There are a few misconceptions about the Christina point of view on abortion. In this article, we will address some of them.
First misconception: The bible alludes to the opinion that life starts at first breath. In the Book of Genesis, it describes God’s creation of Adam “then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7) So that means that, up to birth, the fetus does not have a soul yet.
Reply: That is not true, as we can see that the yet unborn St. John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb when his mother, Elizabeth, met with St. Mary when she was pregnant with our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:43-44). How can St. John do that if he was not alive then?
Moreover, the Church believes that at any moment of the holy conception of Jesus, He was both human and divine at the same time. Therefore, the Church believes that human life starts at the moment of conception (Luke 1:35)
Second misconception: The church’s teaching on abortion leads to “forced pregnancy” of women.
Reply: False! With the exception of rape, nobody can force any woman to be pregnant against her will. The church simply defends the sanctity of the life of the unborn child. And, in the case of rape, the unborn child is another innocent constituent in this problem that shouldn’t be punished with death for someone else’s – the rapist’s – mistake.
Third misconception: Women have no choice in the matter of getting pregnant and stuck with a child!
Reply: False! Women have three choices when it comes to avoiding pregnancy.
(a) Abstinence: Sexual relations are viewed as sacred, and exclusive between the wife and husband in the Christian faith. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4). Abstinence until marriage is the best way to avoid unwanted teenage pregnancy, with a 100% success rate!
(b) Using contraceptives: If the couple do not wish to conceive or feel they are not ready, it is perfectly in their right to use contraceptives to avoid having a child they are not ready for.
If a baby is already conceived even after using contraceptives, the baby’s life should be protected. Many couples go with the pregnancy till completion, raise the child, and many experience a change of heart once the baby is born and fall in love with it.
(c) Giving the baby for adoption: If the couple is not ready for raising the baby, they may choose to give it up for adoption, so another couple may achieve their dream of having a child.
Fourth, misconception: Women are forced to go through pregnancy even if it is life threatening to them.
Reply: This is a very rare occurance, and less than 1% of total abortions happening each year are due to such a life threatening scenario to the pregnant woman. By its very nature, a baby is part of the woman’s body and is not life threatening to her. However, in very few occurrences when the doctor may have to choose between the baby’s life and the mother’s life, a choice should be made to save the life of the woman.
In conclusion, the abortions rights activists speaking about the Christian doctrine lacking empathy is the worst sort of eyewash. If you can’t even have sympathy for an unborn child, you have no empathy.
