By Tammy Darling

“You knit me together in my mother’s womb. . . . My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” These words from Psalm 139 express the beauty and value of human life in a way that leaves no doubt about its sanctity.

While some claim human beings are not “persons” until some threshold is crossed, such as viability outside the womb, the capacity to feel pain, or even birth, there is no question that human zygotes, embryos, and fetuses are alive. 

Pro-abortionists do not base their “facts” on science but rather on ideology, philosophy, or belief; but as far as observable science is concerned, human life begins at conception and therefore should be protected and treasured.

Perspective

According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly half of all pregnancies among American women are unintended, and about four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.

In America alone, from 2009 to 2011, more than 1.2 million abortions were performed annually. That’s a difficult number to wrap our heads around. Let’s get some perspective: more than 100,000 abortions are performed in the U.S. every month; more than 23,000 every week; more than 3,300 every day; nearly 140 every hour; and one every 26 seconds. These are just the reported abortions. (Information collected from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and the Guttmacher Institute.) 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common forms of surgical abortion are vacuum aspiration, sharp curettage, and dilation and evacuation. The terms alone are enough to convey how horrifying abortion is. These abortion methods are used in nearly 90 percent of all U.S. abortions. The remaining 10 percent are drug-induced “medical” or chemical abortions.

Surprisingly, even some believers approve of late-term abortions. They base their reasoning on Genesis 2:7 where God breathed life into Adam and he became a living soul. In their minds, a baby becomes human only after it takes its first breath.

But Adam was the first human, not the model for all created beings that would follow. Adam and Eve were then instructed to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28). Adam’s creation was unique and cannot be used to justify abortion.

Americans are deeply divided over the issue of abortion, both sides equally sincere and passionate in their convictions. More than an issue of women’s rights, abortion touches on a deeper question: Is there moral truth?

Because there is indeed moral truth, the value of human life is not up for debate; all human life is valuable because God created each being for his glory.

Because God is the one who knits us together in our mother’s womb, what happens in a woman’s womb is clearly the work of God. Before he places a child in a woman’s womb, God intimately knows that child. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).

Beauty

Each life is created in the image of God. The sanctity of every human life is based on much more than abilities and attributes. Human value is established on the basis of the nature of God, giving each person inestimable worth.

The glory of God is imprinted in the essence of every created human being. We ought to marvel every day at all that is good and admirable and lovely about humans (Philippians 4:8).

When we fail to comprehend the true beauty of every human life, we cease to look at humans in awe. The human body is breathtaking, a wonder of immense proportions. 

 The human body is the most complex and unique organism in the world; that complexity and uniqueness speaks volumes about our Creator. Every aspect of the human body, down to the tiniest microscopic cell, reveals that we are indeed “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Each cell in the human body is actually a small factory and beyond man’s ability to fully understand.

Did you know that the human eye can detect a range of about 10 million color hues? Or that in one day the heart pumps enough blood to fill more than 40 50-gallon drums? Every aspect of the human body is amazing.

Right to Life

Make no mistake. Abortion is like a war, a war where innocent victims can neither represent themselves in a court of law nor defend themselves from death. Lives are being snuffed out brutally and tragically every second of every day.

The right to life—every person’s fundamental right—is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. But when does life begin?

At conception, a whole human being with its own genome comes into existence, needing only food, water, shelter, oxygen, and a suitable environment in which to thrive. From the beginning the unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings.

The same human being who begins as a one-cell zygote continues to exist to its birth—unless it is prevented from doing so.

Scientifically, from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are unmistakably human. Biblical commands against taking human life apply to the unborn as well as the adult.

An embryo may be small—perhaps as small as the dot at the end of this sentence. But since when do rights depend on how large we are? If that were the case, everyone should strive to be as large as possible in order to acquire a monopoly on rights. Size does not equal value.

Seek Justice, Love Mercy

Instead of ignoring the abortion issue and refusing to show others what’s truly at stake, we can use the difficult subject to reiterate the truth of the gospel, which alone has the power to free, heal, and reconcile.

Research conducted by the Guttmacher Institute reveals the reasons many women give for having an abortion. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school, or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.

While we could easily say these are selfish reasons, to the women citing them, they are very real concerns that they can see no way around. These women need hope. They need to know there are other options. They need to see a pregnancy for what it is—life.

Even when an unintended pregnancy interrupts a woman’s plans, God has a plan of his own—and a provision. God is able to meet every woman at her point of need.

By learning all we can about abortion, pregnancy, and what God’s Word says about human life, we can engage culture with a persuasive defense of the pro-life view and help women everywhere make informed decisions based on truth—God’s truth, the truth that every life is beautiful and valuable.

Tammy Darling is a freelance writer in Three Springs, Pennsylvania.

Get Involved

* Volunteer your time, energy, and financial resources to organizations that are clearly pro-life.

* Make your home available to an expecting unwed mother and make an investment in her life and future.

* Write letters and make phone calls to your local and national government representatives, especially those who are seeking to make a difference in legislation.

* Participate in a peaceful demonstration or public march against abortion.

* Watch the October Baby DVD, which chronicles the life of a woman who discovers she was adopted after a failed abortion attempt.

* Become active in local pro-life community projects. Many neighborhoods are organizing events that make a statement to the entire city.

* Pray without ceasing for those who are on the front lines of the battle. Pray for the politicians, physicians, ministers, and pro-life leaders. Pray that expecting mothers will courageously choose life, no matter the circumstances.

* Go to www.heartlink.org and www.beavoice.net, two Focus on the Family outreach websites devoted to protecting the sanctity of human life, for additional ways to get involved.