Arguments against abortion?

There are lots good arguments against abortion. One argument is that a lot of women who have had an abortion experience a lot of shame and negative psychological effects afterwards. However, for Christians the most important factor to take into account is what God says about human life. Our beliefs about God and people will greatly influence which arguments we choose to emphasize.

One of the important truths in the Bible is that everyone is created by God and is of infinite worth. The reason we are of such worth is that God loves us and created us in His own image.

‘Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them’ (Genesis 1:26–27).

This means that everyone has something that resembles God in them. The Bible also says that when God created Adam He ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ so he became a ‘living being’.

‘Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being’ (Genesis 2:7).

This is why people are of so much more worth than animals. One life is extremely valuable, that’s why the Bible says that we should not murder.

‘You shall not murder’ (Exodus 20:13).

The Bible is also very clear about the fact that we are human beings before we are born, so the unborn child is also of infinite worth.

Abortion is a big problem, because the Bible doesn’t make a difference between the worth of someone who has alreadybeen born and someone who hasn’t yetbeen born. The value of a human life doesn’t depend on how clever or highly-developed we are, so we have no right to kill a person who has not yet been born – even if they are less developed than us.

It can be a great strain to be pregnant if you are in a stage of life where it is difficult to have a child. This is also one of the reasons the Bible gives for saying that sex only belongs in the context of a life-long marriage. We recommend people to wait until they’re married to have sex, and not to have sex with someone if they can’t imagine having a child with them. If you have a sexual relationship with someone, you must also be prepared for a baby. This can also happen in some cases when contraception has been used.

If you are pregnant and are in a difficult situation, it is important that you find someone you trust, who you can talk to and who can help you. There are some organizations that offer counselling and support to girls and women who are pregnant, for example Life (UK) and Focus on the Family (USA): 

https://lifecharity.org.uk

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/pro-life/finding-peace-in-the-midst-of-an-unplanned-pregnancy/