Bible and abortion: let's see what the Holy Book says

The Bible has much to say about the beginning of life, about taking life and protecting the unborn child. So what do Christians believe about abortion? And how should a follower of Christ respond to an unbeliever on the issue of abortion?

While we do not find the specific question about abortion in the Bible, Scripture clearly expresses the sanctity of human life. In Exodus 20:13, when God gave his people the absolutes of spiritual and moral life, he commanded: "Do not kill." (ESV)

God the Father is the author of life and giving and taking life belong to his hands:

And he said, "Naked, I came from my mother's womb, and naked I should return. The Lord gave and the Lord took away; blessed be the name of the Lord ”. (Job 1:21, ESV)
The Bible says that life begins in the womb
A critical point between pro-choice and pro-life groups is the beginning of life. When does it start? While most Christians believe that life begins at the moment of conception, some question this position. Some believe that life begins when a baby's heart starts beating or when a baby takes its first breath.

Psalm 51: 5 says that we are sinners at the moment of our conception, giving credit to the idea that life begins at conception: "Surely I was a sinner at birth, a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me." (NIV)

The scriptures also reveal that God knows people before they are born. He formed, consecrated and named Jeremiah while still in his mother's womb:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you; I have named you prophet for the nations. " (Jeremiah 1: 5, ESV)

God called people and named them while they were still in the womb. Isaiah 49: 1 says:

“Listen to me, islands; listen to this, you distant nations: before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother's womb she pronounced my name. "(NLT)
Furthermore, Psalm 139: 13-16 clearly states that God is the one who created us. He knew the whole arc of our life while we were still in the womb:

For you have formed my inner parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, because I am frighteningly and wonderfully done. Your works are wonderful; my soul knows this very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when it was made in secret, intricately intertwined in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my formless substance; in your book have been written, each of them, the days that were formed for me, when there were not yet any. (ESV)
The cry of the heart of God is 'Choose life'
Public advocates point out that abortion represents a woman's right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy. They believe that a woman should have the final say on what happens to her body. They say this is a fundamental human right and reproductive freedom protected by the United States Constitution. But life advocates would ask this question in response: if a person believes that an unborn child is a human being as the Bible claims, should the unborn child have the same fundamental right to choose life?

In Deuteronomy 30: 9-20, you can hear the cry of God's heart to choose life:

“Today I gave you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I invite heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants could live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him and making a firm commitment to him. This is the key to your life ... "(NLT)

The Bible fully supports the idea that abortion involves the life of a human being who was made in the image of God:

“If someone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken by human hands. Because God made human beings in his image. " (Genesis 9: 6, NLT, see also Genesis 1: 26-27)
Christians believe (and the Bible teaches) that God has the last word on our bodies, which are made to be the temple of the Lord:

Don't you know that you yourselves are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives among you? If someone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is sacred and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3: 16-17, NIV)
The Mosaic Law protected the unborn child
The Law of Moses considered unborn children as human beings, worthy of the same rights and protections as adults. God required the same punishment for killing a baby in the womb as he did for killing an adult man. The murder penalty was death, even if the life taken had not yet been born:

“If men fight and harm a woman with a child, so that she gives birth prematurely, but no harm ensues, she will surely be punished accordingly when the woman's husband imposes him; and will have to pay according to the judges. But if any harm follows, then you will give life for life "(Exodus 21: 22-23, NKJV)
The passage shows that God sees a child in the real and precious womb as an adult adult.

What about rape and incest cases?
Like most topics that generate heated debates, the abortion issue presents some difficult questions. Those in favor of abortion often indicate cases of rape and incest. However, only a small percentage of abortion cases involve a child conceived for rape or incest. And some studies suggest that 75 to 85 percent of these victims choose not to have an abortion. David C. Reardon, Ph.D. of Elliot Institute writes:

There are several reasons not to interrupt. First, about 70% of all women believe that abortion is immoral, although many believe it should be a legal choice for others. About the same percentage of pregnant rape victims believe that abortion would be just another act of violence perpetrated against their bodies and children. Read everything …
What if the mother's life was at risk?
This may seem like the most difficult topic in the abortion debate, but with today's advances in medicine, abortion to save a mother's life is quite rare. Indeed, this article explains that a true abortion procedure is never necessary when a mother's life is at risk. Instead, there are treatments that can cause an unborn baby to inadvertently die in an attempt to save the mother, but this is not the same as an abortion procedure.

God is for adoption
Most women who have abortions today do so because they don't want to have a baby. Some women feel too young or don't have the financial means to raise a child. At the heart of the gospel is a life-giving option for these women: adoption (Romans 8: 14-17).

God forgives abortion
Whether you believe it is a sin or not, abortion has consequences. Many women who have had an abortion, men who have sustained the abortion, doctors who have practiced the abortion and health workers, experience a post-abortion trauma involving deep emotional, spiritual and psychological scars.

Forgiveness is an important part of the healing process: forgiving yourself and receiving God's forgiveness.

In Proverbs 6: 16-19, the writer names six things that God hates, including "hands that shed innocent blood." Yes, God hates abortion. Abortion is a sin, but God treats it like any other sin. When we repent and confess, our loving Father forgives our sins:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all injustice. (1 John 1: 9, NIV)
"Come now, let's resolve the matter," says the Lord. “Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; although they are crimson red, they will be like wool. " (Isaiah 1:18, NIV)