Christianity on Abortion
Generally speaking, abortion should not be encouraged and every effort should be made to support women through the pregnancy. Adoption is often encouraged as an alternative. There is diversity amongst Christians over such issues as when life begins. However, once life begins, that life is considered to be sacred (holy and precious) because God has created it and loves it. This is known as the sanctity of life. BUT many Christians argue that the quality of the foetus’s (and mother’s) future life should also be taken into account.
The Bible contains many passages which can be used to argue that abortion is wrong. These are mostly found in the Old Testament and therefore do not come directly from the teachings of Jesus. One of the 10 commandments given by God to Moses (recorded in the book of Exodus, chapter 20) states Thou Shalt Not Kill and this is often used to argue that abortion is sinful. Other passages suggest that all life is planned and therefore loved by God.
The Anglican Church teaches that abortion is a “great moral evil” with “very few exceptions”. However, under some circumstances, abortion may be “the lesser of two evils” e.g. if the woman has been raped, or the mother’s life is at risk. In such cases as these abortion may be considered morally permissible. There are no official Anglican teachings on when life begins so the question of when abortion is ‘murder’ is a little unclear.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the killing of an unborn child is morally wrong in all circumstances. The RC Church teaches that life begins at conception and therefore abortion is the murder of an innocent human being. Many Popes have spoken out against abortion and the catechism (2270) specifically forbids it. Furthermore, any person involved in an abortion will be automatically excommunicated.
Famous Christians such as Mother Teresa (Roman Catholic nun) and Joanna Jepsom (Anglican chaplain) have been outspoken on the issue of abortion. Rev. Jepsom took legal action to show that a late term abortion (28 weeks) had been unlawful because she did not agree that the baby (which had a cleft pallet) should count as ‘severely handicapped’. She argued that such views would mean that she and her brother (who has Down’s Syndrome) may well have been aborted. Mother Teresa used her acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 as an opportunity to speak out against abortion. She argued that it was a selfish action and showed a lack of love. She believed abortion is the worst crime as it is murder by the mother herself.
Biblical Teachings Bible passage “Thou Shalt not Kill” Exodus 20 “God created them in his image; male and female, he created them” Genesis 1 “Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. I have inscribed your name on the palms of my hands” Isaiah 49 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart” Jeremiah 1:5 “You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb…when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there. You saw me before I was born” Psalm 139
Meaning of Bible passage This is one of the 10 commandments. Christians still value the 10 commandments as these are amongst the oldest laws given by God to humans (around 4,000 yrs ago). Using this law, it could be argued that abortion is killing and therefore sinful. Worse still, in abortions the life hasn’t even begun and it is therefore a truly innocent life. This passage suggests that each individual life is sacred because God chose to create each life in his own image. It could also be used to argue that any disabilities etc are all reflections of God and cannot be considered flaws or mistakes. The prophet Isaiah claims that he was told this by God (i.e. it is God speaking). This passage is sometimes used to argue that life is so precious that God will never forget a child that has been aborted, even if the mother has the abortion feels no guilt or remorse. The prophet Jeremiah claims that he was told this by God (i.e. it is God speaking). The second passage is the Psalmist addressing God. The passages suggest that God knows each human that he creates and has a purpose for them in life. They can be used to argue that all humans, whether disabled or the product of rape, have had their whole life planned by God and have a purpose to fulfil. Furthermore, the Jeremiah passage suggests that God knows each person from the moment of – or even before – conception and can be used to support the claim that this is where life truly begins.
Official Church Teachings In 1980 the Church of England released this statement, “in the light of our conviction that the foetus has the right to live and develop as a member of the human family, we see abortion, the termination of that life by the act of man, as a great moral evil…the right of the innocent to life admits surely of few exceptions indeed”. While this statement does make it clear that abortion is not to be encouraged, it does accept that there are some circumstances under which it may be morally permissible. In 1984, an Anglican report developed this further by adding that “the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct [to be protected at all costs] if it endangers the life of the mother”. Many Anglicans believe that sometimes abortion may be the “lesser of two evils”. This phrase means that sometimes life presents us with two choices, both of which bring about or are caused by an evil. On those occasions, we must choose the action that brings about the lesser evil. This approach is officially applied by the Church of England in three circumstances: 1. In the case of rape 2. If the mother’s life is at risk 3. If the child will be born with a severe disability. In these situations some Anglicans also refer to the golden rule of Christianity, which is “Love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:33). They might ask, what is the most loving and compassionate thing to do in this situation?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the intentional termination of a pregnancy by abortion is a serious sin in all circumstances and never morally permissible. The current Pope, Benedict XVI, has said “Not all moral issues have the same weight as abortion. There may be legitimate diversity of opinion among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty but not…with regard to abortion”. Pope Paul VI said “You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb. Human life is sacred. All men must recognise that fact” (Humanae Vitae, 1968) The Second Vatican Council declared that “Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception; abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.” The Roman Catholic catechism (the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on a range of modern issues) clearly states in 2270 that “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the right of every innocent being to life.” Furthermore, catechism 2272 states that “formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave moral offence”, which can be used to argue that working as an abortionist is an immoral occupation.
Famous Christians Mother Teresa…
Rev. Joanna Jepsom… The Anglican vicar, Joanna Jepsom, was in the news in 2001 when she spoke out against a late term abortion (28 weeks) by a woman whose foetus had been tested and diagnosed with a cleft pallet. Jepsom herself had been born with a problem with her jaw that was only corrected in her teenage years after extensive surgery. In addition, Jepsom’s brother has Down’s Syndrome. She believes strongly that the law needs clarity on
what counts as a ‘severe handicap’ (in which case abortions are permitted after the normal 24 week limit). She argues that bringing up a disabled child develops the love and good will of the parents and is a way of showing AGAPE (the unselfish love that Jesus referred to when he said love thy neighbour). Jepson has said that "People only see the negative side of disability". Diagnosis of Down's Syndrome in the foetus is one of the most common reasons given for abortion of foetuses in the UK, and Jepsom, amongst others, have feared that screening for Down’s will lead to more abortions.