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The purpose of this post is to address another common argument for abortion from pro-choice Christians.  Due to the inconsistencies in the pro-choice mentality, I recognize that not all pro-choice christians will agree with this argument and would join me in rejecting it, but it is still a common argument and worthy of being addressed.

There are many abortion advocates and pro-choice Christians who will argue that since the Bible doesn’t expressly condemn abortion, pro-lifers shouldn’t either.  This argument appears in various forms, but one popular wording is: “We should speak when the Bible speaks and be silent when the Bible is silent.”  I hope you see the many moral dilemmas this would leave us with.  Before we address such dilemmas, we need to identify the reasoning at work behind this argument.  It would seem that the distorted logic of this argument says “Because a particular behavior escapes mention in Scripture, it is therefore permissible” or even worse, “Whatever the Bible doesn’t condemn, it condones”.  So where does such reasoning leave us?  Should Christians refuse to associate with Invisible Children because Scripture doesn’t condemn child slavery?  Should we abandon our views on female circumcision because Scripture doesn’t mention it?  Should Christians propose enslaving African-Americans again so that they can have a more comfortable lifestyle?  After all, remember, Scripture doesn’t forbid slavery.  Should we refuse to have an opinion on nuclear warfare since the Bible is silent on the atom bomb?  Can we develop opinions on any modern advances in science such as cloning, genetically engineered babies (designer babies), fetal ovary transplantation, etc… if Scripture doesn’t prohibit such practices?  Clearly such reasoning is ludicrous and yet the argument from the Bible’s silence is still made.  Begin to use these questions and others to prove the flaws in this argument.

Since we know that the Bible’s alleged silence on abortion cannot be used to justify the  practice, we should instead ask, “Does Scripture treat the unborn as human?”  Keep that question in mind as you consider the following verses:

“…for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born” (Luke 1:15).

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name” (Isaiah 49:1).

“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

“From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Psalm 22:10).

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16).

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15).

“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.  But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21:22-25).

Since Scripture clearly treats the unborn as humans and also condemns the taking of innocent life without justification (Exodus 20:13, Exodus 23:7, Proverbs 6:17, Matthew 5:21), then it is impossible to be a pro-choice Christian while also affirming the authority, infallibility, and inherency of Scripture.  There is always more to say and there are plenty of other issues and objections that are brought up in relation to this argument and towards the Bible’s “unclear” position on abortion.  I will not address those at length now, but would be happy to say more if anyone is dealing with problematic arguments for abortion from Christian friends.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

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