ABORTION: YOUR CHRISTIAN DUTY

“Taking a Serious Look at This Issue”

Text: Matt. 2:12-18; Exodus 1:15-22

INTRODUCTION

Although I highly doubt there are any people in our audience that are “pro-abortion”, this is still a very “current issue” that must be taught on. Abortion is still a highly debated subject. It may even be a deciding factor for the 2000 election. IF your stand is “pro-life”, do you know why? Not just morally, but Biblically? Consider this to start:

A. Although the subject of abortion is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, this does not mean that it is not a Bible subject

1. Many general principles in the Bible apply to many things that are not specifically mentioned

a. Drugs

b. Gambling

c. Assassination

d. Genocide

e. Etc.

2. Sometimes modern terms are synonymous with Bible terms, and therefore, they are Bible subjects even though these modern terms are not found in the Bible

f. “Premarital sex” is synonymous with fornication (Heb. 13:4)

g. “Getting high” is synonymous with drunkenness (Gal. 5:21)

h. “Dirty dancing” is synonymous with lasciviousness (Gal. 5:19)

i. Etc.

Therefore, Abortion IS a BIBLE issue that must be dealt with. There are many current issues that are not specifically mentioned in Scripture, but still must be defended from Scripture. So, let’s take a look at ABORTION…

I. ABORTION: COURT CASE AND FACTS

a.ROE V. WADE / DOE V. BOLTON

a.The popular case of Roe v. Wade was the deciding case along with Doe v. Bolton on January 22, 1973.

a.In this case, there was a 7 – 2 vote by the Supreme Court of the United States that Abortion fell under the 14th amendment to the US constitution which states that we have a “right to privacy.”

a.It was also concluded that actual and meaningful “personhood” begins strictly at birth.

a.Later, the people of the United States find out that neither “Doe” or “Roe” knew what they were doing, but were in fact used by members of the feminist movement to accomplish this horrible feat.

c.So now there is a law of the country, and those responsible for bring it about are vehemently opposed to it.

a.THE FACTS ABOUT ABORTION

a.Here are some startling statistics:

a.55 Million abortions are performed worldwide every year

d.150,685 every day

e.6,278 every hour

f.105 every minute

a.1.6 million abortions are performed in the US every year

g.4,383 every day

h.183 every hour

i.3 per minute

j.1 abortion occurs every 20 seconds in US!! (Statistics from Alan Guttmacher Institute, division of Planned Parenthood, New York, New York, quoted in Rescue Update, June/July 1989. Southern California Operation Rescue, quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, The Sanctity Of Life, p. 13)

aa. A little over 36.4 million babies have been aborted from 1973 – 1997.

bb. Almost every third abortion in the US is ended by abortion

a.Some other stats to bring this better into focus

cc. The combined death toll of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War is 1,160,591.A. More deaths in any one-month than there were Americans killed in the entire Vietnam War.

dd. Population of Augusta, KS, wiped out every 2¼ days.

ee. Entire state of Maine (1.25 million) or Nebraska (1.6 million) wiped out every year.

ff. Kansas gets wiped out every 2 years--has been destroyed over 13 times since Roe v Wade.

gg. Total deaths since Roe v Wade=combined populations of 23 states! (Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, & Wyoming)

a.WHAT KINDS OF ABORTIONS ARE THERE?

a.Due to the graphic nature of many of the procedures, I will refrain from going into much detail. However, I feel it necessary to give some because of the effect is has on our will to serve when we know the facts. IF you would like to know more about the procedures not mentioned or in more detail, see me for an information booklet on abortion.

a.Menstrual Extraction: This is a very early suction abortion, often done before the pregnancy test is even positive.

a.Suction – Aspiration: The doctor must first paralyze the womb opening and stretch it open. (this is difficult to do because it is unnatural) He then inserts a hollow plastic tube, which has a knife-like edge on the tip, into the uterus. He basically then sucks the baby from the womb.

a.Dilatation & Curettage (D&C): This is similar to Suction, but this time the Doctor uses an instrument called a “Curette”, which is a loop-shaped steel knife. He inserts this into the uterus and scrapes the fetus out. Bleeding is usually profuse.

a.Saline Amniocentesis (Salt Poisoning): A large needle is inserted through the abdominal wall of the mother and into the baby’s amniotic sac. A concentrated salt solution is injected into the amniotic fluid. The baby breathes and swallows it, is poisoned, and after a struggle, dies. Usually it takes over an hour for the baby to die. The mother will deliver a dead baby about 1 day later when successful.

a.Dilatation & Evacuation (D&E): This is too graphic for my presentation. See me later for details.

a.Intracardiac Injection: This is often used on mothers expecting to deliver multiple babies. It is used to make it so that they only deliver 1, but many times, it will kill all. At about 4 months a needle is injected through the mother’s abdomen into the babies chest and heart. Poison is inject and kills the fetus

a.Partial Birth Abortion or (D&X): This procedure is too graphic for public announcement.

I. WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN?

A. THIS IS THE QUESTION

18. This is really the question the whole case revolves around – When does a human life start to be a “real” human life?

19. Of course, anyone who is “pro-abortion” would have to hold the view that:

j. Anything inside the womb of a woman is nothing but tissue, meat, etc.

aa. Life does not begin until the baby is fully out of the womb and breathing and taking food by mouth.

20. So then, our objective would be to see if this is true.

A. WHAT DO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SAY?

21. The First International Symposium On Abortion: “The changes occurring between implantation, a six-weeks embryo, a six-months fetus, a one-week-old child, or a mature adult are merely stages of development and maturation.

“The majority of our group could find no point in time between the union of sperm and egg, or at least the blastocyst stage, and the birth of the infant at which point we could say that this was not a human life.” (Quoted in John C. Willke, Abortion: Questions & Answers, p. 42)

22. Bernard Nathanson [A former abortionist who was one of the founders of the National Abortion Association and the director of “the first and largest abortion clinic in the western world for 1½ years]: “I became convinced that as director of the clinic I had in fact presided over 60,000 deaths.... As early as six weeks we can detect heart function in embryos, with an electrocardiograph. We can record brain activity at eight weeks. Our capacity to measure signs of life is becoming more sophisticated every day, and as time goes by we will undoubtedly be able to isolate these signs at earlier and earlier stages in fetal development. To vehemently deny that life begins when conception begins is absurd...I said to myself: ‘All that propaganda you’ve been spewing out about abortion not involving the taking of human life is nonsense.... The product of conception is a human being in a special time of its development.... The fact that a fetus depends on the placenta for life and can’t survive independently doesn’t nullify its existence as a human being. A diabetic is wholly dependent on insulin, but that doesn’t make him less human.... I had to face the fact that in an abortion, human life of a special order is being taken.”

23. Medical science confirms this:

bb. At conception, the 23 chromosomes of the sperm unite with the 23 chromosomes of the ovum, forming a new 46-chromosome cell

cc. This cell is unique. Never before in the history of the world has this cell existed

dd. This cell is now either male or female

ee. This cell is complete. Nothing will be added but nutrition and oxygen

ff. This is not merely “potential life” as many claim; it is LIFE WITH VAST POTENTIAL!

gg. Before their union, the sperm and the ovum constitute potential human life, but once their union is completed, they have become an actual human life

A. THE HUMAN LIFE IS A CONTINUUM FROM CONCEPTION UNTIL DEATH

24. By 18 days [½ month] after conception, the heart begins to beat

25. By 21 days after conception, the heart is pumping blood, whose type is different from its mother’s, through a closed circulatory system

26. By 40-42 days [1½ months] after conception, brain waves can be recorded on an Electroencephalogram (EEG)

hh. If death is defined medically as the point in time when brain waves cease, why isn’t there life when brain waves can first be detected?

27. By 6 weeks [1½ months] after conception, actual skeletal movements of the unborn baby begin, although the mother cannot feel them at this time

28. By 6½ weeks after conception, all 20 milk-teeth buds are present

29. By 8 weeks [2 months] after conception, the fetus’ stomach secretes gastric juice (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

30. By 8 weeks [1½ months] after conception, all the baby’s body systems are present (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

ii. Note: 50% of all abortions are performed at 8 weeks

31. By 9-10 weeks [2½ months] after conception, the fetus squints, swallows, moves his tongue, and makes a tight fist if you stroke his palm (A. Hellegers, M.D., Fetal Development, 31, Theological Studies 3, 7, 1970, p. 26)

jj. Note: 25% of all abortions are performed at 9-10 weeks

32. By 11 weeks after conception, all the fetus’ body systems are working (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

33. By 11-12 weeks [3 months] after conception, the baby is breathing amniotic fluid (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

34. By 11-12 weeks [3 months] after conception, fingernails are present (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

aaa. Note: 14% of all abortions are performed at 11-12 weeks

35. By 11-13 weeks [3 months] after conception, the baby’s taste buds are working

36. By 12 weeks [3 months] after conception, no new body parts will be added. The fetus simply increases in size and weight and skill in using its body through the last 6 months in the mother’s womb

37. By 14 weeks [3½ months] after conception, the baby’s auditory sense is present

bbb. Note: 5% of all abortions are performed at 13-15 weeks

38. By 16 weeks [4 months] after conception, eyelashes are present (Life Before Birth, Life Magazine Reprint, p. 13)

ccc. Note: 4% of all abortions are performed at 16-20 weeks

39. By 20 weeks [5 months] after conception, the fetus can survive outside the womb

ddd. Note: 2% of all abortions are performed after 20 weeks (Charles R. Swindoll, The Sanctity Of Life, pp. 12-13)

40. Birth – exists from womb; breathes air; takes his food by mouth

41. 1 year – Walks

42. 2 years – Talks

43. 7 years – Reads and Writes

44. 9- 15 years – Develops Sexually

45. 18 years – physical adulthood

46. 70 + years – Old Age.

--Where do you draw the LINE?

I. THE BIBLE’S ANSWER TO WHEN LIFE BEGINS

A. THE BIBLE ALSO CONFIRMS THIS FACT

47. The Hebrew language uses the same word “children” (ben) to describe life before birth and life after birth

eee. Before birth: (Gen. 25:21-22; 2 Ki. 19:3)

fff. After birth: (Gen. 25:4; 37:3; 50:23)

48. In the record of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as given in Matthew 1:18-25, verse 18 says, “When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found WITH CHILD OF THE HOLY GHOST.”

ggg. Ask yourself this question: “Was the ‘child of the Holy Ghost’ in Mary’s womb merely ‘fetal tissue’ or ‘a blob of protoplasm’?”

hhh. “What if Mary, at the insistence of Joseph, had obtained an abortion?” “Would an abortion have meant only ‘terminating a fetus’?”

iii. Such an idea is not only unscriptural and ungodly; it is downright ABSURD!

49. In Luke 1:39-44 we read about Mary going to see her cousin Elisabeth who was at that time six-months pregnant.

jjj. In verse 41 the Bible says, “when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the BABE leaped in her womb.”

aaaa. Again in verse 44 the Bible records Elisabeth as saying, “the BABE leaped in my womb for JOY.”

bbbb. Just exactly what was it that leaped in Elisabeth’s womb? A piece of meat, some fetal tissue, the “product of pregnancy”?

cccc. I’ll take what God said about it, He called it a B-A-B-E, a baby.

50. By divine inspiration Luke used this same word, “brephos”, which is translated “babe” in Luke 1:41,44 when he wrote Luke 2:16, “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the BABE (brephos) lying in the manger.”

dddd. Therefore, we have the word of God Himself that He recognizes the life that is in the womb as a BABE, just as much so as a newborn baby lying in the crib.

eeee. For Your Information: this same Greek word is translated “babe” again in Luke 2:12 and 1 Peter 2:2; “child” in 2 Timothy 3:15; “infant” in Luke 18:15; and “young child” in Acts 7:19.

A. MANY OTHER PASSAGES DEMONSTRATE THAT GOD RECOGNIZED THE LIFE WITHIN THE WOMB AS HUMAN

51. God told Jeremiah, the prophet, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4,5)

52. David wrote by inspiration, “For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

53. Job said, “Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15)

54. John had viable spiritual life, even in his mother’s womb, as promised in Luke 1:15, “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.” (NASB)

55. Paul made a similar statement of himself in Galatians 1:15, “But when He who had set me apart, even form my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace.”

56. We can now easily see that the human life according to any and all authorities on the matter begins at conception, and not birth.

A. CHRIST TAUGHT THE PRECIOUSNESS OF A CHILD

57. Life is a gift from God (Acts 17:25 – “…seeing He giveth to all life, breath, and all things.”) and one that we should never take for granted (James 4:13-15)

58. As the creator and sustainer of life, God alone has the right to give it and take it away.

59. In Matthew 19:14 Christ taught the preciousness of a child

60. Solomon said in Psalm 127:3 that children are “an heritage from God.”

I. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ABORTION?

A. LEGALIZED SIN DOES NOT CHANGE IT’S NATURE IN GOD’S EYES

61. "By a standing vote of about 800 to 100, the governing assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) declared: 'Abortion can.... be considered a responsible choice within a Christian framework when serious generic problems arise or when the resources are not adequate to care for a child properly."

62. It is not our place to make up God’s mind on issues, He’s already done it!

A. IT IS OBVIOUSLY MURDER

63. Matthew 5:21-22 is clear on this subject, and not only that, but to even aspire to harm another is wrong, Jesus says.

ffff. If, as we have proven, what is in the womb IS human, then it is murder to take that life.

A. IT’S NOT ONLY MURDER, BUT…

64. “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…”

gggg. We see in Proverbs 6:16-17 that ONE of the SEVEN things which God hates is hands that shed innocent blood

hhhh. What about the hands of a Doctor who performs abortions? YES

iiii. What about the parent who consents to this? YES

jjjj. What about the nurses who help perform this sin? YES!

aaaaa. The child is innocent because he doesn’t possess the ability to perform wrong!

bbbbb. The child is innocent because he has no way to defend himself!

A. IT IS ALSO A VERY SELFISH ACTION…

65. Phil 2:3 tells us to “let nothing be done through strife or vainglory (selfish ambition)…”

66. Observe these statistics before we draw our conclusion on this matter:

ccccc. 1% of abortions are for victims of rape or incest

ddddd. 1% for fetal abnormities

eeeee. 4% had a doctor who said their health would worsen if abortion was not performed

fffff. 50% said they did not want to be a single parent who had problems in a current relationship

ggggg. 66% stated they could not afford a child

hhhhh. 75% said that the child would interfere with their lives (Statistics from Alan Guttmacher Institute, division of Planned Parenthood, New York, New York, quoted in Rescue Update, June/July 1989, Southern California Operation Rescue, quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, The Sanctity Of Life, p. 12)

67. Does this not tell us that abortion is selfish?

68. Is the new ethic going to be that when it’s too hard to take care of someone we’ll just “get rid of them?”

A. IT IS AGAINST OUR NATURE INSTILLED BY GOD

69. 2 Timothy 3:2-3 says that men will be “unloving, brutal,…without natural affection.”

iiiii. That’s exactly what this is.

70. In the event of a cave-in or when a submarine goes down, or a plane is lost at sea or a building catches fire, 'our instinctive reaction is to work on the assumption that somewhere in that mine, beneath that sea, or beyond those flames is a human life to be saved. We don't demand proof that life is there; we act simply on the possibility. We don't quibble about what kind of existence we would be returning the miners to, its quality, its desirability, and its fulsomeness. However, in the case of abortion our response operates in a manner diametrically opposite to that which is natural. Here the action is based on an assumption, a hunch, a hope or even a prayer that a human life does not exist in the Uterus." AMERICA by James J. Diamond, July 19,1969.

I. WHAT CAN WE DO?

A. WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO SOMETHING

71. In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus tells the ever-famous story of the “Good Samaritan.”

jjjjj. He finishes it by saying in verse 37, “Go, and do thou likewise.”

aaaaaa. It’s amazing just how MUCH responsibility he gives us with just 5 words!

A. WE CAN PRAY

72. We can pray, and keep on praying because prayer has great potential – James 5:16

73. We can pray for:

bbbbbb. Those on the front lines fighting this battle

cccccc. Politicians

dddddd. Preachers to get the word out

eeeeee. Physicians

ffffff. Pro-Life leaders in the media

gggggg. Pregnant women who are contemplating abortion

hhhhhh. Those who have had abortions to repent

A. WE CAN GET INVOLVED

74. We need to take personal responsibility

iiiiii. “I must do something” gets a whole lot more done than “something must be done.” It’s a different frame of mind.

75. We can get involved in many different ways

jjjjjj. We can lift our voice in protest

aaaaaaa. We can financially support organizations that are fighting abortion

bbbbbbb. We can speak out against abortion in our everyday conversations with friends and neighbors

ccccccc. We can be responsible parents who are informed about what is being taught and advocated in our children’s classrooms

ddddddd. We can be responsible voters

a.If you are republican – John Mccain supports abortion. See me for more info.

ii. If you are democrat, there’s no hope!

eeeeeee. We can write or call our elected representatives

fffffff. We can volunteer our time, energy, and financial resources

ggggggg. We can open our hearts and homes to unwed mothers, and if not those, then our pocketbooks.

hhhhhhh. We can participate in demonstrations of our own personal preference that do not violate the laws of God, the laws of the land, or the dictates of our conscience.

76. Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!”

A. WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR ARGUMENTS

77. Samuel Johnson once told a fellow with whom he was disputing: “Lower your voice and strengthen your argument!”

78. We need to strengthen our arguments and THEN raise our voices!

A. WE CAN PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH ABOUT MORAL PURITY

79. The vast majority of abortions occur because people choose to live immorally and then want to avoid the consequences

80. And so as Christians we need to set the right example

iiiiiii. We need to flee youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22)

jjjjjjj. We need to flee fornication and speak out against it (1 Cor. 6:18)

81. We can teach our children how to love their children (Titus 2:3-4)

CONCLUSION

I hope this study has been as profitable for you as it was for me. The main objective from it was to educate, motivate, and activate you as a Christian. IF you are concerned about this, there are ways you can help, just see me for more information. I will close with some thoughts from various men:

Charles R. Swindoll: “It has come to the time where the most dangerous place to be in America is not in the inner city where gangs threaten innocent lives or in angry prisons where only the fit survive...but in the womb of a mother who is being told if she doesn’t really want the baby, an abortion is the solution.” (The Sanctity of Life, p. 3)

By Nathan Whittlesey

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