A visitor to the Delphi forum "Liberal Christianity" posted a question about the Liberal Christian perspective on abortion. This was one member's answer, which impressed everyone who read it. She has given permission for it to be reprinted elsewhere.
Liberal Christians and Abortion
One thing to understand about Liberal Christianity is that it tries to adhere to the spirit of scripture and not necessarily to the letter. There are often no specific scriptural texts on a particular subject. Or the specific texts may say the opposite, taken literally, than what a Liberal Christian would understand to be the spirit of scripture as a whole.
If you ever go back to look at the 19th century debates about abolishing slavery, you will see what I mean. Not a single text in the bible says that slavery ought to be abolished. On the contrary there are specific instructions to slaves to be diligent and obedient to their masters. So the supporters of slavery had lots of scriptural backing for their position, and the abolitionists had very little. But the abolitionists based their case on what the bible teaches overall about the nature of human beings, and God's love for each and every one, and drew the conclusion, in spite of what a surface reading of scripture seems to say, that slavery was morally wrong and ought to be abolished.
When it comes to abortion, I cannot speak for all Liberal Christians, but this is my take on it.
- Every conception creates a human life and God loves and honours that human life and wants it to develop to its full potential. Every abortion is tragic insofar as it ends a human life.
- Every woman's life is dear to God as well. God loves the mother as much as the child and wants childbearing to be a joy for her. God never values the child above the mother (as most anti-choice advocates do) nor the mother above the child.
- In some circumstances, bearing a child would bring great hardship to the mother and to others in her family. In such a case, one may have to weigh whether the cost of bringing a new life into the world is justified when the impacts on other lives are considered. This is a never a judgment to be made lightly, nor is there a simple rule one can follow, as the circumstances vary so much from one situation to another. All things considered, in some circumstances it is better not to continue the pregnancy. (Just as, in some circumstances it is better not to continue a marriage.)
Scriptural justifications:
- No where does the scripture equate an abortion with murder. While abortion is a serious decision, and to be avoided whenever possible, it does not break any commandment to go ahead with an abortion when necessary.
- In any case Christians are not bound to any law--not even the Ten Commandments--save the law of love. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are to discern what is the most loving action in any circumstance, and do that, even if it appears to break the written law. Jesus pointed to several incidents of this sort, especially in regard to the sabbath laws.
- Given point 2, we must also guard against a sentimental and meaningless love that oppresses rather than helps and encourages. John wrote to the early Christians that anyone who claimed to love God while hating a brother or sister was a liar "for if you do not love the brother or sister whom you can see, how can you love God whom you cannot see?" Much of what I see in anti-choice literature bears the stamp of a superficial and non-costly "love" for the embryo one cannot see, while taking no thought for the need of the mother whom one can see. The same people who would have the mother bear the child often support cuts in social assist
via anitra.net
In an effort to better understand how approximately half of the population of the United States can justify abortion for convenience and what have you, I did a search and found this fairly succinct view of how one Liberal Christian feels.
I invite comments. I simply don't believe that a majority of women in America believe that this is okay. I also invite non-Christians to comment. I don't have as much problem understanding that agnostic or atheists might think it is okay--as it appears to be a moral issue--to me.
Unlike the writer above, I don't believe that abortion is always ending a human life. I believe that it is terminating a fetus--which in late-term may BE murder--but I am not sure that it is even then.
I DO believe in every case, it is a serious act--which is tampering with a Godly process. I personally don't think that God takes it lightly. But I do believe that Christians can repent of this act. I also believe that if a mother's life is threatened that it may, with prayer and consideration of all factors, that abortion may be the best choice for the greater good.
I don't believe that inconvenience, embarrassment, the need to change one's life plans or other such worldly considerations are justification for abortion for abortion. I believe that the easy availability and ready acceptance of both contraception and abortion has led to a widespread decline in morality during my own lifetime. And I believe that immorality by itself has many undesirable consequences for both individuals and society.
I also recognize that if legal availability is lacking, that many fine young women may endanger themselves when they become pregnant without parental and societal support--clandestine arrangements of abortion sometimes leads to unhealthy options.
I don't believe that education to ensure that everyone use "protection" or acceptance of abortion and contraception is the correct solution either.
I would like to hear what you think.