Abor…Murder for the Life of the Mother

Jump to Comments

You hear it all the time…

“I’m pro-life except….” And usually someone will finish that sentence with something dealing with the life of the mother. I believe it is at this point where many pro-lifers show their true colors. The manner in which we answer this objection tells us much about the way we ‘really’ view life, love, and faith. It is a question that is deeply emotional, and for many, a choice that is not merely hypothetical. However, we are not left to answer this question on our own.

Now I’ll admit, this issue is quite deep, but if we take a close look at what decisions we are actually making, I think we will see it is much clearer than we think.

First of all, we need to understand that the crux of this debate centers around what doctors would call “high-risk pregnancies.” These are pregnancies that a doctor believes will have a medical likelihood of ending in the harm of either one or both parties involved (the child, and the mother). The diagnosis of such pregnancies however is subjective and furthermore, it is made in the context of a culture that innately values independent human life over that which is dependent. Basically, these doctors are rarely “absolutely sure” about their diagnosis – for the simple fact that they are not sovereign over human life.

Secondly, as mentioned in a previous post, we must assume that the child who is said to endanger the mother’s life has an affirmative will to live. The implications of this understanding are deep and wide. Take the verse from John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” What is so great about that kind of love? It is that a man “[laid] down his life” of his own accord, on behalf of his friends. He sacrificed himself for his friends. HE made the decision to die. The difference in the case of high risk pregnancies is that the child has not made that decision – the decision is made for the child – and apart from concern for its will. Only the mother has the right to decide to lay down her life (if it came to it) for her child. But nowhere in Scripture do we find a framework that allows for a mother to kill her child to save herself. The ‘burden of proof’, if you will, lies with those who assume that “thou shalt not kill” does not apply to mother’s and their children (at least in these special cases).

Which brings me to my third point: Abortion does not cease to be murder because the mother comes into danger. Often I feel as if we take two giant leaps when we make such exceptions “for the life of the mother”. 1) We affirm (by our action) that some life is more important than other life, and 2) that the value placed on life is tied wholly to the ability to defend yourself. One either has to argue ’self defense’ – in that the mother is defending herself from her unborn child (which is highly questionable at its very foundation); or merely an exception to the prohibition against murder that just-so-happened to be in the will of God. Both of these fall far short of both simple logic, and a Christian understanding of morality. I’ll cite an example that I recently used in commenting on related blog post:

“Imagine that your foot is caught under a boulder and a grizzly bear suddenly comes charging toward us out of the forest. If instead of wresting your foot free from the rock, I immediately turn to run. But before I can get away you grab my foot, refusing to let go, and screaming for me to help you. Immediately, I pull out my gun and shoot you in the head. Now free from your grip, I run to safety.

On the other hand, let’s say the same thing happened, but as the bear charged towards us, you yell, “Run away brother! Save yourself.” What has changed? Simply put: consent.”

Is this a difficult topic to discuss? Yes. Is it emotionally charged? Very much so.

Like most ethical questions, abortion “in the case of the life of the mother” is one that must be handled with grace, but it must be handled in light of Scripture and not upon some political ideal of personal values or procreative liberty. God has not left us to ‘make up our own mind’ on this issue. We know how God feels about life. We know how God feels about sacrifice. We know how God feels about murder. But we also know that God is the Great Physician. He is our Abba, Father. He will never leave us or forsake us, even in decisions such as these that we feel may crush us.

As I close this post, I’d like for you to prayerfully consider these verses and the weight of glory they point us towards in the faithfulness of God:

Genesis 35:16-18:

“And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.”

In the days of Jacob and Rachel, every birth seemed to be a “high risk pregnancy”, and while delivering Benjamin (the 12th son of Jacob – of the eventual 12 tribes of Israel – and the tribe that King Saul and the Apostle Paul descended from – 1 Sam 9:21, Phil 3:5), Rachel died. Boy, I sure am glad that God is faithful, and that godly men and women of the past have trusted in His faithfulness – even and especially when it was difficult.

‘BH

13 Comments

Filed under Ethics, Life, Pro-Life, Religion, Scripture, Theology