By Wayne Robbins
11/5/2024 (It is voting day, and this is what is on my mind)
In recent discussions surrounding abortion, a term often comes up—“safe abortion.” Proponents of abortion argue for a woman's right to a “safe abortion.” We should all take the time to examine the words of this phrase. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word safe means, “protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.” By this definition, a “safe abortion” would suggest that a child could be removed from the mother’s womb without harm or loss of life. But we know this is not what happens. The Oxford Dictionary defines abortion as “the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy.” The goal of an abortion is to end the life of the child, making it inherently unsafe for the unborn.
The term "safe abortion" is a contradiction. How can a procedure be considered “safe” when its primary purpose is to end a human life? The reality is that abortion, by definition, is not safe for the baby. The child’s life is deliberately terminated. If this logic were applied elsewhere, it would sound absurd—would we ever talk about “safe murders” or “safe executions”? Should we find comfort in the idea of a “safe murder” simply because the act was carried out in a way that sounds more pleasant? Of course not. Murder, by its very nature, is harmful and wrong, and so is abortion.
Abortion and the Shedding of Innocent Blood
The Bible doesn’t use the word abortion specifically, but it condemns the act through its consistent teaching on the value of life and the evil of shedding innocent blood. Scripture is clear on this matter. For example, in Proverbs 6:16-17, God lists the things He hates, and among them is “hands that shed innocent blood.” Abortion fits this description, as the most innocent of all humans—the unborn—are killed in the womb.
The Bible teaches that life begins in the womb and that every life is sacred, from conception onward. In Luke 1:41, 44, we read about John the Baptist while he was still in the womb: “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit...For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Here, the unborn child is referred to as a babe—a living being, capable of responding to the outside world.
God’s View of the Unborn
Throughout Scripture, we see that God knows and cares for us even before we are born. Psalm 139:13-16 beautifully describes how intimately God is involved in our creation: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” This passage shows that God views the unborn child as a unique and valuable person with a purpose and a future.
Isaiah 49:1, 5 reinforces this: “The Lord has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name...And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant...” God’s knowledge of and plan for each individual starts in the womb. Before we are even born, He knows us and has a purpose for us.
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Genesis 25:21-23 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. (22) But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. (23) And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."
Isaiah shows that God knows us in the womb because He created us in the womb: Isaiah 43:1“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” Isaiah 44:2 Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
The abortion clinics like to refer to what is inside of a mother's womb as a blob or mass, but the Bible refers to even a stillborn as “A child “. Job 3:16 “Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light?”
Abortion as Murder
Abortion is not just a personal choice—it is the taking of a life. The Bible unequivocally condemns murder. Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” Life is precious because we are made in God’s image. The command to protect life extends to the unborn as well. In Exodus 21:22-25, the law of Moses addresses harm to a pregnant woman, stating that if the unborn child dies, “then you shall give life for life.” This clearly shows that the unborn child’s life has value and that taking that life is considered murder.
The Golden Rule and the Value of Life
Jesus teaches us to live by what has been called the Golden Rule: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). This principle extends to the unborn. Would any of us want to have our life cut short before it even began? Abortion violates this principle by denying the most basic right to life.
Conclusion
We can change the terminology and try to make it sound nice and safe, but murder is never nice or safe. Abortion is wrong because it takes the life of an innocent child, and no euphemism like “safe abortion” can change that fact. God’s Word consistently upholds the value of life, from the moment of conception to our final breath. As followers of Christ, we are called to protect the innocent, speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and recognize that every life is a gift from God, made in His image.
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