Faith Bible Church Dr.
Robert C. Newman
September 15, 1991 Biblical
Theological Seminary
ABORTION:
SCIENTIFIC, ETHICAL
&
BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS
THE PROBLEM
Note
the following statistics: recent issues of Statistical Abstract of the
United States and the World
Almanac:
U.S. ABORTION COMPARED TO OTHER CAUSES OF DEATH IN U.S. (all
columns but 1 & 3 in 1000s)
|
YEAR |
LEGAL ABORTIONS |
/1000
BIRTHS |
INFANT
DEATHS |
ACCIDENTAL
DEATHS |
MURDERS |
FORCIBLE
RAPES |
ALL
DEATHS |
|
1973 |
744 |
239 |
56 |
116 |
19.6 |
51.4 |
1973 |
|
1974 |
898 |
282 |
53 |
105 |
20.7 |
55.4 |
1934 |
|
1975 |
1034 |
331 |
51 |
103 |
20.5 |
56.1 |
1893 |
|
1976 |
1179 |
361 |
48 |
101 |
18.8 |
57.2 |
1907 |
|
1977 |
1320 |
400 |
47 |
103 |
19.1 |
63.6 |
1900 |
|
1978 |
1410 |
417 |
46 |
106 |
19.6 |
67.7 |
1928 |
|
1979 |
1498 |
422 |
46 |
105 |
21.5 |
76.5 |
1914 |
|
1980 |
1554 |
428 |
46 |
106 |
23.0 |
83.1 |
1990 |
|
1981 |
1577 |
430 |
43 |
101 |
22.5 |
82.5 |
1978 |
|
1982 |
1574 |
428 |
42 |
94 |
21.0 |
78.8 |
1975 |
|
1983 |
1575 |
436 |
41 |
92 |
19.3 |
78.9 |
2019 |
|
1984 |
1577 |
423 |
40 |
93 |
18.7 |
84.2 |
2039 |
|
1985 |
1589 |
422 |
40 |
94 |
19.0 |
88.7 |
2086 |
U.S. ABORTIONS COMPARED
TO U.S. WAR DEATHS (numbers in 1000s)
|
|
|
ABORTIONS COMPARED TO
MAJOR CAUSES OF ADULT DEATHS, 1985
Total deaths (1000s) 2086
Major causes of death:
1st: cardiovascular
978
2nd: cancer
462
Sum of 1st two: 1440
Abortions: 1589
ABORTIONS COMPARED TO
JEWISH HOLOCAUST
Jewish victims (est.
1000s, Encyc Judaica, 8:889) 5821
U.S. legal abortions
1973-78 6585
Some Observations:
**
Note US war deaths. Since 1976,
there have been more US abortions each
year than the total war
deaths in US history.
**
Compare rapes with abortions: the latter outnumber the former by about 20 to 1.
**
Compare all deaths with abortion:
the number who are killed before birth each year is more than 3/4ths the
number of born people (babies thru elderly) who die each year; there are more
deaths by abortion than by heart disease and cancer combined.
**
If abortions are taken into account, life expectancy in the US drops from 75 to
53!
**
Nazi holocaust surpassed by US abortions by middle of 1978. By end 1990, est. total US abortions
almost 25 million, about 4 times Nazi total.
SCIENTIFIC CONSIDERATIONS
Safety to Mother:
Slightly
safer to abort than to give birth
But
why restrict consideration to mother?
Certainly
not safer for child!
Is Fetus Human?
Not
an onion!
What
scientific warrant
for a "no" answer?
Is
rabbit fetus a rabbit?
How
is fetus different from unfertilized egg?
Full
vs half set of genetic material
What
difference does "viability" make?
Partly
a matter of technology
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Article by Peter J. Riga in Washington
Post, 23 Aug 91, p A-19
What standard for behavior?
Golden
rule: do unto others ...
Silver
rule: don't do unto others ...
Kant's
categorical imperative: universal
rule
Personal rights
Where
do one person's rights end and another's begin?
Compare with:
Slavery
Non-voluntary
euthanasia
Murder,
abandonment of unwanted children
Holocaust
BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS
God's Great Commandments:
1st:
Love God with everything
2nd:
Love neighbor as self
Sanctity of Human Life
Gen
9:3-6: distinguished from animal life
death
penalty for murder
Ex
20:13: 6th of 10 Commandments
Specifics on Abortion: Ex 21:22-25
Even
accidental abortion penalized
Care for the Helpless
Ex
22:22-24: command and threat
Dt
10:18: God's attitude
Jas
1:27: pure religion to care for widows, orphans
Matt
25:31-46: contrast abortion with action of righteous toward hungry, thirsty,
stranger, naked,
sick, prisoners