The Christian Perspective on Abortion

Live from the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City, Utah – this is HOTM – where we are learning together how to live in this Christian Age of Fulfillment – and I am your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion..

Personal Views vs. Biblical Authority

Show 7A
Abortion
Taped February 10th 2020
Aired February 16th 2020

I want to start tonight’s show off with some personal views which, by the way, are absolutely irrelevant to the subject at hand or to the things I teach. What I mean by this is my opinions are meaningless – unless they concord with the Bible and if the Bible doesn’t speak to an issue I am the first to admit that I am not the authority on things outside of it. Contrary to the views of people who do not appreciate me, I do NOT create doctrines that exist outside biblical support. But I will go contrary to how men have interpreted those supports, and I pray to God that I am in His will when I do.

So tonight we are going to begin to talk about . . . abortion – which has certainly been a hot topic over the course of the Christian history. Augustine, borrowing from Aristotle, considered abortion murder, but only after the woman felt the quickening of life, otherwise viewing the zygote as nothing more than a seed yet to become an actual plant. And of course, the myriad of views on the act have coursed over the earth before and ever since with the earliest recorded reference to the act dating back to 1500 BC.

Personal Experiences with Abortion

My personal opinion, again, just for your information, about abortion has always been the same – even since I was a sexually active teenager – and that is that I am against it once the baby has quickened in the womb and I am not so much for it before. And it's not that I have not been personally faced with the subject. Since I was a young teenager I have actually been faced with having to make the choice (with the sexual partner involved) about whether to abort a pregnancy or not on four separate occasions and without fail I have always stood for giving birth to the child – even when these decisions would have totally uprooted my life and the life of the mother at the time. To be frank, one of these situations occurred when I was a married man.

That being said, all four of the “assumed pregnancies” wound up being “false alarms,” but even when the girl involved was absolutely sure she was pregnant and I petitioned strongly for “her/us” to keep the child full term and to then decide then which course to pursue once it was born. Twice Mary and I have stepped in and offered to raise a child that was not wanted. Twice turned down. I tell you this to show that I have always stood firm (on my personal view) of abortion but they are not for reasons that you might think.

Those reasons include that I am convinced that no matter what a person has done in their life, a key to purposeful living is to face the facts of our failures – whether it be creating a child, robbing a bank or murdering someone. Own it, accept it – then do something with it for the good of others. To me if two people are willingly engaging in sexual relations I believe that the human thing to do is to stand up to the fallout from that choice no matter the personal cost.

I realize that this can be seen as pollyannish in this world, but I believe that when human beings step up responsibly in life for their actions God blesses them – and He blesses them abundantly. Godless humanists do not agree with me when it comes to God and this might be because they are looking for external ease where the blessings are often internal to the people involved – but whatever.

The Impact of Abortion on Men and Women

Secondly, I believe that abortion, generally speaking, benefits the men involved – (their wants and lives and plans) far more (when a pregnancy is unwanted) than the woman involved and that abortion does most of the harm to the woman – sometimes physically but most often emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Is this fair? Not at all. A man gets to have all the fun creating the child and the woman gets to bear all the guilt in destroying it. This is not fair at all – but it is an unfortunate reality in our society.

Men's Responsibility in Abortion

the toll it takes on women. Therefore I think men are the real beneficiaries of abortion – and if anything needs to change relative to the act it has to be this.

I have a real heart for the plight of women in relation to the ways of men, probably because of the damage I have done to women in my life and the fact I have three daughters, but in my estimation if any man inserts himself into any woman he is fully responsible for the results of that insertion – and that means fully responsible in the most loving and supportive ways possible – all factors considered – with loving being defined as what is MOST selfless, not what is most convenient or painless, for those involved. Perhaps men ought to be hit with an abortion tax – like a dead child support – if he encourages a woman to abort a child that he creates. Something like that with the point being the act is far to convenient for a man and his participation in creating a need for one.

The Impact of Convenience

Its obvious that I am not personally a fan of “convenience” in the human experience – especially when it comes to doing things that circumvent pain what is used by God for “positive” personal growth in human beings, and abortion falls directly in the category of convenience to me. Finally, with regard to my personal views, I also proffer an opinion that I cannot substantiate scientifically, but I wonder if there is a correlation between obesity in women and abortion.

I’m not sure its physiological or if it is psychologically driven but I wonder about this because of all the women I have known who that have had abortions over the years – especially multiple abortions – every single one of them are now obese in their later years starting in their thirties. This is NOT to say all obese women have had abortions – not at all – but I personally find a strange correlation in my life between the two in women that I have personally known and met. Perhaps this is part of the emotional toll I think abortion has on most females. So, for what its worth, those are my personal views – and experiences – with abortion.

Considering God's Perspective

You will note that I did not mention God in those views. Or what people claim he says on the subject. Anyone who believes in God and is the least bit reasonable knows that the creative process that goes on inside a woman is God-given, absolutely amazing and a wonderful event. The pictures and illustrations of what is happening in the womb even from the get-go dazzles the mind.

It stands to reason then that abortion would not appear to be at the top of God’s list for things he wants his creations or His children to do. That’s basic math, right? So basic that I don’t think God needs to be part of the conversation because the same God who does not enjoy his creations aborting children does not enjoy his creations killing each other in war, does not enjoy his creations gossiping about others, and does not enjoy people getting addicted to substances, does not enjoy people using his creation as a garbage pail and on and on and on.

If we could do EVERYTHING that God desires of us, we would have no reason for a savior, would we? Nevertheless, God created this world, full well knowing that His creations would choose to terminate pregnancies – going way, way, way back into human history – and still loved the world so much that He sent His Son to fix it all. So to me, bringing God into the conversation is a double edged sword – on the one hand He probably doesn’t appreciate abortion very much, but on the other hand, what does He appreciate about His creations when we make decisions that are fleshly based?

It’s really easy to take God and use Him on a case by case basis. But try and consider Him and His views on the macro level too – what he is thinking in the big picture, and not just the individual sins we all commit everyday. That adds some perspective to things like abortion that might not otherwise be included.

Additionally, we might also wonder out loud why the Creator would not think abortion is good? From the Evangelical perspective abortion evil is mostly focused on protecting the zygote (or baby) involved, but perhaps God is more against it because of the toll it takes on women.

Understanding Compassion in an Imperfect World

The damage it can do to the participant parents?

God is love. He wants what’s best for all of us. And therefore we intrinsically know, in our hearts, what is of Him and what is Not.

I mean, I don’t think that there are very many people out there – atheist, Christian, Muslim, whatever – that relish in the idea or act of abortion. I doubt very much that statistically speaking there is more than 1 to 5% of women who do not take abortion very seriously, who do not fret over it, who do not know that there is something “offputting” about it, and who do not live with the guilt or shame of doing it once it is done. Sure, there are those people who have allowed themselves to see abortion as meaningless an act as having a wart removed, but in reality, and in the scope of the general populace, I think that the decision to have an abortion is brutal for most people on earth – especially the women.

A New Perspective on Addressing Sin

So I think it’s important for those people who feel the need to picket abortion clinics and the like to take a step back and realize that they are preaching to a pregnant choir. To me, there has to be a better way to address things in this age as Christians than choosing to parade and picket abortion clinics, and gay pride parades, and all the rest. I mean who has the right to cast the first stone – really? The more we as Christians understand that we live in an age where God has through His Son, overcome and reconciled the world to himself.

He has had victory over sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. for all, paving the way for all to live as they please, and to reap what they have sown. To me, Christians ought to see a person’s choice to abort a child similar to the choice people made to crucify Christ – the innocent one put to death – knowing that such an act of barbarism served to bring some of the offenders to their knees. We forget this as Christians – that the things our flesh is willing to do are often the very things that bring our hearts to God in contrition.

Instead of seeing this, old age religionists want to police and sanitize the world of sin – when sin is the very thing that causes people to convert! The Holy Spirit is drawing all people to Him, and this drawing includes helping people to make choices based on Agape loveSelfless love marked by patience, mercy, and humility—central to living in spiritual liberty. rather than choices related to selfish convenience. The Bible explains this plainly and the Spirit ratifies it in our hearts. All of our hearts of those who are seeking and or wanting to hear.

For those who do not want to hear, there is an approach to them that Christ set up that makes perfect sense in the realms of this world, the flesh, freedom and conversion: Christians are to love others – we are to embrace them where they are and as they are, never condemning, and offering those who are seeking solutions to their pain the only one that lasts (beat) Him.

Imagine a world where we slowly eradicate things like crime, and abortion, and substance abuse, and all the rest. And in this world, we all remain the same human beings. Imagine the result if we eliminated the faults and sins of others. What would happen? We would begin to criticize and attack minor imperfections of each other – women who wear too much make-up, men who are too heavy, people who look differently or dress differently than others.

Embracing Humanity's Imperfections

See it is in the deplorable failures of human beings where people are allowed and given the opportunity to really love. And this is part of the age in which we live. Moral rectification of the world, and putting an end to dastardly deeds is a slippery slope – and has never been possible. We need our humanity – with all of its failures – to help US love those who do what is harmful, and dangerous, and unkind to others and themselves. Understanding this will enable Christians to see this life and this world through the eyes of our King – who said nothing, did nothing, did not even comment on things like abortion.

Nevertheless, religionists, ever so caught up in the zeal of saving the world from itself, and using God to do it, has taken the exact route that will accomplish nothing but giving true Christianity, and Christ, a

Abortion: A Complex Intersection of Politics, Life, and Choice

Hand in hand with this decision comes politics – because abortion is truly a political issue – and hand in hand with politics comes immediate division, and the solution to abortion, and the possible prevention of abortion is completely lost. It is interesting to me that the stance to support the right to have an abortion which many Christians war against, is called pro-choice and that the Christian response to pro-choice is called, “pro-life.”

Biblical Perspectives on Choice and Life

Going back to the Garden of Eden, both positions were present with Adam and Eve. The first was the pro-life position that God gave them telling them what to do in the garden – how to live – and how to keep on living. And he told them in the day you eat of that tree you will surely die. That was a pro-life proposition God gave our first parents. But then He gave them the CHOICE, didn’t He? He gave them the choice to abort life in the garden – and he let them take it.

God is both pro-life and pro-choice. And both stances are of Him. Christians have failed to see this fact and instead have made the decision to try and mandate righteousness – something even God didn’t do in the beginning. When will we wake up as a people who love life and God and goodness and see that choice is the ultimate form of goodness, and to try and eliminate it from the world scene politically or any other way is not in harmony with the system God himself established from the beginning.

Scriptures Often Used in the Abortion Debate

This is not an endorsement for abortion – it’s a petition for believers to live their lives as they see fit before their God and to be there for those who live their lives without Him . . . who choose wrongly yet receive our unconditional love none the less. Getting into the biblical supports to prove abortion is wrong, one of the big passages of scripture Christians use to prove God is against abortion (because it is the taking of a life) is found in Exodus 21:22-25 which says

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

It is the line, “then thou shalt give life for life” that they say proves the fruit of the woman’s womb is a life and therefore abortion is taking human life, which is against God. No question. The setting God gives is two men are in a physical battle and the pregnant wife gets involved somehow and is hurt – to the point that she loses the fruit of her womb.

But, let’s think – when would a woman know in that day when there was a fruit in her womb? Two ways – when she shows and more importantly when she feels the child quicken – which was the Jews definition of when life enters the embryo. And generally speaking women don’t feel a quickening until the 16th week – which is around four months. So the context of this passage clearly suggests that the woman would have to be at least 3 or 4 months into the pregnancy for the life for life rule to be in effect – because it is probable a woman wouldn’t know she was pregnant before.

And this wipes right off the table all the rigamarole about first trimester abortion. Again, I am not for it. But the Bible does NOT say that all stages of pregnancy are equal to human life. That is a misappropriation of the text.

Jeremiah 1:5 is another favorite, where God says to that prophet:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you a prophet.”

Some suggest that this is proof that God has a plan for every person on earth (because He said this to Jeremiah) and therefore we are interfering with God’s plan for these baby’s that are aborted. But again, this is hijacking the verse and using it to

God's View and Human Life

Explain God’s view of everyone on earth instead of what the context suggests – that God knew of Jeremiah and what He was going to have Him be and do. We have to stay with this definition because if we don’t the LDS jump in on the bandwagon and use Jeremiah 1:5 to describe their unique view of the pre-mortal existence – which is another manipulation of scripture.

Finally, there is Psalm 139:13 where David wrote:

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Who can disagree? The gestational stages in the womb are magnificent, wondrous, and one of the best evidences of a creator in my estimation – but this is not a passage that says anything about abortion. People derive their stances from the passages, but truth be told, David is glorifying the God who was mindful of Him and his creation and it says not much more.

Reflection on Human Sinfulness

We are also reminded of Psalm 51:5, where David also admits:

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Could we go so far as to think that to abort sinful babies we do the will of God? What does the Calvinist, who thinks we are all totally depraved and all deserving of death, have to say about abortion? The same Calvinists whose leader once said:

"There are babies a span long in hell." Then every newborn is as wicked as the Devil himself. Newborns that die are lost. God failed to provide instructions on how newborns can be saved. God will condemn to hell a newborn for someone else's sin and something it didn't do.”

Faith, Love, and the Human Condition

I don’t pretend to know the answers to all of this – all I can say is that human beings are sinful creatures, God loved the world that is full of them, and he sent his son to save us – abortions and not. In the age of fulfillment, we look to the solution of every situation in faith and love, not the situations themselves because in this world they will never be solved.

Hey write your thoughts below so that we can talk about them tomorrow night, Here on Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology.!