Abortion rights is the most divisive and controversial issue in our society. It is both a religious concern and a constitutional matter. Pro-Lifers, led by the religious right, strive to make all abortions illegal by overturning the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. On the other hand, Pro-Choice adherents maintain abortion is a private matter between a woman, her family, and her physician, protected by our Constitution. Federal and state laws and recent court renderings place restrictions on abortions, yet the battle rages on.
The religious right, or social conservatives, claim abortion is a moral issue, but abortion is not mentioned in the Bible. They argue that one of the Ten Commandments, “You shall not murder.” (NAS), and related passages in the Old Testament support their position on abortion.
“For thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalms 139:13-16 NAS)
Social conservatives interpret this passage in Psalm 139 to mean that the fetus in a mother’s womb is a person from the time of conception, and that taking a fetus’ life, an abortion, thus constitutes murder.
A Scripture passage in the Book of Exodus seems to support those who believe that aborting a fetus is not the same as taking a person’s life after he or she has been born.
“And if men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21:22-25 NAS)
This passage in Exodus was included in the Jewish “laws of retaliation,” the prescribed punishment for those who caused injury to others. If an injury to a pregnant woman resulted in a miscarriage, the loss of an unborn fetus, the penalty was an amount set by the woman’s husband and approved by a judge. But if there was any further injury to the woman, other than the miscarriage, the penalty was life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and so forth. Clearly, the loss of the fetus was not considered to be the same as loss of the woman’s life. The implication is that the fetus is not a person until after birth.
Neither side is willing to compromise on abortion regardless of potential Supreme Court decisions, hence resolution of the abortion issue in the foreseeable future seems unlikely. So, what can be done to reduce the animosity and wrangling over abortion? The fundamental reason for our nation’s high abortion rate is unwanted pregnancies, especially among young single women and teenage girls, and that is a matter we can do something about. Reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies would, in turn, reduce the number of abortions without changing laws controlling abortion. But, how can that be accomplished?
Our young people’s attitudes toward sex are influenced primarily by the environments and cultures in which they live; they respond to what is expected of them. Their behavior is determined to a great extent by the demands of their cultures and their perceptions of those expectations. Changing the environments in which our young people live, together with developing more effective sex education programs, is therefore the key to modifying attitudes toward sex.
Such a huge endeavor would require the participation of parents, churches, communities, cities, states, and the federal government. It would also require religious and political compromises, as well as judicial clarifications of constitutional concerns. To be effective. a program to reduce unwanted pregnancies would surely encompass broad sex education classes which stress abstinence but include birth control instructions and selective distribution of contraceptives. A key element must be honest and unbiased counseling of young women contemplating abortions and tweaking of our adoption laws and procedures.
Pro-Choice and Pro-Life adherents must be willing to compromise on their rigid stands on abortion rights and be willing to work together to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies. That is certainly quite a challenge but I believe it is the most viable way to resolve the abortion rights argument in our country.
Herschel Hill’s book, PLEASING GOD: THE JESUS AGENDA, contains an in-depth look at the abortion issue as well as other controversial moral and social issues in our society. It is available through bookstores, amazon.com, and other internet sites. Autographed copies can be obtained directly from the author at reduced prices through this webpage.
