I. DEFINITIONS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A. What is Abortion?\n\nThe Oxford Dictionary states that abortion is \u201cthe procuring of premature delivery so as to destroy offspring.\u201d Abortion is an umbrella word for the different methods used to destroy a developing human fetus. Some of these methods are as follows: \n\n \u2022 The \u201cMorning After\u201d Pill \u2026 a chemical swallowed in the first trimester, within the first 72 hours of a pregnancy\n This drug contains a high concentration of the chemical in birth control pills\u2014but three or four times stronger. Although a female may not know whether she is pregnant, this pill is designed to stop a possible pregnancy by expelling the fertilized egg.\n\n \u2022 The RU-486 Method\u2014\u201cThe French Abortion Pill\u201d \u2026 a chemical swallowed in the first trimester, from four to nine weeks\n The drug RU-486 is a synthetic steroid that destroys the hormone (progesterone) necessary to sustain life in the uterus. The baby starves as the nutrient-rich lining disintegrates. The mother is given the drug twice within ten days. She becomes violently ill, and the usual result (but not always) is the delivery of a dead baby.\n\n \u2022 The Vacuum-Suction Method\u2014Suction Aspiration \u2026 surgery in the first trimester\n The womb is dilated and inserted with pencil like tools (dilators) and inserted with a hollow tube (cannula) connected to a suctioning apparatus. The vacuum is so powerful that in early pregnancies the baby is instantly broken up and suctioned out. This is the most common procedure used for abortions.\n\n \u2022 The Dilation and Curettage Method\u2014\u201cD & C\u201d \u2026 surgery in the early part of the second trimester\u201413 to 14 weeks\n The womb is dilated to admit a loop shaped knife (carelle). The doctor uses the knife to cut the baby and placenta to pieces and scrape the uterus wall. Then the doctor scrapes the pieces out of the womb.\n\n \u2022 The Dilation and Evacuation Method\u2014\u201cD & E\u201d \u2026 surgery in the second or third trimester\n The mouth of the womb is stretched (dilated) to admit large forceps that are used to crush the baby\u2019s head. The body is then cut apart and removed piece by piece.\n\n \u2022 The Saline Method\u2014\u201cSalting\u201d or \u201cSalt Poisoning\u201d \u2026 a chemical injected in the second or third trimester\n A needle is inserted through the mother\u2019s abdomen and as much as a cup of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is removed and replaced with a lethal saline solution. The baby breathes in, swallowing the salt, and is poisoned to death within two hours. The baby dies of suffocation, brain hemorrhaging, and convulsions. The salt often burns the baby\u2019s skin. The mother is then given a drug (pitocin) that induces labor. By this process the organs and tissues are burned, and the baby is delivered dead or almost dead. In most clinics, this method is no longer used.\n\n \u2022 The Prostaglandin Method \u2026 a chemical injected in the second or third trimester\n This procedure is similar to the saline method except the baby\u2019s skin is not burned. A woman\u2019s body naturally produces prostaglandins, which assist the birthing process. An injection of artificial prostaglandin stimulates the uterus to contract, and the mother delivers her baby, whatever its size. This method can result in live births, but usually the baby is left to die. This method is no longer used in most clinics.\n\n \u2022 The Partial-Birth Method\u2014Dilation and Extraction, \u201cD & X\u201d \u2026 surgery in the second or third trimester, after 20 weeks, most often between six to nine months\n The baby\u2019s leg is grabbed with forceps and pulled through the birth canal. The baby\u2019s entire body is then delivered except for the head. Scissors are jammed into the baby\u2019s skull and opened to enlarge the hole. A suction tube is inserted and sucks out the brain, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed. This procedure is used after 20 weeks of pregnancy, often between six to nine months. Opponents label this procedure \u201chomicide.\u201d\n\nFor those whose ways go against God\u2019s will, the Bible says,\n\n \u201cIs this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?\u201d\n (Deuteronomy 32:6)\n\n\nB. When Does Human Life Begin?\n\nHuman life begins at conception. Biological and medical science provides us the following data.<\/pre>\n\n\n\nCHRONOLOGY OF A NEW HUMAN LIFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 First Month\n \u2014 Immediately upon fertilization, cellular development begins. Before implantation, the sex of the new life can be determined.\n \u2014 At implantation, the new life is composed of hundreds of cells and has developed a protective hormone to prevent the mother\u2019s body from rejecting the unborn as foreign tissue.\n \u2014 At 17 days, the new life has developed blood cells. The placenta is a part of the new life and not a part of the mother.\n \u2014 At 18 days, occasional pulsations of a muscle occur\u2014this is the heart.\n \u2014 At 19 days, eyes begin to develop.\n \u2014 At 20 days, the foundation of the brain, spinal cord and entire nervous system has been laid.\n \u2014 At 21 days, the heart begins beating.\n \u2014 At 28 days, the backbone and 40 pairs of muscles are developed along the trunk of the new life. Arms and legs are forming.\n\n \u2022 Second Month\n \u2014 At 30 days, regular blood flow is evident within the vascular system; the ears and nasal development have begun.\n \u2014 At 40 days, the baby\u2019s heart is beating faster than the mother\u2019s heart and produces almost 20 percent of the energy of an adult heart.\n\n Week 6\n \u2014 The baby is one-half inch long.\n \u2014 At 42 days, the skeleton is complete and reflexes are present.\n \u2014 At 43 days, electrical brain wave patterns can be recorded. This is usually ample evidence that \u201cthinking\u201d is taking place in the brain. The new life may be thought of as a thinking person.\n\n Week 7\n \u2014 The baby is three-fourths of an inch long.\n \u2014 At 49 days, the fetus has the appearance of a miniature doll with complete fingers, toes, and ears.\n\n Week 8\n \u2014 At 56 days, all organs are functioning\u2014stomach, liver, kidneys, brain\u2014all systems are intact. The new life has all its physical parts and now needs only nourishment. All future development is simply that of refinement and increase in size until maturity at approximately age 23.\n This stage is approximately two months before \u201cquickening,\u201d or the mother\u2019s feeling movement. The mother will usually not feel the child\u2019s movements until four months after conception.\n\n \u2022 Third Month\n Week 9\n \u2014 The baby is two inches long. Fingerprints appear.\n \u2014 At 9 and 10 weeks, the new life squints, swallows, and retracts the tongue. The contour of the face and body look more like a baby\u2019s, and the physical characteristics are obvious.\n \u2014 At 11 and 12 weeks, arms and legs move, while fingernails and toenails appear. Along with thumb sucking, the new life inhales and exhales amniotic fluid.\n\n \u2022 Fourth Month\n \u2014 At 13 weeks, hair appears on the baby\u2019s head.\n \u2014 At 14 weeks, the baby brings both hands together and sucks on the thumb.\n \u2014 At 16 weeks, genital organs are clearly differentiated. Hands are able to grasp (see Hosea 12:3). The new life swims, kicks, and turns somersaults, although movement is often still not felt by the mother.\n\n \u2022 Fifth Month\n \u2014 At 18 weeks, the baby is 12 inches long, and the mother can feel her baby move. Vocal cords are working.\u2026 The new life can cry.\n\n \u2022 Sixth Month\n \u2014 At 26 weeks, the sensory organs are all working\u2014the baby is able to hear, see, taste, and touch.\n\nAlthough no one fully understands all the ways and works of God, He will do what is right on behalf of both you and your child. Each precious life in the mother\u2019s womb is being formed by God, the Maker of all things.\n\n \u201cThis is what the LORD says\u2014your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things.\u201d\n (Isaiah 44:24)\n\n\nC. Is a Developing Human Fetus a Human Being (Person)?\n\nYes. A human being is defined as a member of the species homo sapiens. Each individual human being has its own genetic code (DNA) that is singularly unique and established at the time of conception. The DNA of a human fetus is distinct not only from animals, fowl, and fish, but also from the mother\u2019s DNA.\n\n \u201cAll flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.\u201d\n (1 Corinthians 15:39)\n\n \u2022 Scientific Evidence\n The eminent geneticist, Professor Jerome LeJeune, M.D., Ph.D., at the Rene Descartes University of Paris Faculty of Medicine states:\n \u2014 \u201cIf a fertilized egg is not by itself a full human being, it could never become a man, because something would have to be added to it, and we know that does not happen.\u201d\n\n \u2022 Medical Evidence\n \u2014 The Hippocratic Oath is a code of ethical values that has governed the medical profession since ancient times. A profession that has the power to kill as well as the \u201cpower to cure\u201d demands a set of moral commitments that are nonnegotiable. Even within pagan cultures was an innate conviction that abortion was wrong, as evidenced by \u201cthe oath of Hippocrates,\u201d which prohibits abortion. This oath, which has dominated western civilization since at least 400 BC to recent years, reads in part \u2026 \u201cThe regimen I adopt shall be for the benefit of my patients according to my ability and judgment, and not for their hurt or for any wrong. I will give no deadly drug to any, though it be asked of me, nor will I counsel such, and especially I will not aid a woman to procure abortion.\u201d\n\n \u2022 Biblical Evidence\n \u2014 The personhood of the unborn child is clearly demonstrated by John the Baptist, who \u201cleaped for joy\u201d while still in the womb.\n John\u2019s mother, Elizabeth, exclaimed to Mary, \u201cAs soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy\u201d (Luke 1:44).\n \u2014 God is actively involved at the earliest point of a person\u2019s development even before the unborn looks like a baby.\n The Psalmist David said to God, \u201cYour eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be\u201d (Psalm 139:16).\n \u2014 Scripture explicitly states that God not only forms the unborn child in the womb, but also has a plan for his or her future even before conception.\n \u201cBefore I [God] formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.\u201d (Jeremiah 1:5)\n\n\nD. What Are the Two Main Positions in the Abortion Argument?\n\n \u2022 The Pro-life Position\n Some believe that a human fetus is a person from the moment of conception and that the unborn baby should receive constitutional protection of life.\n This position is in agreement with the Biblical position, which values the life of the unborn baby the same as the life of the mother.\n \u201cIf 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\u2019s 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, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.\u201d (Exodus 21:22\u201325)\n\n \u2022 The Pro-choice Position\n Some believe that a fetus is only a \u201cpotential person\u201d (Roe v. Wade, 1973) and therefore should not be entitled to constitutional protection. They believe the decision about the life or death of the unborn baby should be solely the choice of the pregnant mother. This position invites God\u2019s great disfavor because it provides no protection for the innocent, unborn life.\n \u201cThere are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.\u201d (Proverbs 6:16\u201317)\n\n\n QUESTION:\u201cThe Bible says Christians are to submit to the governing authorities (1 Peter 2:13).Therefore, if the law of the land allows abortion, how can any Christian justify demonstrating against abortion clinics?\u201d\n\n ANSWER: In Nazi Germany, the government sanctioned Hitler\u2019s regime. In spite of the culture, many Christians defied their government in an attempt to rescue those being led away to death. Christians involved in peaceful demonstrations are those who do not break the law, but rather those who believe they have been given a Biblical mandate to be rescuers.\n \u201cRescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, \u2018But we knew nothing about this,\u2019 does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?\u201d (Proverbs 24:11\u201312)\n\n\n QUESTION:\u201cPeople have been murdered by \u2018pro-lifers.\u2019 How can anyone associate with such a wrong ideology?\u201d\n\n ANSWER:Anyone who commits murder or any act of violence breaks the law of the land, as well as the law of God. A true \u201cpro-life\u201d person would never take the life of another human being. God is opposed to violence, even in the name of \u201cpro-life.\u201d\n \u201cGive up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right.\u201d (Ezekiel 45:9)\n\n\n QUESTION:\u201cDo Christians have a responsibility to minister to women who have had abortions or are considering having an abortion?\u201d\n\n ANSWER:Yes. Women who have had an abortion or are considering having an abortion often feel emotionally distraught and wounded. They need a caring, compassionate person to help them in their time of need.\n \u201cCarry each other\u2019s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.\u201d (Galatians 6:2)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nII. CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WHO HAVE ABORTIONS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A. What Is Post-abortion Syndrome (P.A.S.)?\n\nP.A.S. is a traumatic stress disorder that many women experience following an abortion. This woman may have an inability \u2026 \n\n \u2022 to process her emotions involving the abortion\n\n \u2022 to go through the process of grief over the loss of her baby\n\n \u2022 to be at peace with God, herself, and those involved in the abortion decision\n\n \u2022 to accept her own God-given worth\n\n \u201cMy guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.\u201d\n (Psalm 38:4)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nTHE STAGES OF POST-ABORTION SYNDROME<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are four stages a woman generally experiences following an abortion.\n\n \u2022 Relief\n A welcomed sense of freedom that the difficult decision making process is over and the painful problem has disappeared.\n\n \u2022 Rationalization\n A mental rehearsing of logical explanations and excuses for having had the abortion.\n \u2014 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been a good mother. It\u2019s better that the baby wasn\u2019t born.\u201d\n \u2014 \u201cI may have been upset at the time, but I\u2019m okay now.\u201d\n \u2014 \u201cIt\u2019s legal; therefore, it is certainly okay.\u201d\n\n \u2022 Repression\n A blocking out of the details, the painful memories, and the emotions surrounding the abortion. The grieving process can be so repressed that a woman can actually \u201cforget\u201d she had an abortion.\n\n \u2022 Resentment\n Hidden or repressed anger toward herself and those involved in the abortion results in depression and bitterness. If this anger is not dealt with, her relationship with God and her interaction with others is hindered.\n\n\n QUESTION: \u201cWhat can be done to heal the emotional wounds of one who has had an abortion?\u201d\n\n ANSWER: With an understanding of what has happened emotionally since the abortion, she can take certain steps to start the healing process.\n \u201cHe heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.\u201d (Psalm 147:3)\n\n\nB. What Inner and Outer Symptoms Could a Woman Experience Following an Abortion?\n\n INNER CONFLICTS\n OUTER EVIDENCE\n \u2022 anger\n \u2022 disruption of relationships\n \u2022 anxiety\n \u2022 sleeping and eating disorders\n \u2022 bitterness\n \u2022 hostility toward self and others\n \u2022 depression\n \u2022 alcohol or drug abuse\n \u2022 distrust\n \u2022 sexual dysfunction\n \u2022 fear\n \u2022 avoidance of abortion subject\n \u2022 grief\n \u2022 anniversary reactions\n \u2022 guilt\n \u2022 reliving abortion experience\n \u2022 hopelessness\n \u2022 increased risk of suicide\n \u2022 profound regret\n \u2022 poor bonding with children\n \u2022 reduced motivation\n \u2022 distorted thinking, preoccupation\n \u2022 rejection\n \u2022 paranoia\n \u2022 shame\n \u2022 uncontrollable crying\n \u2022 suppressed feelings\n \u2022 psychosomatic illness\n \u2022 trauma\n \u2022 nightmares and flashbacks\n \u2022 unworthiness\n \u2022 detachment and withdrawal\n\n \u201cNothing in all creation is hidden from God\u2019s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.\u201d\n (Hebrews 4:13)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nIII. CAUSES LEADING TO A WOMAN\u2019S CHOICE OF ABORTION<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A. Why Do Some Women Choose Abortion?\n\nThose who choose abortion are convinced that it is the easiest and most practical way out of a difficult dilemma.\n\n \u201cThere is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.\u201d\n (Proverbs 16:25)\n\n\nB. What Are Some of the Situations That Cause a Woman to Believe Abortion Is a Reasonable Choice?\n\nThe ten primary influences for choosing abortion are \u2026 \n\n \u2022 fear of parental response\n\n \u2022 fear of rejection and ridicule\n\n \u2022 fear of financial responsibility\n\n \u2022 fear of the inability to care for the child\n\n \u2022 fear of a pregnancy that resulted from rape or incest\n\n \u2022 feeling rushed to make a decision by parents, the baby\u2019s father, or an abortion counselor\n\n \u2022 feeling it is wrong to bring an unwanted child into the world\n\n \u2022 feeling it is just another means of birth control\n\n \u2022 feeling that a fetus is only a mass of tissue\n\n \u2022 feeling no moral conviction because of a lack of knowledge of God\u2019s Word\n\n\nC. Root Cause\n\n WRONG BELIEF: \u201cAbortion is a simple procedure designed to remove a mass of tissue from a woman\u2019s body, and a woman should have the right to determine what happens to her own body.\u201d\n\n RIGHT BELIEF: The unborn life within a pregnant woman is a separate, unique human being, created by God at conception. A woman does have rights over her own life, but she does not have the right to destroy an innocent life.\n \u201cThis is what the LORD says\u2014he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid.\u201d (Isaiah 44:2)\n\n\n Every woman should have the freedom of choice over her own life, but not the freedom to destroy the life of the developing human being within her.\n For it is the Lord who said,\n \u201cBefore I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.\u201d (Jeremiah 1:5)\n \u2014June Hunt\n\n\n\nD. Do You Want Hope?\nThe Hope Diamond is the largest deep blue diamond in the world (measuring 45.52 carats) and considered priceless by many. Can you imagine what would happen to its value if someone were to cut this diamond into pieces? The parts would still have worth, but nowhere near its original worth because the unique size and design of the diamond would be destroyed.\nWithin your body you have something like the Hope Diamond\u2014you have a unique, priceless, unborn baby designed by God for a specific purpose. Not only does God have a plan for your baby\u2019s life, but also a plan for your life filled with hope.\nEveryone wants hope. Everyone needs hope\u2014hope that is found in a secure relationship with God. Your hope can be secure when you are in the family of God.<\/pre>\n\n\n\nHOW TO HAVE HOPE THAT LASTS FOREVER<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 Your Problem\u2014Sin keeps you from being adopted into God\u2019s family.\n The Bible says that we all have sinned. Not one of us is perfect. We have all willfully chosen to go our own way, not God\u2019s way.\n \u201cFor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.\u201d (Romans 3:23)\n\n #2 Your Position\u2014Your sin separates you from God.\n God is perfect and without sin. But, because we are not perfect and we\u2019ve chosen to sin, the consequence of our sin is separation from God.\n \u201cYour iniquities have separated you from your God.\u201d (Isaiah 59:2)\n\n #3 Your Provision\u2014God has provided hope for you to receive His full forgiveness.\n God the Father sent His own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins\u2014a penalty that we should have paid. Jesus, who is God (God the Son), left heaven, came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross because He loves you. You need to know that Christ died as your substitute in order to save you from being eternally separated from Him.\n \u201cGod demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.\u201d (Romans 5:8)\n\n #4 Your Part\u2014You need to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.\n By trusting that Christ died as your substitute and by yielding your will to His will, you are forgiven for all your sins. And when God forgives you for all your sins, you are saved from being separated from God! The heavenly Father adopts you as His very own child and gives you eternal life with Him in heaven.\n \u201cTo all who received him [Jesus] \u2026 he [the Father] gave the right to become children of God.\u201d (John 1:12)\n\nYou have a choice of yielding control of your life to Christ\u2014to the One who loves you and knows all about your past, present, and future. If you open your heart to Him, you will find that He has a personalized plan that includes not only His purpose for creating you, but also His promise to fulfill you \u2026 to satisfy the deepest hunger of your heart.\n\n If you desire to be adopted into God\u2019s family, you can tell Him in a simple prayer like this:\n\n\n \u201cGod, I need a real relationship with You and real security. I admit that I have sinned and that my sin deserves to be punished. Jesus, thank You for taking the penalty of my sin and for dying in my place. Right now I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. I give You control of my life. Come into my life and make me the person You created me to be. Lord, thank You for loving me, for forgiving me, and for adopting me into Your family. Thank You for giving me the hope of a new life. In Jesus\u2019 name I pray. Amen.\u201d\n\n\n If you sincerely prayed that prayer, then \u2026<\/pre>\n\n\n\nWelcome to the family of God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!\u201d (1 John 3:1)<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nIV. STEPS TO SOLUTION<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When faced with the decision of whether to have an abortion, check what God says first. If you are seeking to help people gain God\u2019s perspective on abortion, the most beneficial thing to do is to take them to the Bible. Many have never heard or read God\u2019s Word to find out God\u2019s heart for the unborn. It may be that those who favor abortion are believing a lie because they have not been exposed to the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.\u201d (2 Timothy 2:15)\n\n\nA. Key Verse to Memorize\n\nRealize that the unborn are known by God in a personal way.\n\n \u201cBefore 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.\u201d\n (Jeremiah 1:5)\n\n\nB. Key Passage to Read and Reread<\/pre>\n\n\n\nPsalm 139:13\u201316<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Length of Life
\n \u201cAll the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.\u201d v. 16<\/p>\n\n\n\nInmost Being
\n \u201cFor you created my inmost being.\u201d v. 13<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrame
\n \u201cMy frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.\u201d v. 15<\/p>\n\n\n\nEmbryo
\n \u201cYou knit me together in my mother\u2019s womb.\u201d v. 13<\/p>\n\n\n\nC. Pre-abortion Counsel\n\nHow would you advise a mother, pregnant with her fifth child, based on the following facts?\n\n \u2022 Her husband had syphilis.\n\n \u2022 She had tuberculosis.\n\n \u2022 Their first child died.\n\n \u2022 Their third child was born deaf.\n\n \u2022 Their fourth child had tuberculosis.\n\nThe mother is considering an abortion. Given all the facts, would you advise her to have an abortion? If you responded yes, you would have just killed one of the world\u2019s greatest and most gifted composers, Ludwig Von Beethoven. Never sacrifice God\u2019s principles for emotional arguments of situation ethics!\n\u201cThere is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.\u201d (Proverbs 14:12)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nARGUMENTS AND ANSWERS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Argument: \u201cAbortion is not morally wrong.\u201d\n Answer: Since human life begins at conception, then abortion by choice becomes premeditated murder.\n \u201cYou shall not murder.\u201d (Exodus 20:13)\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cA fetus should not be regarded as a baby.\u201d\n Answer: According to God, a fetus is not a mass of tissue. God\u2019s Word does not distinguish between a \u201cpotential baby\u201d and a \u201cnewborn baby.\u201d In the Bible, the same Greek word brephos, which means \u201cbabe,\u201d is used to describe \u2026\n\n \u2014 a fetus\n \u201cWhen Elizabeth heard Mary\u2019s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.\u201d (Luke 1:41)\n\n \u2014 babies\n \u201cPeople were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them.\u201d (Luke 18:15)\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cEvery woman should have the right of control over her own body.\u201d\n Answer: A woman should have the right to control her body, but in pregnancy there are \u2026 \n \u2014 two different bodies\n \u2014 two different heartbeats\n \u2014 two different brain wave patterns\n \u2014 two different genetic codes (DNA)\n \u2014 often two different blood types\n \u2014 often two different sexes<\/pre>\n\n\n\nA woman should not have control over the death of another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Argument: \u201cAbortion is permissible when a fetus is not \u2018viable.\u2019 A fetus that is incapable of sustaining life outside the womb is not a viable person and is not due protection from society (the viability factor).\u201d\n Answer: To define viability as a person\u2019s ability to survive without assistance is dangerous because a person\u2019s viability can be lost as a result of age, illness, or serious injury. A three-month-old girl cannot sustain life on her own. A sixty-year-old man who is dependent on a respirator cannot sustain life on his own. But do their situations negate the personhood of these people? No! Should these persons be candidates for destruction? No! Those who insist on a viability standard remove protection from those who need it the most.\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cThe fetus must reach a certain level of consciousness for it to be considered a person.\u201d\n Answer: If consciousness is used as a criteria for personhood, then a man who is knocked unconscious or one who is in a coma must not be considered a person.\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cAbortion should be allowed for a deformed fetus.\u201d\n Answer: Allowing abortion for fetal deformity is prioritizing \u201cquality of life\u201d over the \u201csanctity of life.\u201d It is making a judgment that some lives are not worth living. Many people born with defects have lived happy, productive lives. They are often powerful influences for hope and encouragement to others.\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cA victim of rape or incest should not have to consider giving birth to the child.\u201d\n Answer: When a woman is tragically victimized by rape or incest, certainly the father of the child is guilty, but the mother and child are innocent. The right response to this wrong is legally punishing the guilty, not killing the innocent. Compassion for the victim should never obscure the principle of right or wrong. Two wrongs never make a right. Regardless of the father\u2019s identity, the woman is still the mother. Aborting the baby causes the woman to be victimized twice and destroys the opportunity to see God\u2019s sovereign plan for both the innocent mother and child.\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cEvery baby should be a wanted baby. Legal abortion of the unwanted will reduce child abuse.\u201d\n Answer: When there is child abuse, the problem is the parent, never the baby. Child abuse has continually increased since Roe v. Wade despite the killing of millions of \u201cunwanted\u201d babies through abortion. Once an unborn child is in the womb, the sanctity of life should not be determined by the emotional \u201cwants\u201d of another. Should we also do away with all those who are \u201cunwanted\u201d\u2014the criminals, the homeless, and the undesirables?\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cWomen will still get abortions. If we don\u2019t make it legal, they will be forced to get back alley abortions, which are unsafe.\u201d\n Answer: The only time a woman is forced to get an abortion is when the abortion is performed against her will. There are no laws forcing a woman to abort her baby. Logically, if people willfully break the law and hurt themselves in the process, their injury is caused by their irresponsible, illegal behavior, not by the law.\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cTo be consistent, a pro-life position that considers abortion to be the killing of a human being would also have to be against the death penalty.\u201d\n Answer: Pro-life is not inconsistent with capital punishment (a crime punishable by death). The penalty of death is administered when a criminal is found guilty of a capital crime only after due process of law. In abortion, the unborn is innocent of committing any crime, and death is not justified.\n \u201cWhoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.\u201d (Genesis 9:6)\n Since God is the Giver of Life, choose to value the sanctity of life! And since one of God\u2019s Ten Commandments says, \u201cYou shall not murder\u201d (Exodus 20:13), we should all value the sanctity of life. The unjustified killing of human beings\u2014the killing of the innocent\u2014is always seen as wrong in the Bible.\n\n \u201cThis day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.\u201d\n (Deuteronomy 30:19)\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cA woman actually has no realistic choice if she is faced with an unwanted pregnancy.\u201d\n Answer: There are three directions she can take.\n\n \u2014 Abortion \u2026 following human rationalization\n \u2014 Adoption \u2026 following the will of the Lord\n \u2014 Give birth and keep the child \u2026 following the ways of the Lord\n \u201cTrust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.\u201d (Proverbs 3:5\u20136)\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cA mother would feel very guilty if she gave her child up for adoption.\u201d\n Answer: When a woman allows her child to be adopted, she may be making a responsible choice based on what is best for the life of the child. Certainly adoption is not an easy choice to make. It is natural for you to grieve that your child is not with you. But you can rejoice that you are offering your child a chance at life. Even Moses, the great spiritual leader of Israel, was adopted. The choice to allow your child to be adopted for the child\u2019s own good is not a sin against God. Any guilt you may feel is false guilt. But when a woman chooses to kill her unborn child, she will feel true guilt, for she has chosen to sin against God and her child.\n \u201cShe [Moses\u2019 mother] took him to Pharaoh\u2019s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses.\u201d (Exodus 2:10)\n\n \u2022 Argument: \u201cA mother who is single and financially insecure or one who is a victim of circumstance should never consider raising her child herself.\u201d\n Answer: If a mother feels strongly led by the Lord to keep her child and provide unselfish love and nurturing, God is faithful to meet her needs.\n \u201cYou, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.\u201d (Psalm 10:14)\n\n\nD. Post-abortion Counsel\n\nMost women who have experienced an abortion are left with a vague ache in their hearts, and many develop deep emotional conflicts.\n\n \u201cMy guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.\u201d\n (Psalm 38:4)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nHEALING THE HURTING HEART<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God offers healing for every human heart\u2014even after sin there is a Biblical way to be right with God, and we need to do what we can to be right with others.\n\n \u201cThe LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.\u201d\n (Psalm 34:18)\n\n \u2022 Admit Personal Responsibility\n \u2014 Stop blaming other people or circumstances for the abortion.\n \u2014 Realize the decision is ultimately the mother\u2019s choice.\n \u2014 Agree with God that abortion is wrong.\n\n \u201cThen I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, \u2018I will confess my transgressions to the Lord\u2019\u2014and you forgave the guilt of my sin.\u201d (Psalm 32:5)\n\n \u2022 Awaken the Memories\n \u2014 Choose to work through the denial.\n \u2014 Relive the negative feelings surrounding the abortion.\n \u2014 Talk about the experience with a trusted friend or sensitive counselor.\n\n \u201cThe purposes of a man\u2019s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.\u201d (Proverbs 20:5)\n\n \u2022 Acknowledge the Grief\n \u2014 Name your child, realizing that a real live baby was aborted.\n \u2014 Conduct a short memorial service.\n \u2014 Commit your child into the loving hands of God.\n\n \u201c[There is] a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.\u201d\n (Ecclesiastes 3:4)\n\n\n QUESTION: \u201cWhat happened to my child after the abortion?\u201d\n\n ANSWER: Although the Bible doesn\u2019t specifically address this question, in principle you can conclude that your baby went to heaven. For example, King David was described as \u201ca man after his [God\u2019s] own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). When David\u2019s seven-day-old baby died, he said, \u201cI will go to him, but he will not return to me\u201d (2 Samuel 12:23). Like David\u2019s baby, your child is in the precious presence of God\u2014our just, merciful, compassionate God.\n \u2014 Receive God\u2019s forgiveness by trusting in Christ\u2019s payment of the penalty for your sins and by giving Him control of your life.\n \u201cTherefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.\u201d (Romans 8:1)\n \u2014 Acknowledge that you have been forgiven through Christ. You are a new creation in Christ.\n \u201cTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!\u201d (2 Corinthians 5:17)\n \u2014 Extend forgiveness to others.\n \u201cBear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.\u201d (Colossians 3:13)\n \u201cAs far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.\u201d (Psalm 103:12)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nACQUIRE A MINISTRY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Express compassion to others in similar circumstances.\n\n \u2022 Advise others who are considering an abortion.\n\n \u2022 Be the light that leads a hopeless heart to Christ.\n\n \u201cPraise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.\u201d\n (2 Corinthians 1:3\u20134)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nHEALING THROUGH HUSBANDS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
QUESTION: \u201cMy wife had an abortion. What can I do as a husband to help heal my wife\u2019s emotional wounds?\u201d\n\n ANSWER: A husband can be there for his wife and love her through the healing process, but he cannot heal her no matter what he \u201cdoes.\u201d He cannot fix everything or make her okay. Jeremiah 17:14 presents the source of true healing, \u201cHeal me, O LORD, and I will be healed.\u201d What you as a husband can \u201cdo\u201d is to depend on Christ to love your wife through you just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. Pray for your wife. Christ can bring healing to her.\n You can demonstrate the love of Christ to your wife in the following ways:\n\n \u2022 Listen to her with compassion.\n \u201c[There is] a time to be silent and a time to speak.\u201d (Ecclesiastes 3:7)\n\n \u2022 Respond without anger when she is angry.\n \u201cA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.\u201d (Proverbs 15:1)\n\n \u2022 Weep with her and for the loss.\n \u201cRejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.\u201d (Romans 12:15)\n\n \u2022 Support her with faithful and steadfast love.\n \u201cLet love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.\u201d (Proverbs 3:3)\n\n \u2022 Treat her with respect as a creation of God.\n \u201cHusbands \u2026 be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.\u201d (1 Peter 3:7)\n\n \u2022 Remind her of her value.\n \u201cHe who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.\u201d (Proverbs 18:22)\n\n \u2022 Assure her of her worth as a child of God.\n \u201cHow great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!\u201d (1 John 3:1)<\/pre>\n\n\n\nGROWING IN GOD\u2019S GRACE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
QUESTION: \u201cHow can a post-abortion woman know that she has experienced true healing?\u201d\n\n ANSWER: A post-abortion woman can feel confident that she has been healed and is growing in God\u2019s grace when \u2026\n \u2014 she accepts total responsibility for choosing abortion\n \u2014 she accepts God\u2019s unconditional love and acceptance\n \u2014 she forgives those involved in the abortion\n \u2014 she is able to trust others and communicate her experience appropriately\n \u2014 she has a healthy sense of God-given worth and is able to live a fulfilling life\n\n\n MY GRATEFUL PRAYER TO GOD\n \u201cHeavenly Father,\n I come to You as a person in pain.\n Throughout my life I\u2019ve wanted my own way, determining my own decisions.\n Many decisions seemed right at the time, but they were not right in Your sight.\n Now I see my loss in not looking to You first for direction.\n The child I could have carried didn\u2019t have the chance to live.\u2026\n I made the wrong choice.\n The blessing I could have brought to others never had the chance to breathe.\u2026\n I made the wrong choice.\n Father, forgive me for my selfishness.\n Although I can\u2019t change the past, I can change the future by making right choices now.\n I choose to release my life to You for You to work Your will in me.\n I choose to receive Jesus as my Savior, recognizing He sacrificed His life for my sins.\n I choose to rely on the Spirit of Christ living in me to guide me from this day forth.\n Thank You for taking care of my child, who is living in heaven with You.\n I bring all my guilt and grief and lay them at Your feet.\n From Your heart of mercy I accept Your full forgiveness.\n Thank You, Jesus, that You now are in me to live Your life through me.\n You\u2019ve given me a new heart that will heal all my heartaches.\n You\u2019ve given me a new life that is cleansed, forgiven, and free.\n Thank You, Lord, for Your unconditional love.\n Lead me to love others as You love me.\n In the Savior\u2019s precious name I pray.\n Amen.\u201d<\/pre>\n\n\n\nAll Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION\u00ae. NIV\u00ae.
\nCopyright \u00a9 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe acknowledge that mistakes could occur in the writing of any of our resources or an omission may be found in the many Scripture references and citations contained herein. Although the editors have sought to avoid all errors, some may have crept in or been overlooked, for which we take full responsibility. The considerate reader would render us a great service by calling our attention to any such error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Biblical Counseling Keys should not be construed as a substitute for one-on-one, Christ-centered counseling when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\u00a9 1990\u20132008 HOPE FOR THE HEART<\/p>\n\n\n\n@book{Hunt_2008,
\nplace={Dallas, TX},
\ntitle={Biblical Counseling Keys on Abortion: Not a Choice, but a Child},
\npublisher={Hope For The Heart},
\nauthor={Hunt, June},
\nyear={2008}}<\/p>\n\n\n\nExportiert aus Verbum, 15:02 14. Februar 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I. DEFINITIONS A. What is Abortion? The Oxford Dictionary states that abortion is \u201cthe procuring of premature delivery so as to destroy offspring.\u201d Abortion is an umbrella word for the different methods used to destroy a developing human fetus. Some of these methods are as follows: \u2022 The \u201cMorning After\u201d Pill \u2026 a chemical swallowed … <\/p>\n