Choosing Life – the Truth about Abortion

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

Some forty odd years ago, somewhere in the heart of Africa, a young lady in high school attempts an abortion but is unsuccessful. The baby survives. This baby boy would be looked after by his grandmother while the mother continues with her education. He would go on to attend the university and some years after that become a passionate preacher of the Word of God.

Around 73 million induced abortions take place worldwide each year. Six out of 10 (61%) of all unintended pregnancies, and 3 out of 10 (29%) of all pregnancies, end in induced abortion.  Around 45% of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97% take place in developing countries.

The core issues in a discussion on Pro-life or Pro-choice are mainly as follows:

1. The identity of the child
2. The choice of the pregnant woman
3. The alternatives available to the woman

Identity of the child

The question of when life begins can be answered both from a scientific point of view and also from a Biblical point of view. Dr. Alfred Bongioanni, professor of Obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania stated, “ I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty is not a human being. This is human life at every stage”.[1]

Biblically we know that God takes a keen interest in life from conception. Psalm 139: 13 -16 tell us

”You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed”. 

God, in speaking to Jeremiah the prophet spoke these startling words: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NLT.

The statements above boldly erase the argument that life does not start till after four months of conception etc.

The choice of the pregnant woman

Some women contend that pro-life activists are concerned only about the welfare of the baby to the neglect of the woman’s welfare but this is not true. Women who have aborted babies do not easily get over the experience. A cry of a baby can remind them of the foetus they strangled. Some have had to organize burial services for these babies, years after so they can grieve and heal. Some men who were the fathers of those babies don’t get over it either.

A pregnant woman, who is also a Christian must choose to honour God with her body. She must forgive herself and make a decision that honours God. This does not merely mean saying no to an abortion but also avoiding sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Alternatives available to the pregnant woman

In the genealogy of Jesus, we find a line of what some would consider as broken women. There’s Tamar who was raped by her half-brother Amnon, Rahab the prostitute and Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. Some of these women had children they could have aborted out of shame but didn’t. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, had an unplanned pregnancy (Matthew 1:3,5,6).

A pregnant woman who does not want to keep the child after birth because of the circumstances surrounding conception can decide to give the child up for adoption. That would include giving the child to an orphanage or to any family member or individual that would want to adopt the child.

Family members and society should support women who choose to carry through with their pregnancy rather than aborting their babies. In the eyes of God, there’s no illegitimate child. Thankfully the laws of some countries hold this view as well, with Ghana being one of them.[2]

The key to choosing life is found in Deuteronomy 30:20 “You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT

God’s grace

If you have ever had an abortion, know that God is gracious enough to forgive you only that you may live with the consequences of your actions. However, accepting God’s forgiveness is the first step in breaking free from guilt. After that you must also forgive yourself.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus.

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts and broken toys.

Give them all, give them all to Jesus.

And He will turn your sorrows into joy

Christy Lane

 

You may also want to read: https://floodlightdaily.org/are-you-filling-the-void/

The following resources are recommended if you want more information on the Pro- life debate.

Why pro-life? by Randy Alcorn is available on Amazon

She Found His Grace by Serena Dyksen is also available on Amazon

https://emerge.org/

If you live in Kenya, Pearls of Treasure is an organization dedicated to helping women who have ever aborted babies overcome post-abortive trauma.

In Ghana, the Family Based Care Alliance provides advocacy on adoption, foster care and family strengthening. You can contact them using the information below.

https://fabcagh.org/

info@fabcagh.org

[1] Why Pro-Life? P27

[2] Coleman v Shang [1959] Ghana Law Report