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Christian Stance on Abortion – Part 3 Dilemmas
- Part 1 Terms
- Part 2 Human or Not
- Part 3 Dilemmas
- Part 4 Compromise, Church, Conclusion
Part 3 — Dilemmas
You might have heard at least one of the ‘what ifs’. What if the girl gets pregnant after being raped, what if the girl is still studying, what if the lady is a bit old. Many ‘what ifs’, and today I am going to discuss two ‘what ifs’ that might actually occur.
Introduction
We have already seen in the previous episodes that the unborn needs to be considered as human-being from conception. I have given three premises from which this conclusion needs to be drawn. These premises are so basic that most can understand it. Those who ignore these premises are either scientifically, morally or legally unknowing, that’s a fancy word for dumb.
Also, Christians who ignore God’s clear involvement with the unborn, can only do so when they actively change the meaning of the Bible. There is no way they can come to the same conclusion when they apply good hermeneutics, that is, good interpretation of the Bible.
In any case, do watch the previous episodes if you want to understand the whole picture I am trying to set forth. You’ll find a link to the playlist in the description of this video.
Dilemmas
Serious Sick Mother
What if, for example, a lady gets serious complications during pregnancy and her life is at stake? Here we, as Christians, have a problem that cannot be solved without compromising and thus adopting a more liberal stance.1 Treatment of the mother is most important since the unborn is depending on her and will also die when she dies. Sometimes mothers are advised to get a ‘therapeutic’ abortion because treatments (e.g. chemotherapy) could potentially harm or kill the unborn and to improve the mother’s changes. Yet, recent studies showed that the risks are not as big as one would expect, also women who carried to term had more change to survive their disease.2 Medical treatment should aim at rescuing both lives, However, if this fails, and if the unborn dies, it is unintentionally and along these lines not morally wrong.3 Despite all this, abortion to save the mother’s life does probably not, strictly medically spoken, exist. Although it sounds ‘noble and pure’ to those who recommend abortion, in reality it is, to say it with the words of Sloan and Hartz, a ‘real stretch of our thinking.’4
Raped and Pregnant
Another dilemma could be that a young girl becomes pregnant after rape. In the UK, raped women can ask for treatment in several forms—some of which include treatment to cut off a possible pregnancy.5 But when we say that the right to life is inalienable, we cannot agree with treatments that intentionally kills the embryo. Understandably so, the raped woman will have horrible emotions, but emotions cannot be accounted for good moral decisions. Bad does not become good when we feel like it. Geisler puts it like this: If morality ‘can mean anything for anyone, then it means nothing for everyone.’6
Human-Rights
The basic content of these problems evolve around the most important question: Do we acknowledge the unborn as human or not. You see, even when the unborn will be harmed by treatments or is malformed in any other way, we cannot deny the unborn the basic human-right, which is life. So, when a certain treatment cannot wait and needs to be done, a doctor cannot just suggest terminating the pregnancy as a precaution. Doing so, is, as mentioned in part 2 of this series, scientifically, morally and legally wrong. Now, many may argue that that last premise doesn’t count. They might argue that abortion is legal in many countries and as such the doctor wouldn’t be handling illegal. Be that as it may, the mere fact that ungodly politicians say that something like abortion is okay, doesn’t make it okay! Even when earthly judges rule that it is fine, we as Christians, and thank God, with us many who have their brains switched on, cannot accept that law. For this, I would like to point to my last video on Romans 13:1-7. You’ll find the link in the description.
Human life begins at fertilization, and it is absolutely wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings. We must stand true to these foundational principles through every emotional appeal and in every tragic scenario if we are to have any principles at all for which to stand.7
End-Note
In part 4 I want to make a case for a rather controversial position in the debate, namely an approach that compromises on the ideals in the Christian world-view… Doesn’t that sound like a nice starter-upper for a discussion. But please hear me out first, before you start to shout at me.
Also, depending on the length of that article, I would talk a little about our attitude in this debate. I know it is a matter of freedom to some, while others suggest we’re talking about murder. These discussions are bound to end up with cold hearts and heated heads. Anyway, let’s talk about a little more next time.
God bless you!
Bibliography
↑ 6 Geisler, N. L., ‘Can Atheists Justify Being Good Without God?’, Articles by Dr. Geisler website (2 July 2021, http://normangeisler.com/can-atheists-justify-being-good-without-god/).
↑ 1 Geisler, N. L., Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues and Options, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010, p. 20.
↑ 2 Hoskins, W. J., Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology, 4th ed., Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Lipkins, 2005, pp. 166-167. SEE ALSO: Choi, D. X. and Morrow, M., ‘Breast Cancer: Treatments of Uncommon Diseases,’ in M. J. Dixxon (ed.), Breast Surgery: A Companion to Specialist Surgical Practice, 5th ed., Elsevier Limited, 2014.
↑ 3 ↑ 7 Prolifephysicians.org, ‘Are There Rare Cases When an Abortion Is Justified? Official position statement of the Association of Pro-Life Physicians’, The Association of Pro-Life Physicians website (2 July 2021, https://web.archive.org/web/20131126103951/http://www.prolifephysicians.org/ rarecases.htm).
See also: (2 July 2021, https://sites.google.com/site/abortioninformationfororthodox/cases-involving-the-mother-s-life).
↑ 4 Sloan, D. and Hartz, P., Choice: A Doctor’s Experience with the Abortion Dilemma: A Dedicated Compassionate Physician’s Forty-year Odyssey in the Service of Women Facing their most Fateful Choice, New York: International Publishers, 2002, pp. 46-47.
↑ 5 Victim Support, ‘Rape or sexual assault: information for women’, Victim Support website (2 July 2021, https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/P2063_06-Rape-and-sexual-assault_women-leaflet-PMS-268-12042021.pdf).
