Vol.2 No.2

Q. My best friend is pregnant and unmarried. I know she is not ready to be married because she dropped out of school and has no job. She is seriously considering an abortion. Would that be best in these circumstances?

A. No. You have described a common, tragic situation. Thousands upon thousands of young ladies are caught in the trap that this girl is in. The most important thing that you can do for your friend is to lead her to Jesus who can forgive her for the sin which she has committed.

Here are some texts that you can share with her: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Secondly, "plain to her that Jesus has the power to keep her from falling back into sin. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).

With respect to the baby that is conceived, the life of that baby belongs to God. It is not for your friend to decide whether it should live or die. She appears to be unready for the difficult task of motherhood. Therefore, I suggest that she now make plans for the adoption of the child. Explain her sacred responsibility to find parents who are deeply committed to God and who will provide a special spiritual environment for the babe when it is born. She may need the counsel and help of some wise and godly Christians in making that decision, for it is a most sacred one. 

Vol.13 No.5

Q. According to the Bible and what we know from science, when does life begin?

A. One of the more persuasive “scientific” arguments in favor of abortion, especially in the first trimester, is the false view that a developing fetus is experiencing rapid “evolution” and does not reach personhood until its final stages. Thus, it is argued, we are not aborting a human being but a pre-human being; therefore no moral problem is presented. The difficulty with this position, even if it were a valid argument, is to determine when the fetus becomes “human.”

In reality, there is no evolutionary development in the prenatal experience. The moment conception takes place there is the initiation of a new human being into the world. All the faculties necessary for further development are present in that fertilized egg. Nothing is added except from the prenatal environment through the mother.

Now, look at a few texts from the Bible that illustrate how God understands life before birth. Referring to John the Baptist, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.”     Luke 1:15. In other words, while John the Baptist was still in his mother’s womb, he was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible states, “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb.” Luke 1:41. Long before the birth of John the Baptist he was considered by God to be a person. Not some growth or some dispensable piece of tissue, but a human being.

Other prophets had similar experiences. In His call to Jeremiah, God reminded him, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. Isaiah writes, “The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” Isaiah 49:1.

Although we may not be called to prophetic roles, from our earliest moments we were valuable possessions to God.  Psalms 139:14-16 brings this out beautifully: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

False views on when life begins has led to tragic decisions such as the legalizing of abortion in many countries. Even Christians struggle with how to follow biblical principles about the sanctity of human life at every phase.

But you may ask, what about a malformed or brain-damaged fetus? Or what about a child conceived through rape? Wouldn’t abortion be acceptable in those circumstances?

God has not given anyone the right to determine who should live or die. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to put babies to death because of birth defects or cases of rape. Tragic though these situations are, God has promised  strength for every trial. We must realize that once conception takes place, there is new life. God calls us to preserve that life, even if it is the result of fornication or rape.