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Lorne
Mr. Salbato
Philosophy 1102-301
October 26, 2013
To Abort? Or Not to Abort?
We all started the same way, in our mother’s womb. We are here living and breathing because
our mothers’ gave birth to us. Now imagine that your mother terminated the pregnancy. It’s hard to
imagine that you had the potential to have a life (the life you have now), but it was taken away with a
medical procedure called abortion. To the majority of average people, the thought is unimaginable or
scary. There are many ways to show that abortion is wrong, but I’m going to take it on with the Divine
Command Theory. Within the Divine Command Theory, I’m going to use the aspect of the theory that
an action is right if it is consistent with the advice in scripture. I’ll also add in some scientific facts
periodically for good measure.
First off, I’m going to list off the popular arguments and stances taken for abortion. These
arguments are made in good intent, but have flaws in reasoning and justification.
 An unborn child is merely a fetus, not human
 A woman should have the right to do what she wants with her body
 Rape victims should have the right to abort
 It is better to have an aborted child, than an abused child
 Children with disabilities should not live
An Unborn Child is Merely a Fetus, Not Human
First I looked to the dictionary for the definition of a human being. But all I found was a
circulatory definition that got me nowhere. Merriam-Webster’s definition said “a person.” So then I
looked up person. It said “a human being.” Then I turned to medical and scientific sources. So before I
begin on what the Bible says about unborn children, we’ll take a look at other facts and sources. Life of
a human being begins when the sperm and ovum meet together, when the child is conceived. Many
medical sources support this claim. In the Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, it says:
“Embryo: The developing individual between the union of the germ cells and the completion of the
organs which characterize its body when it becomes a separate organism.... At the moment the sperm
cell of the human male meets the ovum of the female and the union results in a fertilized ovum
(zygote), a new life has begun.... The term embryo covers the several stages of early development from
conception to the ninth or tenth week of life.” Take note when it says, “…a new life has begun…”
In Medical Embryology, it says “The development of a human being begins with fertilization, a
process by which two highly specialized cells, the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the
female, unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote.” In scripture there are many verses showing
that unborn children are important in God’s eyes.
“For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:13-16)
“Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.”(Isaiah 49:1)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5)
“Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15)
"If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm
follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and
he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound,
stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:22-25)
A Woman Should Have the Right to do What She Wants with Her Body
This is correct assuming that a women’s body is her own. Does scripture say that this is true?
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you
have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in
your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Rape Victims Should Have the Right to Abort
The unborn child should not pay for the sins or wrong another has done that the child had no
control over.
“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their
fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)
It is Better to Have an Aborted Child, Than an Abused Child
The whole entire idea of aborting the baby is keeping it away from abuse. Aborting the baby
takes away the life or potential of life from the unborn child. The process of abortion is abuse to the
baby, and also the taking away the opportunity to live life in itself is abuse.
“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should
perish.” (Matthew 18:14)
Children with Disabilities Should Not Live
People with disabilities are also important to God. In scripture it talks about the importance of
people with disabilities.
So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the
seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?(Exodus 4:11)
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
So, what could counted as a weakness in our world, is not necessarily weak in God’s eyes.
In conclusion and summary, if you follow the Divine Command Theory it clearly shows that
abortion is wrong. An unborn child is as much human as you and me thus abortion would be murder.
And murder is wrong.
-----------------------------------------Works Cited
Langman, Jan. Medical Embryology. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1975, p. 3
Considine, Douglas (ed.). Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia. 5th edition. New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1976, p. 943