An Honest Look at Abortion and the Bible by Mick Michaels – Non-Fiction

Writer: Mick Michaels

Subject: An Honest Look at Abortion and the Bible

Link: MEWE / 17.05.2022 / Modern Christianity

An Honest Look at Abortion and the Bible

By now you’ve all heard about the possibility of the Scotis overturning Roe vs. Wade and there have been many posts on the subject of abortion. I myself have been back and forth on this subject over the years. I have spoken with many on all sides of the issues … Christian, atheist, Muslim, satanist, women, men, doctors, young, old, etc. The old saying of opinions are like assholes — everyone has one comes to mind.

Something I see some pro-lifers (especially christian pro-lifers) try to do is to argue that it is morally wrong to, “Kill an innocent child,” or that, “Life begins at conception,” or one of many other arguments they try to hold up as justification for their beliefs. So I’m just going to throw out some direct quotes from the bible and let you all make up your own minds. Yes, I’m opening up a can of worms (it isn’t the first time and I’ve got popcorn ready to sit back and watch the show). Here goes …

First, the bible never actually uses the word, “Abortion,” anywhere in the bible. But it does make lots of mention of killing children. Here are just a small sampling of biblical commandments or threats to kill children  …

• Numbers 31:17: — Now therefore kill every male among the little ones.
• Deuteronomy 2:34: — Utterly destroyed the men and the women and the little ones.
• Deuteronomy 28:53: — And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters.
• I Samuel 15:3: — Slay both man and woman, infant and suckling.
• 2 Kings 8:12: — Dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
• 2 Kings 15:16: — All the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
• Isaiah 13:16: — Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished.
• Isaiah 13:18: — They shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.
• Lamentations 2:20: — Shall the women eat their fruit, and children.
• Ezekiel 9:6: — Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children.
• Hosea 9:14: — Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
• Hosea 13:16: — Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

It seems that one could easily argue that the teachings and contradictions of the bible show that antiabortionists do not have a, “Scriptural base,” for their claim that their deity is, “Pro-life.”

So what about, “Life”? Where does it begin?

• Genesis 2:7 says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

This seems to indicate the life doesn’t begin until a fetus exits the womb and can breathe on its own. Granted, thanks to modern science, the number of weeks of development needed for this to happen has been shortened from the traditional nine months, but it is nowhere near the point of conception. So that argument doesn’t seem to have a biblical basis either (or there is at least contradictory passages within the bible).

And finally, the question of is the life of a fetus considered of equal value to that of a human living outside the womb?

The most obvious passage is from Exodus 21:22-25. This part of the Covenant Code legislates the case of a pregnant woman who becomes involved in a brawl between two men and has a miscarriage. A distinction is then made between the penalty that is to be exacted for the loss of the fetus and injury to the woman. For the fetus, a fine is paid as determined by the husband and the judges. However, if the woman is injured or dies, “Lex talionis” is applied — life for life, eye for eye, etc — the story has somewhat limited application to the current abortion debate since it deals with accidental and not willful pregnancy termination. Even so, the distinction made between the woman and the fetus is important. The woman is valued as a person under the covenant; the, “Fetus is valued as property. Its status is certainly inferior to that of the woman.” This passage gives no support to the parity argument that gives equal religious and moral worth to woman and fetus.

Read that last part again, “Fetus valued as property.”

Hmmmm, one could easily argue that as, “Property,” then it should be left up to the owner of such property as to what happens to the property while it is in the owner’s possession. I will venture to say that having a fetus inside of your body certainly makes you the, “Owner,” of said fetus. I’ll let you take it from here …