Grant Swank
September 22, 2008
Christians cannot be pro-choice
By Grant Swank

Christians cannot support murder, let alone murdering defenseless children in wombs.

Those who claim the term "Christian" and yet wear proudly Pro-Choice labels are liars — plain and simple.

A Christian is only one who lines up with the New Testament definition of Christian.

One does not simply call himself or herself Christian. One keeps the New Testament ethic of Christ, acknowledges Christ as Lord of life and seeks to follow the will of God in every aspect of life.

There are countless mortals who claim to be Christian because it's convenient, or culturally pleasing, or by habit or whatever. There are as many "reasons" for being termed Christian as there are people doing so.

However, it's what God accepts as Christian that counts — now and for eternity. According to the Bible, a Christian is one who keeps Christ's commandments.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments," Christ said.

All those who intentionally break His commandments can in no way claim under God to be Christian.

Christ is the Author of life. He sparks personhood when sperm and egg unite. He said that He "lights" everyone who comes into this world.

This Christ then intends for each life lit to continue passage through womb into the outside world. To slice that life into oblivion for the dumpster is murder.

Murder is sin. Murder is not condoned by the Christ of life.

Murder may be forgiven if the murderer is genuinely repentant, hearing Christ saying "Go and sin no more." However, continuing to do away with womb babies is killing human beings.

Killing womb infants cannot be condoned by Christ. Therefore, those who are Christians keep to Christ's moral code by defending womb children.

That is why Christians who are accepted by the God of the Bible cannot be pro-choice. Being Christian means being pro-life — always, regardless.

FOOTNOTE: THE BIBLE AND ABORTION

The Bible speaks of a fetus as a person, not simply tissue that can be discarded if found to be a bother or nuisance. Since the fetus is a person from the moment of conception, then the destroying of the fetus is killing a person. "In the past, some people have mistakenly speculated that perhaps the body might be in the process of formation for some time, and then 'God breathes a soul into it.' They had it backward. The life that is present forms matter into a body for itself' (Joseph Breig, "Life Forms Matter," The Catholic News, Jan. 24, 1974, p. 8).

"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk ... and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit" (Job 10:8-12 NIV).

"Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name...and now the LORD says — he who formed me in the womb to be his servant..." (Isaiah 49:1, 5).

"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations'" (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

In the following passages we note that personality is ascribed to the unborn.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:13-16).

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him" (Psalm 127:3).

Exodus 21:22-25 relates how Israel was to judge a circumstance relating to the death of the unborn:

"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."

All of the latter deals with unintentional hurt that comes to a pregnant woman; how much more will divine penalty come upon those who intentionally discard the fetus? The Gospel of Luke ascribes personality to the fetus within Elizabeth:

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit... As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy" (1:41, 44)..

Mere tissue does not leap for joy; only personhood leaps for joy. The Bible regards the fetus as having personality. In Galatians, Paul speaks of himself as a person while still in his mother's womb, but more a person consecrated by God for a holy mission (compare Jeremiah 1:5 for the same accent):

"But when God, who set me apart from birth, and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles..." (Gal. 1: 15-16).

Since the Bible regards the fetus as personality, then the aborting of the fetus is murdering personality.

Some verses from Scripture dealing with murder are then appropriate for study, such as Genesis 9:6: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man." Also, read Exodus 23:7: "Have nothing to do with a false charge, and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty." Note I Peter 4:15: "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer..."

If the Republic returned to the biblical definition of personhood, we would defend every womb child.

John Adams said the following:

"Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."

Andrew Jackson said the following:

"The BIBLE is the rock on which our Republic rests."

Daniel Webster:

"If we abide by the principles taught in the BIBLE, our country will go on prospering."

"For all the talk of freedom and self-determination, the abortion movement is at its heart a movement denying rights to a silent segment of humanity and soliciting public sanction, support and subsidy to its own cause" (Donald P. Shoemaker, ABORTION, THE BIBLE AND THE CHRISTIAN, Hayes Publishing Co., 1976, p. iv).

© Grant Swank

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
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Grant Swank

Joseph Grant Swank, Jr., is a pastor at New Hope Church in Windham, Maine... (more)

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