in a performance view of human value. The biblical view is different. The beach bum and the university president share an equal and intrinsic dignity in virtue of their common human nature. However, they do not share attributed dignity, which individuals only earn through age or accomplishment.
Because humans bear the image of God and thus are intrinsically valuable, the shedding of innocent blood is strictly forbidden (Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 6:16-19; Matthew 5:21). The Bible is not saying it’s always wrong to kill human beings, a position only a strict pacifist would hold. It’s meaning is more specific: We are never to intentionally kill innocent human beings.
As noted above, abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent human being, a claim we defended with science and logic. Thus, the same passages in Scripture that forbid the shedding of innocent blood apply to the unborn as they do every other human being.
Still, some are puzzled the Bible never mentions abortion. Are we to conclude abortion is morally permitted? We certainly should not! When critics assert the Bible nowhere condemns abortion, I ask one question to clarify things: Are you saying that whenever the Bible doesn’t expressly condemn a behavior, it condones that behavior? When they say no, and they must, I ask, What is your point? Indeed, Scripture nowhere condemns gay bashing, but Christians universally condemn it because Scripture teaches all humans— despite the impact of sin—possess inherent dignity and worth.
The Bible’s alleged silence on abortion does not mean that its authors condoned the practice, but that prohibitions against it were largely unnecessary. The Hebrews of the Old Testament and the Christians of the New Testament were not likely to kill their offspring before birth. To understand why, let’s step into their world and take a look. First, children were seen as a blessing while barrenness a curse—the worst curse for a woman (Psalm 127:3-5; 1 Samuel 1:6, Genesis. 20:17-18, 30:1, 22-23). Second, immortality was expressed through one’s descendents. God promises Abraham to make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3) and that promise is passed on to Isaac, Jacob, etc. “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him,” writes the Psalmist (127:3. See also Gen. 48:16). Third, among a people surrounded by hostile nations, continuing one’s family line was vital for national security. Fourth, having children was a sacred responsibility: God’s promise to bless all nations through Israel was predicated on replenishing the land with offspring. Fifth, the early Christians of the New Testament were Jewish believers who inherited Jewish morality, including the commands against shedding innocent blood.
Put simply, in a culture where children are a gift and barrenness is a curse, and where a nation’s destiny depends on parents having lots of children, abortion is unthinkable. Hence, the Bible’s silence on abortion does not suggest permission, but that prohibitions were largely unnecessary.
Our culture is obsessed with equality. People want racial equality, income equality, and social equality—but can they account for it? Abortion-choice advocates cannot explain what makes us equal. Here’s why: If humans only have value because of some developed characteristic like self-awareness that none of us share equally, it follows that since that characteristic comes in varying degrees, basic human rights come in varying degrees. Theologically, it’s far more reasonable to argue that although humans differ immensely in their respective degrees of development, they are nonetheless equal because they share a common human nature made in the image of God.