- It’s not a life.
Even if one did not want to deal with the complications involved in the technical definition of “life,” an embryo is still a human being—it has human characteristics and it exists—thereby affording it the protection originally intended by the founding fathers when they drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence declares “human beings are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…” and “…that among these are Life…” An embryo, while in its infancy of personhood, can become nothing else except a human being, unlike other unspecialized cells, which differentiate from the initial embryo. From a Biblical perspective, God purposes life from the very beginning of its time in the womb, thereby affording it extra protection as one of God’s amazing creations. - It’s my right.
While the freedoms in a democracy allow incredible flexibility, one must realize the specific implications of what a democracy actually is. As Americans, we relinquish certain rights for the good of the whole and in order not to harm others. By allowing women to choose abortions, we are allowing one citizen’s decision to purposefully terminate the life of another. Also, Christian women surrender their rights to Christ, allowing Him the right to dictate their life’s direction. - Unwanted babies would just be abused.
Since 1973 and the legalization of abortion, occurrences of child abuse have actually risen substantially. Perhaps it is not unwanted children, but a degradation of the sanctity of human life among adults that is causing this increase. Also, thousands of loving couples desperately want to adopt a newborn into their home. With the onset of abortion, many of these couples are now looking overseas for children to bring into their lives. - I don’t want to care for a child with disabilities.
Diagnoses of infant deformities usually arise from the use of a sonogram or amniocentesis. While both are recognized as effective medical procedures, mistakes and misdiagnoses do occur. Of 33,000 women studied who were told their babies were deformed or crippled in some way, 174 birthed completely normal, healthy babies. Of the children who were aborted (43% of the 33,000), there is no way to tell how many children would have led normal lives if they had only been given the chance to live. - If we didn’t have legalized abortions, women would seek dangerous “back-alley” abortions.
Of the more than 1.3 million abortions that occur in the U.S., 40 out of 1000 of these procedures are still obtained illegally and under hazardous circumstances.
Joe Bob Mizzell retired from the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions in 2012. He was most recently the director of the Office of Christian Ethics & Chaplaincy Ministries. Previously, Joe served as pastor of Alberta Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa.
Latest posts by Joe Bob Mizzell (see all)
- What the Bible Has to Say About Gambling - January 8, 2014
- Sanctity of Human Life and Abortion - January 8, 2014
- Answers to Some Pro-Choice Arguments - January 8, 2014
