Abortion and the Bible

Abortion is a very grave issue for America and the world. The number of children killed in the womb are appalling, lets look at the numbers involved in America and the world:

Worldwide: the number of abortions per year are approximately 46 Million; the number of abortions Per Day are approximately 126 Thousand.

In America: the number of abortions per year are approximately 1.37 Million; the number of abortions per day are approximately 37 Thousand.

You will be surprised at the statistics of who is having all of these abortions. Christians might think it is the unbelievers around them that account for the majority of the abortions performed. Well think again, 37.4% of all abortions in America are had by women identifying themselves as Protestant Christians, 18% of all abortions in America are had by women identifying themselves as "Born Again/Evangelical, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and 23.7% of all abortions are had by women who list no religious affiliation.

A Total of 55.4% of All abortions are had by women who are Members of the Body of Christ, The Church. Do you think that there might be something Seriously wrong here? Even unbelievers(?), those whose list no religious affiliation, place a higher value on the new life that God has blessed them with than the Moral Majority residing in the Church (makes you wonder what their definition of moral really is). What are those preachers out there preaching?

It is very alarming that Christians take the lead in abortions, primarily because of the sctiptural knowledge that is readily available to them. Before going to the scriptures for instruction on this issue in America and in the world, lets look at the statistics on the reasons given by all of these women for having an abortion: 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6 % of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either mother or child; AND 93% of all abortions occur for personal or "social" issues (the child is inconvient, the child is unwanted, etc.).

Then what about America's stand to police the world against those who commit atrocity around the world, when the atrocity of 1.37 Million unborn children are killed in America each year. What kind of image do you think this forms in the eyes of God about this country? What could we be causing to the future of this country from the aspect of judgement from God?

When looked at in view of the scriptures, Abortion is no different from God's view as Child Sacrifice and Child Sacrifice to false "gods" had very serious consequences for the countries involved (including Judah and Israel who had gone after false "gods" and sacrificed their children).

First lets look at the historical background of Child Sacrifice. Child sacrifice was common in ancient times, especially in the Phoenician colony of Carthage in North Africa. In ancient pagan cultures, children were sacrificed in times of great need as an expression of devotion to a god. Child sacrifice was one of the primary reasons that God gave the land of Cannan to the children of Israel. Then, even the Israelites became engaged in this detestable practice, and as a result suffered invasion and captivity numerous times. God destroyed the heathen countries for this abominal practice. Throughout the Old Testament are examples of sins of nations and the consequences that God rendered in His judgement on them. Lets look at these examples first.

When god gave the promised land to Israel, the Cananites were dispossed of their lands and destroyed for the abomination of child sacrifice.
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Ahaz, son of Jotham who was son of David, when he began to reign didn't do that which was right in the sight of the God, like David his grandfather. He instituted the worship of false gods and sacrificed his children to them.
2 Kings 16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

When Israel and Judah rejected God and refused to worship Him, they took up the worship of Baal, the ungodly around them worshiped, and sacrificed their children to this false god.
2 Kings 17:13-17
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
[Baal - The name appropriated to the principal male god of the Phoenicians. Baal is identified with Molech (Jer. 19:5). It was known to the Israelites as Baal-peor (Num. 25:3; Deut. 4:3), was worshipped till the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7:4), and was afterwards the religion of the ten tribes in the time of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33; 18:19, 22). It prevailed also for a time in the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 8:27; 2 Chr. 28:2), till finally put an end to by the severe discipline of the Captivity (Zeph. 1:4-6). The sun-god, under the general title of Baal, or "lord," was the chief object of worship of the Canaanites.]

The Sepharvites were one of the people who inhabited Cannan during the conquest by the children of Israel when they took the land God have given them. The Sepharvites were destroyed because of their abomination before God.
2 Kings 17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
[Adrammelech - An idol; a form of the sun-god worshipped by the inhabitants of Sepharvaim, and brought by the Sepharvite colonists into Samaria. - Anammelech - One of the gods worshipped by the people of Sepharvaim, who colonized Samaria. The name means "Anu is king." It was a female deity representing the moon.]

Israel again takes another backsliding into idolatry after rejecting God and falls for the idol Baal and performed child sacrifice to Baal.
2 Kings 21:1-6
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Israel a little later on rejects God, who had chosen them as his people, in favor of another false god, Molech. Worship of the god Molech also required child sacrifice. More than once they truned to worshiping Molech with disastrous consequences.
2 Kings 23:10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (The worship of the God Molech - more info next verse notes.)

Jeremiah 7:29-33
29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
[They had built again the worship of Molech. Molech - King, the name of the national god of the Ammonites, to whom children were sacrificed by fire. He was the consuming and destroying and also at the same time the purifying fire. Solomon (1 Kings 11:7) erected a high place for this idol on the Mount of Olives, and from that time till the days of Josiah his worship continued (2 Kings 23:10, 13). This god became Chemosh among the Moabites.]

Again (you'd think that after the harsh correction from God that they would know better), after having repented and turning back to God for a short time, Judah and Israel rejected God again and started worshiping Baal again. They started another round of sacrificing their children to a false god. God's reaction was to cause them to fall by the sword.
Jeremiah 19:5-7
5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.
7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

God's punishment on Israel, Judah and the countries around them who sacrificed their children to false gods was swift and severe. Today God still judges the nations, and nations still rise and fall. God may not destroy nations with fire from above today but he does remove His blessings and protection when darkness and evil reaches a pervasive level. What it boils down to is that God hates the destruction of children, whether they are new born or still in the womb.

Lets go again to the scriptures and see what God has to say about the creation and development of life in the womb. What is His perspective of what he gives that is intended to be a blessing from Him. And, how he has plans for children unborn.
Psalms 127:3
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

God had chosen the two children in Rebecca's (Issac, son of Abraham wife) womb, before birth to be leaders of two nations...Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 25:23-26
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

God announced to the wife of Manoah that she would conceive and give birth to a son who would defeat the Philistines. God planned this birth as the means to deliver Israel. The Philistines had held in bondage the children of Israel for forty years. The child's name that was born was Samson.
Judges 13:3-7, 24
3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

David declared that God took him out of the womb, gave him his hope from infancy, and was his God from the time he was upon his mother's breasts.
Psalms 22:7-10
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

God told Jacob that he had made him and formed him from the womb, He had chosen him, and God gave him a new name...ISRAEL. God then told him, that He God, comfirms the word of His servants and performs the counsel of His messengers.
Isaiah 44:1-6, 24-26
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

Isaiah said that God had called him from the womb to call Israel back to Him, that God had made his mouth like a sharp sword.
Isaiah 49:1-5
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

God told Jeremiah that before He formed him in the womb He knew him, before he was born he was sanctified In The Womb and ordianed to be a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:4-8
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

God sent an angel to tell Zacharias about the coming conception and birth of a child (John the Baptist), God named the child John, and told them that John's purpose would be to prepair the way for The Savior, Jesus.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

When Elisabeth (her child still in the womb) heard that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, John leaped (for joy) in his mother's womb. Jesus had been in God's plans since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God knew even then, who would bear our Savior.
Luke 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Now from the preceeding scripture we see clearly that: (1) God knew in advance before conception, the person to be born, and (2) the purpose He had chosen for them. The names of the examples are a whos who in the deliverance of God's word and our salvation: Jacob, renamed Israel, Jeremiah, Sampson, Isaiah, John the Baptist, and our Savior Jesus Christ. The book of Ephesians clarifies this all important fact about God.
Ephesians 1:3-7, 11-12
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

We all were chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined to be adopted children of God, and predestinated according to God's purpose. Who are we to cancel God's plans, who knows how great or lowly the plan God has for the child in the womb?

We might not worship the idols of ancient times like Baal, Maloch, Chemosh, Anammelech, or Adrammelech. We, today are to advanced to be fooled by stone or wood idols.

Today we have new gods we sacrifice to. We sacrifice children to Career (can't have a baby it will ruin my career), Pride (I'm not married what would pepole say), Lifestyle (I don't want to be tied down with a child), Inconvience (having a baby is too much trouble), Addiction to Sex - Fornication (no one will want me if I'm pregnant), and the list goes on. What is hapening in the Church, our country, and the world is hideous to God. Maybe we ought to get back to God's plan. He gives Children as a blessing, not only to the mother and father...but possibly to the world. If God gives you a blessing, don't kill it (him or her that is).