Answering Pro-Abortion Objections

It should be clear at the beginning that I will be arguing from the premise that on scientific, biblical, and logical grounds: life begins at conception. At the moment of conception, you and I came into existence.

(for more on this, see the bottom of the article)

“What about Ectopic Pregnancy?“

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the tiny human implants in the fallopian tube or in some other location other than the uterus. A mother facing a tubal pregnancy risks imminent rupture of the fallopian tube, and thus, there exists a danger to the lives of both the mother and the child. The child will not survive if left in the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancies occur in about 0.5 to 1.5 percent of all first-trimester pregnancies. 

The two main options for resolving ectopic are:

• Surgery -where the baby is removed. The result is death for the baby and sometimes the mother may lose the Fallopian tube as well, which will hinder future pregnancies. 

“Laparotomy should be reserved for patients who present with rupture and are in a state of hypovolaemic shock and compromise. If the contralateral tube is healthy, the preferred option is salpingectomy, where the entire Fallopian tube, or the affected segment containing the ectopic gestation, is removed. A salpingostomy is the removal of the ectopic pregnancy, by dissecting it out of the tube, leaving the Fallopian tube in situ in an attempt to preserve fertility on that side”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3213855/

• Medication -where the baby’s cells are stopped from duplicating. The result is death for the baby and the Fallopian tube is spared. 

“The most common drug used to treat ectopic pregnancy is methotrexate. This drug stops cells from growing, which ends the pregnancy. The pregnancy then is absorbed by the body over 4–6 weeks. This does not require the removal of the fallopian tube.” (ACOG) The success rate of resolving ectopic pregnancy is around 70% and the mother’s reproductive organs are saved for future childbearing. 

As Christians, should we be okay with both or one of these procedures? 

One can look at it this way.

1. The death of the child is not the direct intention of the procedure. It is the removal of the fallopian tube that saves the life of the mother, not directly causing the intentional death of the child. The death of the child is a sad result.
2. The death of the child is not willed and would be avoided if at all possible—if, for example, re-implantation in the womb was a reasonable alternative.
3. The life of the mother is, of course, equal to the life of the child.

Removing the baby with surgery or a drug is not intentional murder. Although for myself, I lean more towards surgery always being the option instead of a drug that directly kills the child. It is a sad result of a complicated situation. If nothing is done to resolve the situation, the baby will certainly die if left in the fallopian tube, and the mother may die. For the sake of wanting to save at least one life, intervention is necessary. 

The re-implantation of the baby into the uterus is one option the medical community needs to explore because this would give the baby at least a chance. We come from a place of considering both human lives, the mother and the baby because they are equal, and this is right. But honestly, we can discuss ectopic pregnancy and still say 100% of all intentional abortions are murder and should be criminalized. The issue of ectopic pregnancy should be kept separate because it is different. This conversation about ectopic pregnancy can continue without abortion staying legal. There needs to be more research done; so that more options to help the mother and baby in such a complex situation are available. 

“What about in the case of rape?“

Rape is evil. 

In the case of rape, we have three people involved: the mother, the baby, and the rapist. Which one of these three people is guilty and should receive the death penalty?

The mother? 

No, she is a victim of crime. 

The baby?

No, he is innocent and shouldn’t pay for the crimes of his father.

The rapist?

Yes! He is guilty of a hideous crime and justice demands a penalty. If someone is going to die, let it be the rapist.

“But the mother will go through emotional pain carrying that child.”

Yes perhaps, but we should come alongside that mother and offer comfort, help, and support. What child deserves death because of how it was conceived? Encouraging the mother to murder her child is not going to heal her pain, it will make her a murderer. We do not fix crime with crime. Christ offers much healing and hope to women found in the most grievous situations. There are many stories of women who did not murder their child, and that child brought healing to them from their painful experience. I have never heard of any that regretted keeping their baby. 

Adoption is an option for those mothers as well.

“What if the baby has a disability?“

We do not get to murder people just because they are born different than us. This is evil. We are not God. We do not get to decide who lives or dies because of disability. If we find that a child in utero has a disability and will not live long after birth, we still do not get to murder that child. Bring to birth that child, hold him and love him until natural death. 

“What if the mother can’t afford another child?“

For starters, we don’t offer murder as an option. We offer financial support and help. It’s that simple. The child does not deserve death. 

“What if for the life of the mother?”

Thankfully today we have what’s called emergency C-sections. For life-threatening situations like placenta abruption, pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure, sepsis, etc. We can simply deliver the child early via CS in an attempt to save both lives. Roe being overturned doesn’t affect any of these medical emergency procedures, so please don’t believe these lies going around. 

“What about the 11yr old girl who was abused?“

A horrible, terrifying situation to be sure. So wicked and painful. Again, we must be reminded that the two people we have before us must be cared for: the young girl and the unborn child in her womb. Murdering one of them is still wrong. Letting the unborn child grow until it can be delivered early by CS is a very valid option. Along the way, love, care, and comfort the young girl. 

“What if the woman’s career is at stake?“

We don’t get to murder other humans because they may get in our way of what we want. One must take responsibility for the action that leads to pregnancy and repent of their selfishness. 

“But it’s my body and no one has the right to use it against my will.“

Yes, this is true. When it comes to your body, no one has a right to it without your consent. No one is required to give up a kidney to someone else in order to save their life; nor would it be considered murder if they don’t. The differences between giving up a kidney to a friend and your child using your womb, are vast.

1. Your kidney was made for you and no one else. Kidneys are needed for your body to function and remain healthy. It would be kind of you to donate a kidney, but not morally required.
2. Your uterus was not made for you. The uterus has no other function in your body but to house, nourish, and sustain another human being. That is what it is there for. It is natural for a tiny human being to be in your womb. It’s not natural to put your kidney inside someone else’s body.
3. You are not morally required or responsible to another human being in the same way you are morally required and responsible for your OWN child. You are not required to clothe, house, and feed the children in your neighborhood. But you are required to clothe, house, and feed YOUR children. The child in your womb is your own flesh and blood. When you engage in a certain act, which is the only possible way for a child to be created, you must take responsibility for your actions. This is not hard to understand. Many will say, “Consent to sex is not consent to pregnancy.” Well, I’m not sorry to break this to ya, that’s not ultimately in your control my friend. God designed it this way and it is the means by which new humans are created. We don’t get to murder other humans just because we don’t like what God has created and called, “good”.

“The bible says life begins with breath.”

First, this is simply not true. Nowhere in scripture does it say this. When people make this comment, they are mostly thinking about Adam, so let’s go there.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7

Adam was formed from dust as an adult man. Lifeless and nothing but dirt. This is not the same as a child being formed in the womb. Cells are not dirt. They are forming, growing, and changing. The tiny human is receiving oxygen and nutrients through the placenta and umbilical cord. It’s true the tiny human is not yet using their lungs to receive oxygen, but they are receiving it another way until birth. This was not the state of Adam. He wasn’t formed by conception, he was formed as a full-grown adult.

A few things that need to be said,

• miscarriage is not abortion
• d & c is still available for missed miscarriage
• CS is still available
• women’s healthcare is still available

Life begins at conception.

“Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed… The combination of 23 chromosomes present in each pronucleus results in 46 chromosomes in the zygote. Thus the diploid number is restored and the embryonic genome is formed. The embryo now exists as a genetic unity.”

[O’Rahilly, Ronan and M�ller, Fabiola. Human Embryology & Teratology. 2nd edition. New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996, pp. 8, 29. 

“Zygote. This cell, formed by the union of an ovum and a sperm (Gr. zyg tos, yoked together), represents the beginning of a human being. The common expression ‘fertilized ovum’ refers to the zygote.”

[Moore, Keith L. and Persaud, T.V.N. Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology and Birth Defects. 4th edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1993, p. 1]

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.” Jeremiah 1:4-5

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,” Exo 21:22-23

“…he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” Luke 1:15

“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:” Luke 1:41

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psa 139:14

“Your hands have made me and fashioned me,…Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews…You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.” Job 10:8, 11-12