An Abortion Debate

I’m sorry, God but you failed to make clear your personal stance on abortions and it’s really not playing out very well for women. It would’ve been prudent to have explicitly condoned or opposed abortions to the ancient writers of the bible. I would have expected an all-knowing deity to foresee the somewhat questionable Christian moral judgement being applied to women. The Old Testament bible is heavy on rules and ensuing punishments, but abortions are never mentioned. The bible has provided so little insight into this matter; it’s almost like God didn’t prioritise it. His lack of foresight is decidedly frustrating and quite inadequate for a know-it-all deity. It is particularly unhelpful in an era where plenty of Christians believe they know their god’s intent on abortions despite the notable omission in their religious text. There is no shortage of Christians interpreting the bible in a way that favours their personal position on abortions, yet these interpretations are not even uniform across the religious spectrum; thus, modelling the significant social failure when a person’s religious morality is thrust upon others via the legislature.

The abortion debate often throws up the same predictable bible verses. Psalm 139:13 generally tops the list, “you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This verse doesn’t depict the will of God on abortion; it’s a hymn written by a mere mortal. Later in the same song the lyricist talks of being “…made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.[1]” There are always uses of poetic license and metaphors in poetry or song writing and King David’s Psalms are no different: he was created in his mother’s womb, in a secret place, and in the depths of the earth. Clearly David’s words cannot be taken as the literal word of a god otherwise his enmity for non-Christians in this song would apply to God also: “Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. [2]” That sentiment doesn’t jibe with the whole “God is love” mantra.

Another regular biblical concept rolled out for abortion arguments relates to God having created humans in his image[3]. The Catholic News Agency states that, “At the heart of the abortion tragedy is the question raised in the Psalms: "Lord, what is man that You care for him, mortal man that You keep him in mind? . . . With glory and honor You crowned him, giving him power over the works of Your hands" (Psalm. 8:5-7). There is the key. Not only did God make us, but He values us.[4]”. Yet again referencing a song written by a mortal guy; not a factual depiction of God’s personal stance on abortion. Irrespective of this, exactly how much does God value humanity? Not enough to avoid his total annihilation of mankind with a great flood. In fact, God experienced creator remorse saying, “…I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.[5]” You can’t assign any lower value to a species than “kill ‘em all!” There are many biblical examples of God being indifferent to humans’ lives and his smite count is extremely high[6].

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you[7]” is a reasonably common verse cited by Christians to oppose abortion. This line, however, is only part of the bible verse. It continues with, “before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This verse has a specific context and doesn’t apply generally; God didn’t make everyone a prophet. It was a message Jeremiah believed he received from God and related only to him. Notably, it was also received by an adult and not passed on to Jeremiah while he was a foetus devoid of cognition.

Even the claim that God wants to protect the innocent is a stretch. God didn’t have any qualms about killing multitudes of children in Egypt when Pharoah wouldn’t release the Israelite slaves[8]. If God really cared so much about the foetus, it’s perverse of him to then kill all the first-born Egyptian babies? Even though they didn’t emanate from God’s chosen people, these were still innocent humans killed as a punishment upon Pharoah (whose heart God himself had deliberately hardened against releasing the Israelites![9]). If Christians continue their habit of looking to the songs written in the book of Psalms as evidence of God’s character, there is a line that says, “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.[10]” Personally, I wouldn’t have characterised infanticide as bringing joy, but I’m not a smiting deity nor a lyricist singing about it. Protecting the innocent is not God’s main focus.

The bible sets out numerous rules and designated punishments for their breaches. Committing adultery is a stoning offence[11]. Being a mystic or clairvoyant warrants a stoning[12]. Marrying a woman and her mother means you’re all to be burned in a fire[13]. Cursing your parents means death[14]. If a priest’s daughter becomes a prostitute she must be burned[15]. Kidnapping comes with a death sentence[16]. Mortally wounding someone means the death penalty[17]. Striking your parent earns the death penalty[18]. Even animals get the death penalty so don’t let your prize ox gore your neighbour to death lest it be stoned[19]. With oddly specific rules and punishments you would think abortions would pop up somewhere if God was so set against the practice. There is reference to causing a foetal death, though, and it is not met with stoning, burning, or death; it is merely the payment of a fine. “If two men are fighting, and in the process hurt a pregnant woman so that she has a miscarriage, but she lives, then the man who injured her shall be fined whatever amount the woman’s husband shall demand, and as the judges approve. But if any harm comes to the woman and she dies, he shall be executed.[20]” Given all the breaches that cause a person to be executed, if God viewed a foetus as being a human life, the punishment for ending said life would surely be death. In the bible the punishment for causing a miscarriage is merely financial restitution. In this same verse, if the pregnant woman were to die as a result, a death penalty then applies. Causing the end of a pregnancy: not recognised as the taking of a life, therefore, no death penalty. After all, the crimes occasioning death carry an execution punishment saying, “take life for life...[21]”. The death of a foetus, however, is clearly not recognised as a fatality in this long list of crimes to be punished.

It's pretty common to cherry pick bible verses that support our own perspective and justify our actions, however distasteful they appear to others. The abortion debate is just another contentious topic that divides society by a lack of agreement on a moral judgement. God of the bible is largely indifferent to the death of people generally and it appears God doesn’t count a dead foetus as a human death requiring punishment. Yes, it’s a loss but a loss that requires compensation rather than a stoning. The rules set out in the bible only apply to the Judeo-Christian crowd that worship that deity; they don’t apply to others who subscribe to other religions or none at all. In this way, the Judeo-Christian followers should stay within their own religious persuasion and not inflict their doctrine upon others through legislation. Additionally, if Christians can read the mind of their deity to the extent they know his intent outside the bible, then God is not an overly awe-inspiring deity who works in mysterious ways.

[1] Psalm 139:15

[2] Psalm 139:21-22

[3] Genesis 1:27

[4] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55398/the-bibles-teaching-against-abortion

[5] Genesis 6:7

[6] https://www.karenthinksaloud.com.au/blog/godlovestosmite 

[7] Jeremiah 1:5

[8] Exodus 11:5-7

[9] Exodus 11:10

[10] Psalm 137:9

[11] Leviticus 20:10

[12] Leviticus 20:27

[13] Leviticus 20:14

[14] Leviticus 20:9

[15] Leviticus 21:9

[16] Exodus 21:16

[17] Exodus 21:12

[18] Exodus 21:15

[19] Exodus 21:28

[20] Exodus 21:22-23

[21] Exodus 21:23