Abortion

A person exists from the moment of conception, possessing inherent worth and human rights. This conviction comes from what Scripture teaches about the unborn and their God-given right to life from their earliest development.1

Biblical Evidence for Personhood

The Bible affirms that unborn children are persons from conception. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, “the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, … ‘Behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy’” (Luke 1:41–44).2

Wayne Grudem observes that Elizabeth, “under the influence of the Holy Spirit, calls the preborn child in the sixth month of pregnancy a ‘baby’ (Greek brephos, ‘baby, infant’). This is the same Greek word that is used for a child after it is born, as in Luke 2:16, where Jesus is called a ‘baby [brephos] lying in a manger.’ Elizabeth also says that the baby ‘leaped for joy,’ which attributes personal human activity to him.”3 The unborn child’s ability to respond with joy reflects human awareness and response even before birth.

God’s Creation of Life

Life begins at conception. The psalmist testifies, “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).4 This passage shows God’s direct involvement in forming each life, granting every human being equal worth and dignity before birth.

Legal Protection of the Unborn

Because Scripture recognizes personhood from conception, unborn children should receive the same legal protection as others in society.5 Several practical conclusions follow from this understanding:

  • Government funds should not be used to pay for abortions.
  • Government resources should not be used to promote abortions.
  • No person or healthcare worker should be compelled to participate in abortion procedures or to provide or dispense drugs that cause abortions.
  • No funding or support should be given to the creation of human embryos intended for destruction in medical research.6

References

  1. Luke 1:41–44 (ESV).

  2. Psalm 139:13 (ESV).

  3. Wayne A. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 158.

  4. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible, 160.

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