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Abortion and the Message of the Church: Sin or Salvation?
We
will call her Sandy. When the pregnancy occurred, she felt she dare not talk to
her parents who still considered her a "nice" girl. Her boyfriend insisted on an
abortion. Convinced this was the only thing that could save her from a painful
future, she consented.
Sandy writes: "I was wheeled into a small O. R. and right before the valium was
put into the I.V., I asked the Lord to forgive me and take me to heaven if I
died. You see, my spirit knew I was about to do something sinful, even if my
mind denied it. My spirit knew I was committing a grievous sin."
Was Sandy’s abortion her salvation from a difficult situation or a "grievous
sin"? What is the message of the Church?
The Message in History1
Orthodox scholar Alexander Webster writes, "It [abortion] is one of only several
moral issues on which not one dissenting opinion has ever been expressed by the
Church Fathers."2 Webster includes Western writers from the time of the Apostolic
Fathers up through those in the period of Gregory the Great, and the Eastern
Fathers during the entire Byzantine millennium (A.D. 330 to 1453). "Even a
cursory reading of the patristic literature reveals a relentless campaign
against the inhuman sin of abortion."3
The Didache commands, "Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion," and
then connects this with the second great command, "Love your neighbor as
yourself."4
The split between East and West did not affect the ecclesiastical teaching on
abortion. Both Rome and Constantinople warned against it. Unanimity was also
seen following the split caused by the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther
wrote, "For those who have no regard for pregnant women and who do not spare the
tender fruit are murderers and infanticides."5 Calvin concurred: "If it seems
more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s
house is his most secure place of refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more
atrocious to destroy the unborn in the womb before it has come to the light."6
In
this century noted leaders in the church have continued the admonition. Deitrich
Bonhoeffer: "Destruction in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to
live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question
whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to
confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a
human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of
his life. And that is nothing but murder."7
Karl Barth: "The unborn child is from the very first a child. It is still
developing and has no independent life. But it is a man and not a thing, nor a
mere part of the mother’s body ... He who destroys germinating life kills a man
... The fact that a definite NO must be the presupposition of further discussion
cannot be contested, least of all today."8
Helmut Thielicke: "The fetus has its own autonomous life, which, despite all its
reciprocal relationship to the maternal organism, is more than a mere part of
this organism and possesses a certain independence ... These elementary
biological facts should be sufficient to establish its status as a human being
... This makes it clear that here it is not a question -
as it is in the case of contraception -
whether the proffered gift can be responsibly accepted, but rather whether an
already bestowed gift can be spurned, whether one dares to brush aside the arm
of God after this arm has already been outstretched."9
The Message in God’s Word
Over the centuries the Church’s message has been clear. It is also clear that
the message was derived from God’s Word, especially that Word relating to the
doctrine of creation. If life is the work of God’s creating hands, then life has
intrinsic value, and therefore, destroying life, including unborn life, is a sin
against God.
In
the beginning, God was the creator of life. "So God created man in His own
image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them"
(Genesis 1:27). "In the image of God" distinguishes this life from, and raises
it above, all other life. Even though this image was lost in the Fall, human
life maintains its value because of its original lofty position. "Whoever sheds
the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has
God made man" (Genesis 9:6).
God’s role as the author and creator of life continues. "In His hand is the life
of every creature and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10). "He Himself gives
all men life and breath and everything else" (Acts 17:25). "Know that the LORD
Himself is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves" (Psalm 100:3).
God’s creating hands are at work from the very beginning. "For You formed my
inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb" (Psalm 139:13-16). "This
is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb" (Isaiah 44:24).
Therefore, because all life is from His hand, He abhors the shedding of innocent
blood. "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). He abhors the sacrifice of
children. "They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom
they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their
blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted
themselves. Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his
inheritance" (Psalm 108:36-40).
The Message in the Church Today
The message of the Church in history and the message of Scripture concur,
abortion is a sin. Only very recently has the message of the Church been,
"abortion is salvation," an acceptable way out of a difficult situation. That
message has been proclaimed loudly by the silent pastorate of the Church. "I
don’t preach about abortion. It is a political issue." "I don’t preach about
abortion. I don’t want to offend." "I don’t preach about abortion. I only
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus."
Abortion is never a mere political issue. The destruction of God’s gift of life
makes it a grave
theological issue. Yet, the silence of the Church and its shepherds cries out
that it is not. You may recall that God does not take kindly to those shepherds
who "dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious."
Failing to preach about abortion offends women more grievously than preaching
about it. If the sin of abortion is never mentioned, then the Gospel
- that Gospel pastors have been called to proclaim
- is never applied to that sin nor to those caught up
in the pain and guilt of an abortion. Instead, Satan whispers through the
silence, "This sin is so awful, even Jesus can’t forgive you." Surveys are
showing more and more that many women in abortion clinics really do not want to
be there. Not all women see abortion as a choice but rather the result of
feeling they have no choice. That’s the way it was for Sandy. She felt all she
would get from her parents was condemnation. Her church was silent. She felt
trapped and could only see one way out. Consequently, Sandy, and so many like
her, are coming away from abortion clinics with a deep sense of guilt and
hopelessness. The Church has the message of forgiveness and hope that can bring
healing.
Sin or Salvation?
Sandy did not find salvation from her problems through abortion. Rather, she
found a "grievous sin." Abortion is a sin against God, the Author of life. That
makes it a necessary part of the Church’s message. There are many Christians who
have had, or are contemplating having, an abortion. That makes it part of the
Church’s message. There are many Christian women who have had abortions and are
burdened with unbearable guilt. That makes it part of the Church’s message,
another opportunity to proclaim the hope of the Gospel of Jesus.
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