IPNEWS: Ongoing debate about abortion, it is, therefore, crucial to discern whether a fetus is already a human being or just a clump of cells, as some people claim.
There are various opinions about when exactly human life starts when an embryo becomes a person. Some think this starts right at conception, others take the first heartbeat as a starting point, or the moment the embryo is implanted in the mother’s uterus. But all this happens in the first three weeks after conception – long before most abortions are performed.
It is simply absurd to claim that a fetus is just a clump of cells, given it grows and develops and contains all the genetic material needed to develop into a unique personality. A fetus is nothing less than a preborn person.
Here in Liberia, the same debate has ensued over the introduction of a new abortion law currently before the Senate, which continues to receive commendation from both international and national condemnation.
Last week, New Jersey U.S. Congressman, Christopher Smith, called upon the cancellation of the bill and warns of its devastating effects on the population growth of the country.
Even as his commends is yet settled, prominent Liberian cleric and former president of the Liberia Council of Churches, retired Bishop Kortu K. Brown has added his voice by calling for the abandonment of the law to “avoid God’s wrath upon the country”.
Bishop Kortu K. Brown stated that Liberians and their lawmakers must be very careful in considering whether or not they want to legalize abortion on demand for any reason, up to 14 weeks.
“I agree that Liberia should allow abortion for risk reasons and not just for any reason at all. If there is a risk to a mother’s life and/or for rape, incest, and disability, I believe that abortion is possible. And this is already legal in Liberia”. He however cautioned against any law that would legalize abortion for more than 3 months for any reason at all other than for threats to a mother’s life, incest, rape, or disability. He argued that a life from God is involved.
The Pentecostal cleric rejected abortion being committed for any reason for a young baby almost 4 months old in the mother’s womb, contending that “that would give Liberia one of the most extreme abortion laws in Africa, even more, extreme than most European countries”. The former president of the Interreligious Council of Liberia (IRCL) further argued that “according to research, by 14 weeks or almost 4 months, a baby has all of its major organs formed including a beating heart; it is able to feel pain, and so on. Therefore, abortion cannot be legalized on demand, for any reason, only because a person wants an abortion even if their lives are not threatened and they have not suffered incest, rape, or disability”.
The Bishop of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church International further contended that “studies show that in some countries of the world where abortion has been legalized, 1 in 4 children are aborted which is like losing a quarter of the country’s population just through legal abortion alone”, added, “it is difficult to articulate what a catastrophic impact that has had on those countries because there is no turning back once abortion is legalized, so once the floodgates are opened, thousands of children in Liberia will be legally killed”. He spoke on Saturday, July 15, 2023, to students of LICOSES Teacher’s College training program on New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church Campus in Brewerville, Montserrado County following a 2-day program RESET retreat of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church International which ended Friday, July 14, 2023.
Bishop Brown, who is also the immediate past president of the Liberia Council of Churches said that performing abortion just over 3 months would be something to carefully study because most abortions take place within the first 14 weeks, so such new law would make most abortions legal. If the rate came to European levels, “about 15,000 children could be lost by abortion each year in Liberia because the proposed law allows abortion for any reason at all, not merely for risks to the mother’s life, and not merely for rape, incest and/or disability”, arguing that “exceptional abortions are already legal in Liberia…”
Bishop Brown called on Liberian lawmakers to engage a more moderate bill as they revise the Public Health Bill that would actually improve on the 1976 law instead of adopting laws that could have an unfavorable impact on the population of the country in years to come. “Every child has a right to life whether born or unborn”, reiterating Psalms Chapter 139 verses 13 thru 16 declares, “For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. 15 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. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”.
Bible View of Abortion:
The Bible is clear that humans are not allowed to murder fellow human beings: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).
Does God value preborn life?
The development of a human being is amazing. The Bible makes clear that God is the Creator of the whole universe, and of every individual human. Psalm 139:13-16 sings about his care for preborn life:
“For You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are Your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in Your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”
See also Jeremiah 1:5:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
So yes, God knows and values preborn life. Even when a fetus still has an “unformed substance”, every one of his days is written in God’s book. Its outward appearance does not influence its worth in God’s sight.
What reasons could there be to abort a fetus?
When a fetus is a human being, and if every human being is valuable to God, then abortion is murder. There is only one legitimate ground to take the life of an unborn child, namely to save the life of his/her mother, and so to prevent that both would die. But to be honest, this situation is very rare.
The overwhelming majority of abortions are performed with other motives, contradicting what the Bible says. Some reasons are clearly not valuing the well-being of the fetus, only that of the mother: some women think their life will be ruined if they get a child before they finish their education, some think they already have enough children, others consider themselves too young, or their economic situation is difficult. These issues can be serious. These women need help. But in such cases, abortion is never a legitimate solution.
Are illnesses and disabilities legitimate grounds for abortion?
A more complex ground for abortion can be the fetus’ health. Modern screening tests can reveal handicaps and serious illnesses before the child is born. Some of these might be so serious that the baby has little chance of survival. Others might not be life-threatening but may have a serious impact on the child’s health and “quality of life”. In such cases, some parents make the decision to abort the child in order to prevent future suffering. They might take this decision after much consideration and out of genuine love.
But I think we humans can’t decide about the life of another person. Only God can. As Christians, we know that human life has infinite worth, no matter whether the child is handicapped or disabled.
In this respect, humans are fundamentally different from animals in that they have an immortal soul. Moreover, since God is the Creator of this developing human life, we don’t even have the right to take it. “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Decisions concerning medical treatments can be extremely complex, and there are no easy answers. But I think abortion is not the right solution.
Moreover, having an abortion can have long-term consequences, both physically and emotionally. If you wrestle with these, please seek help. Christian counseling can particularly help you come to terms with your past decision and its consequences. For not only unborn babies, but also their mothers are precious in God’s sight. He wants your welfare and wants to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
