You’re Not the Woman!

by Calvin Schlabach

I was chided on social media by an old friend for my opposition to abortion. "You are not the woman!" she declared.

I thought I would share the response with you. I cited no Scripture because she demonstrated no concern for the Bible.

Of course, I am not. And you are not the unborn child. But those things have nothing to do with what is right or wrong. I must stand up for the defense of innocent life.

1. If the unborn child is just a part of its mother's body, let her dispose of it as she wishes as she would do with her fingernails or her hair (parts of her body).
2. If the unborn child is not a human being, then there should be no rules prohibiting the mother from removing it, just the same as she might dispose of a dandelion, a mosquito, or a sparrow.
3. But if the unborn child is a distinct, living person, then no one has the right to destroy it, not even the mother. She certainly is not free to destroy it after it has been born, and neither does she have a right to destroy that same child before it is born.
4. While it is still in the womb, the child has its own DNA, fingerprints, and blood type. Brain waves and heartbeat are also detectable well before the time of birth.
   1. Brain waves and heartbeat are what we use to determine that someone is alive rather than dead.
   2. DNA, fingerprints, and blood type are how we distinguish one person from another.
   3. Therefore, the objective criteria declare that the unborn child is a distinct, living human being.
5. Since the unborn child is a distinct human being, no one should kill it. And I must stand up for the defense of innocent life.