Is an abortion not wrong if it is done early?
Question:
Dear Minister,
I have a friend who is unmarried and recently found out she is expecting a child. The couple is quite scared and overwhelmed by the situation and so far I’m the only person they have shared the information with but they asked me to keep it confidential (They agreed I can reach out to a religious leader for some guidance). The individual has expressed her intention to get an abortion and we both acknowledge the teaching of the church is that abortion is a sin. The individual’s current rationale is that the sooner they decide to terminate the pregnancy, the less likely this will be a sin as the baby would not have developed yet.
I would appreciate it if you could please advise me on the correct way to handle this situation.
- Am I correct in thinking that terminating a confirmed pregnancy is sinful, however early this is done?
- Do I need to explicitly tell the individual not to get an abortion or is it sufficient to remind them of the teaching and let them decide for themselves?
- If the individual gets an abortion and this remains private, am I under any obligation to disclose this to the church?
- If I am not required to disclose this, how does this individual go about getting forgiveness for the sin they would have committed?
Thank you for your assistance.
Answer:
At exactly what point does she think a person becomes human? The Bible teaches that we are always human, from the point of our conception to the day of our death.
God created life and He should know when life begins. Consistently through the Scriptures, whenever a woman has conceived, the life in her womb is referred to as a child, a baby, a son, or a daughter. (See Genesis 25:21; Job 3:3, 16; Hosea 12:3; Luke 1:36, 41, 44). The terms for a child in the womb are exactly the same as the terms for a child after it is born. God makes no distinction between the born and the unborn child. From the Bible’s viewpoint, life begins at conception.
This lack of distinction between a child before its birth and after its birth is important. People become very upset when a child is killed. And few things could be worse than a parent who deliberately kills his or her own children. God teaches parents to love their children (Psalm 127:3-5; 128:3-5; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Titus 2:4). The murder of any human being is strictly forbidden (Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 6:16-17; Revelation 21:8; 22:15; Matthew 15:19-20; Romans 13:8-10). And the murder of an innocent child is specifically condemned (Matthew 2:16; Hosea 13:16; II Kings 8:12; Acts 7:19; Exodus 1:16-18; Genesis 9:2-6; Deuteronomy 27:25). If it is wrong to murder a child after its birth, then it must also be wrong to murder a child before its birth.
For this reason, abortion is wrong. It is an act of murder taken against an innocent person by the person's parents. Worse, it is done to cover up the fact that the child's parents had sinned by having sex outside of marriage and they don't want the embarrassment and inconvenience of a child.
When teaching others about the truth, kindness and gentleness are needed (Galatians 6:1), but so is clarity. The importance of teaching is giving people the opportunity to choose between right and wrong (Ezekiel 3:17-21). Just because you explain to someone what is the correct course in life, it doesn't mean the person will listen. See Does it please God when we preach and teach His Word?
If this person refuses to do what is right whether in deciding to abort her child or in continuing to commit fornication, you need to ask one or two others to help you talk to her about her sins. Even though Matthew 18:15-17 deals with a private sin between two Christians, it is a good way to deal with a sin that could be embarrassing to those involved. The goal is to get a person out of his sins with as few people knowing about it as possible. If the group cannot persuade the individual to leave her sins, then it needs to be brought to the attention of the entire church so that the church as a whole can seek to change the person. If that still doesn't work, then the church withdraws from the person.
Forgiveness does not come from the church, it comes from God (I John 1:9). However, forgiveness requires that a sinning Christian acknowledges his sins to God and that he changes his attitude and behavior in regard to sin (II Corinthians 7:9-11). The church's responsibility is to encourage the sinning Christian to change and live a righteous life.
