The Bible repeatedly makes it clear that God has a plan for each and every life—every unborn child has value and worth from the moment of conception. This truth leads many Christians to become staunch opponents of abortion.
In the Old Testament, injuring an unborn child was a crime just as it was if one was to injure the mother. Exodus 21:22-24 says:
“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.…But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
This passage is often distorted by pro-choice activists who claim it justifies abortion, however, such a reading is clearly wrong and completely contradictory to the truth.[1] The statute instead sets the standard that life in the womb is protected as valuable—if someone were to cause a miscarriage they would be fully culpable for the infant’s death. Not only this, but the injunction also extends to protecting the health of the mother too as well as the child carried by her.
Along these lines, Louisiana has passed a law putting up more barriers to restrict (and eventually stop) abortion providers from being able to operate. This specific law required that if an abortion clinic is to remain open they must have admitting privileges with a local hospital and that all procedures must take place there, instead of at a separate facility.[2] Thereby finally denying abortionists preferential treatment and forcing them to follow similar standards as outpatient doctors.[3]
Abortion doctors in Louisiana, however, don’t want to be held to any such standard and are vigorously protesting that law. So much so that the case has made it to the Supreme Court whose decision will determine whether the Louisiana law can stand.
Defending the pro-life law, 207 members of Congress have filed a brief with the Supreme Court. They reveal that routinely, “abortion clinics have a slew of health and safety violations documented” which the law seeks to address.[4] They also criticize the decision in Roe v. Wade, urging the need for Roe to be strongly, “reconsidered and, if appropriate, overruled.”[5] The Congressional brief also points to the subjective and contradictory rulings that have followed Roe, contributing to making it one of the most dangerous and deadly judicial actions in history.
What’s more is that since that 1973 decision medical science and technology has drastically advanced, meaning that Roe is also outdated and anti-science.[6] The medical and scientific basis for the Court’s decision in Roe have dramatically changed, and that old standard needs to be set aside. If the medical and scientific claims once made by abortion advocates have been overturned, then perhaps it’s time for Roe to follow suit.
However, while the Congressman can now point to new medical and scientific supporting their argument, the Bible has already led many to reach the right conclusion long ago. Theologians going back to the first century have opposed abortion, well before science finally started to catch up to the Scriptures.[7] Lord wiling, the Supreme Court will use the case concerning the Louisiana law to protect life and knock down Roe v. Wade.
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[1] John Piper, “The Misuse of Exodus 21:22–25 by Pro-Choice Advocates,” Desiring God (February 8, 1989), https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-misuse-of-exodus-21-22-25-by-pro-choice-advocates
[3] Josh Shepherd, “Louisiana Democrat Explains Why She’s Defending a Pro-Life Law Before the Supreme Court,” The Federalist (December 18, 2019), here.
[4] Brief Amici Curiae of 207 Members of Congress in Support of Respondent and Cross-Petitioner (January 2, 2020), 5, here.
[5] Brief Amici Curiae of 207 Members of Congress in Support of Respondent and Cross-Petitioner (January 2, 2020), 2, here.
[6] Jeanne Mancini, “March for Life: Science has Changed Since Roe v. Wade, Now Abortion Laws Must Change,” USA Today (January 18, 2019), here.
[7] “Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church's Constant Teaching,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (n.d.), http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/respect-for-unborn-human-life.cfm
