Why should I not have an abortion?

The decision whether to have an abortion is painful, complicated, and difficult. If you are willing to listen, we’d like to present some reasons why you should not have an abortion. There are good reasons, spiritual, practical, emotional, and factual, why you should not have an abortion. If you are looking for help regarding abortion, please contact “If Not For Grace Ministries” (www.infg.org) for free resources and counseling.

An abortion is the deliberate termination of a human life while it is still in the womb. We know it is life because it grows and develops. We know it is human because basic biology teaches us that like produces like. God established this truth in the first chapter of Genesis when He commanded that all living things were to reproduce “after their kind” (Genesis 1:11, 24, 28). Since the parents are human beings, the unborn life within the mother is also a human being. So abortion is the intentional extermination of that unborn human being. That is one good reason to not have an abortion.

Every woman’s situation is different, and abortions are sought for many reasons. To arrive at a reasonable answer to why a woman should not have an abortion, she must ask herself the reverse of this question: Why should I have an abortion? Why should I terminate my child’s life while it is still in the womb? At this point, pro-choice advocates often create a smokescreen by introducing the issues of rape and incest. While both rape and incest are horrible crimes and should be punished by law, the fact remains that the percentage of women seeking abortions for either of these reasons is extremely small. And this smokescreen does not address the fact that, regardless of how or why a child was conceived, he or she is as fully human as any other child. The circumstances of conception have nothing to do with the viability of the infant. If abortion is the willful murder of an innocent, growing fetus, then it is still murder even if the child was conceived through violence or incestuous relations. Murder of the innocent does not erase the devastation caused by evil.

When we remove the smokescreen, the possible reasons for seeking abortion are down to two: personal preference or to save the life of the mother. Since even fewer cases exist where abortion is required to save the life of the mother, that argument gets far more press than it deserves. Modern medicine can do miraculous things in treating pregnant women without harming their babies, so this issue is nothing more than a red herring meant to distract from the real issue: personal preference. In recent years, the medical argument has been stretched to include the idea of “mental health of the mother,” which is a vague term that can include any feelings of fear or ambiguity the pregnancy may have evoked in a woman. This argument is merely an extension of the smokescreen and needs to be categorized as such. Some women are convinced that their lives and futures will be ruined to carry this child to term. However, crisis pregnancy centers partner with mothers throughout pregnancy and help them choose the best options for both mother and baby. These options can include aid if she keeps the baby or adoption assistance if she decides to go that route.

Due to rampant sexual immorality in our world, unplanned pregnancies abound. When modern culture decided to separate sexuality from morality, the problems got worse. God never intended any such separation. He created sex for the marriage relationship and for children to be welcomed into that marriage, regardless of whether or not they were a surprise to the parents (Genesis 1:23–24; Psalm 127:3). Scripture is clear that every human being has intrinsic value simply because every human being is a unique creation of God. There may be accidental parents, but there are no accidental children (Psalm 139).

A man and a woman can partner with God in the creation of a unique human being, but the man and woman are not the creators of that human being. As many infertile couples can attest, desire for children plus sexual activity does not necessarily produce a child. God says that life is in His hands. He takes strong issue with those who believe they have the right to murder innocent children. In fact, God brought harsh judgment upon nations who offered their babies to false gods (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 20:31). Why do we imagine He is not equally outraged when we offer our babies to our gods of culture, money, fame, or convenience?

So the final answer is that a woman should not have an abortion because it is the murder of an innocent human being. God’s command against murder precedes the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses (Genesis 9:5–6). This was a universal decree for all humanity. God is the only Giver of life, and only He can dictate when that life should end. Murder is the most arrogant sin a human being can commit because it requires the murderer to usurp God’s right to determine the lifespan of another person. Murder sets a human being in the place of God. In Genesis 9:5 God says, “For your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. . . . From each human being . . . I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.” Those who willingly participate in an abortion must answer to the Creator of that life.

However, abortion is not the unpardonable sin. When Jesus offered Himself on the cross in our place, abortion was among the sins He suffered for. He took murder, rape, incest, and abortion upon Himself and paid the price we owe God (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we come to Jesus in faith, confessing our sin and turning away from it, God offers a full pardon. He considers His Son’s death and resurrection as sufficient payment for violating His commands. But He also does not take that payment lightly. Forgiveness does not offer us an excuse to continue heaping sin upon His Son’s shoulders (Romans 6:1–6).

Even when the sin of abortion has been washed away by the blood of Jesus, the effects remain. Women who have had abortions often suffer years of shame and regret. Some have fertility problems later on, caused by violating their bodies in the unnatural act of tearing a growing fetus from its mother’s womb. Many women who have had abortions live every day with the knowledge of what they have done and are haunted by thoughts such as, “He would be six years old today,” or “She would have graduated high school this year.” Those who naturally miscarry have some of those same thoughts, but they come without the guilt and regret abortion brings.

Abortion can seem like a quick and easy solution to the problem of an unplanned pregnancy. But sin is never the best way. Never. Sin has eternal repercussions that it never advertises up front. Sin costs more than we want to pay and hurts more than we thought it would. You should not have an abortion because you and your baby deserve better than that. Seek God’s answers instead.

What does the Bible say about abortion?

The Bible never specifically addresses the issue of abortion. However, there are numerous teachings in Scripture that make it abundantly clear what God’s view of abortion is. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows us before He forms us in the womb. Psalm 139:13-16 speaks of God’s active role in our creation and formation in the womb. Exodus 21:22-25 prescribes the same penalty—death—for someone who causes the death of a baby in the womb as for someone who commits murder. This clearly indicates that God considers a baby in the womb to be as human as a full-grown adult. For the Christian, abortion is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose. It is a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6).

The first argument that always arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about cases of rape and/or incest?” As horrible as it would be to become pregnant as a result of rape and/or incest, is the murder of a baby the answer? Two wrongs do not make a right. The child who is a result of rape/incest could be given in adoption to a loving family unable to have children on their own, or the child could be raised by its mother. Again, the baby is completely innocent and should not be punished for the evil acts of its father.

The second argument that usually arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about when the life of the mother is at risk?” Honestly, this is the most difficult question to answer on the issue of abortion. First, let’s remember that this situation is the reason behind less than one-tenth of one percent of the abortions done in the world today. Far more women have an abortion for convenience than women who have an abortion to save their own lives. Second, let’s remember that God is a God of miracles. He can preserve the life of a mother and a child despite all the medical odds being against it. Ultimately, though, this question can only be decided between a husband, wife, and God. Any couple facing this extremely difficult situation should pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) as to what He would have them to do.

Over 95 percent of the abortions performed today involve women who simply do not want to have a baby. Less than 5 percent of abortions are for the reasons of rape, incest, or the mother’s health at risk. Even in the more difficult 5 percent of instances, abortion should never be the first option. The life of a human being in the womb is worth every effort to allow the child to be born.

For those who have had an abortion, remember that the sin of abortion is no less forgivable than any other sin. Through faith in Christ, all sins can be forgiven (John 3:16; Romans 8:1; Colossians 1:14). A woman who has had an abortion, a man who has encouraged an abortion, or even a doctor who has performed one—can all be forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ.