Attacks On The Family - Abortion - Part V
June 2022 |
Abortion is also an attack on God and families because it is contrary to God’s commands to have and love children, and it can lead to physical and emotional injury, encourage immorality, and decrease the respect for life.
God commanded Adam and Eve, Noah and his family, and Jacob and his family to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. (Gen 1:28, 8:16-17, 9:1; 35:11).
Since abortion is murder, it is obviously contrary to natural affections in families. It is an example of being “without natural affection” (II Tim. 3:3) and not being “kindly affectioned one to another” (Rom. 12:10), which means the kind of affection that characterizes members of the same family.
This is not even referring to “agape” or godly love, but to a “storge” kind of love—a love that is natural among family members.
The following is taken from the 2005 report titled, “The South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion”:
“The record reflects that abortion places women at increased risk of physical injury including the risk of: infection, fever, abdominal pain and cramping, bleeding, hemorrhage, blood transfusion with its subsequent risks, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary or amniotic fluid embolism, injury to the cervix, vagina, uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries, bowel, bladder, and other internal organs, anesthesia complications (which are higher with general anesthesia), failure to remove all the contents of the uterus (leaving behind parts of the fetus/baby or placenta), need to repeat the surgery, possible hospitalization, risk of more surgery such as laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy, possible hysterectomy (loss of the uterus and subsequent infertility), allergic reactions to medicines, mis-diagnosis of an intrauterine pregnancy with a tubal or abdominal pregnancy being present (which necessitates different treatment with medicines or more extensive surgery), possible molar pregnancy with the need for further treatment), emotional reactions (including but not limited to depression, guilt, relief, anxiety, etc.) death of the woman, and risk of a living, injured baby.1
Other negative effects of abortion listed in the same report included: guilt, post-abortion anger and resentment, anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), psychological numbing, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, relationship problems, and parenting trouble.2
Since guilt is the main spiritual result of people who have an abortion, the only answer is God’s forgiveness. Since it is sin, the Holy Spirit will convict, which means to expose, reprove, or convince, anyone who has had or is involved in providing abortions of sin, righteous, and judgment (John 16:8-11).
In his commentary on the book of John, Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart summarizes the meaning of this by saying, “Jesus has told us the cause, which is sin; the cure, which is righteousness; and the result of not accepting the cure, which is judgment.”3
So, the solution for sin is to confess it (I John 1:9), which means to admit or agree with what God calls it, and to ask God to forgive it based on who Christ is, the Son of God, and that He paid the full penalty for sins when He died on the cross. Then and only then is a person forgiven of his or her sin and their guilt removed.
To some, abortion has become just another form of birth control to help avoid the consequences of immorality. So, it could be that, for some, abortions encourage immorality.
Since Roe v. Wade made abortions legal in 1973, it seems that abortions have contributed to the decrease in respect for life. This is evidenced by the overall increase in suicide, the legalization of assisted suicides in ten states and the District of Columbia.
Now, infanticide is being considered. In 2019, former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam made a statement that sounded like he was in favor of infanticide.4 But even if that is not exactly what he meant, since then, Democrats prevented the passage of a bill that would have protected babies born alive during unsuccessful abortions.5
Also, Maryland is considering a bill that would protect an individual’s right to kill an infant during the perinatal stage, which can mean between days or months after birth.6
REFERENCES
1 “Report of the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion,” December 2005, p. 48.
https://www.dakotavoice.com/Docs/South%20Dakota%20Abortion%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf
2 Ibid., 43-45.
3 Jimmy Swaggart, Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, John (Baton Rouge: World Evangelism Press, 1997), 409.
4 Frankie Stockes, “Virginia: Democrats Block Legislation That Would Protect Babies from Infanticide,” National File, March 15, 2022.
5 Ibid.
6 Mavourene Robinson, “URGENT! Maryland Legislators Advance Act Legalizing Infant Murder,” Intercessors for America, March 14, 2022.
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