What Does the Bible Say About Abortion? Is Abortion a Sin? -Shedding innocent Blood.

The Bible does not use the word “abortion” in the sense of an induced expulsion of a human fetus. However, many Bible verses provide God’s view of human life, including that of an unborn child.

Life is a gift from God. (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 36:9) He considers all life to be precious, including the life of a child in the womb. So if someone intentionally kills an unborn child, that amounts to murder.

"God’s Law to the Israelites stated: “If men should struggle with each other and they hurt a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but no fatality results, the offender must pay the damages imposed on him by the husband of the woman; and he must pay it through the judges. But if a fatality does occur, then you must give life for life.”—Exodus 21:22, 23. "

When does human life begin?

God views human life as beginning at conception. In his Word, the Bible, God consistently portrays an unborn child as a distinct person. Consider some examples indicating that God does not draw a distinction between the life of a baby in the womb and one that has been born.

1-Under divine inspiration, King David said to God: “Your eyes even saw me as an embryo.” (Psalm 139:16) God considered David to be a person even before he was born.

2- Additionally, God knew that he would have a special purpose for the prophet Jeremiah before Jeremiah’s birth. God said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I sanctified you. I made you a prophet to the nations.”—Jeremiah 1:5.

The Bible writer Luke, a physician, used the same Greek word to describe an unborn baby as he did to describe a newborn baby.—Luke 1:41; 2:12, 16.

Will God forgive someone who has had an abortion?
Those who have had an abortion can receive God’s forgiveness. If they now accept God’s view of life, they do not need to be overwhelmed with guilt. “God is merciful and compassionate . . . As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset, so far off from us he has put our transgressions.” * (Psalm 103:8-12) God will forgive all who sincerely repent of their past sins, including abortion.—Psalm 86:5.

Is abortion wrong if the life of the mother or the child is in danger?

In view of what the Bible says about the life of an unborn child, a person would not be justified in having an abortion because of a potential health risk to mother or child.

What about the rare situation where at the time of childbirth an emergency forces the choice between saving the life of the mother or saving the baby? In such a case, those involved would have to make a personal decision about which life to try to save.

Viewing Abortion God’s Way.

WHAT of the young girl who conceives a child out of wedlock and is completely unprepared for motherhood? Should she be allowed to bring a baby into the world? God’s feelings toward the baby have not changed just because its mother acted in an unwise and immoral way. The birth of a baby may indeed help its mother to realize the natural results of her immorality and thus impress upon her the wisdom of God’s laws. Putting away the consequence of her illicit sex act may leave her with the pain of guilt, or it may embolden her to further acts of immorality.

If there is no father to share the load, rearing the child won’t be easy. But a strong relationship with our heavenly Father can provide a mother with the moral and emotional strength, support, and guidance to do so. He has also provided the Christian congregation to help ease the burden of single parents.

Irresponsible Behavior.

Nevertheless, with free access to abortion, many have felt no pressing need to guard against unwanted conception. They prefer to use abortion as a safety net to do away with any “accidents” that come along.

Statistics show that the age of puberty has dropped in this century. Hence, younger children are capable of childbearing. Are they taught the weighty responsibility that accompanies that privilege? The average loses his or her virginity by age 16, and 1 out of 5 before 13 years of age. One third of married men and women are carrying on an affair or have done so in the past. Abortion finds ready clients among the promiscuous. Much like the occasional call to legalize prostitution in order to stem the spread of AIDS, the legalizing of abortion may have made the practice somewhat safer medically, but it has done more to create a fertile environment in which moral disease can and does flourish.

Victims of Violence or of Circumstance?

Interestingly, studies show that pregnancy from rape is extremely rare. One survey of 3,500 consecutive victims of rape yielded not a single case of pregnancy. Thus, only a tiny portion of those seeking abortions do so for these reasons.

What of those frightening predictions of terribly deformed babies with irreversible birth defects? At the first sign of trouble, some doctors are quick to urge abortion. Can they be absolutely sure of the diagnosis? Many parents can attest that such dire prophecies may be unfounded, and they have happy, healthy children to prove it. Others with children considered handicapped are just as happy to be parents. Indeed, a mere 1 percent of those seeking abortion do so because they are told of some possible defect in the fetus.

Nevertheless, in the time it has taken you to read this post , unborn babies have died by the hundreds. Where is it happening? And how are the lives of those involved affected?

As for the "pro-life" perspective, the 1st-century Christian text known as the Didache states: "do not murder a child by abortion or kill a new-born infant." Furthermore, Tertullian, a 3rd-century Christian theologian, contended that abortion should be conducted only in situations in which irregular positioning of the fetus in the womb would risk the life of the pregnant woman.