Is Unborn Human Life Sacred?

Forty years ago, President Ronald Reagan declared January 22 Sanctity of Human Life Day as a day to recognize that human life is sacred and unique. It’s also a day to reflect on and pray about current threats to human value.

The numbers surrounding human suffering are staggering. Every year, war and violence claim hundreds of thousands of lives across the globe. Drug overdoses and suicide remain a heartbreaking reality, affecting communities worldwide. Hunger leads to immense loss of life, both in our own country and beyond. And yet, the number of lives lost to abortion each year surpasses them all.

The reality is sobering: more lives end in the womb each year than from all other leading causes of death combined. Another sobering fact is that each year worldwide more abortions occur than all deaths of born individuals. This means that tragically, the womb, a place created by God to protect and cradle the beginning of life, is now the most dangerous place a human being can be.

This raises a crucial question: Is unborn human life sacred? The answer is a resounding yes. Every life—born and unborn—is inherently valuable and worth protecting. In this blog post, we’ll look at four common myths about abortion and the unborn and explore how we can take action to stand for life.

Myth 1: The Bible Has Nothing to Say About Abortion

Some argue that because the Bible doesn’t directly mention abortion it has nothing to say about it. While it’s true the word "abortion" is absent from the text, the Bible gives us the principles we need to discern between right and wrong, and it consistently upholds the sanctity of human life. From the creation of man in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27) to the commandment against murder (Exodus 20:13), Scripture declares the value of human life.

The Bible also repeatedly shows us that unborn children are human beings with full personhood. Psalm 139 describes how He knits each child together in the womb, and in both Jeremiah and Isaiah, we see God interacting with the unborn as persons. Though the Bible doesn’t use the word “abortion,” its principles clearly affirm that unborn human life is inherently valuable and worth protecting.

Myth #2: The Church Only Recently Started Caring for the Unborn

Some claim that evangelical Christians only got into anti-abortion advocacy for political reasons. However, this is historically inaccurate. From the earliest days of Christianity, the church has condemned abortion.

Even though Roman culture sanctioned abortion, the very earliest Christian literature condemned it. The Didache, a Christian document from the first century, explicitly forbids abortion. In the second century, the Letter of Barnabas did the same. Church fathers and theological giants have condemned abortion in their writings for centuries.

There has been a consistent value of life in the womb since the church began, and not for the purpose of granting Christianity political power. The church has always stood for the protection of the unborn, long before Roe v. Wade or political activism, because unborn human life is inherently valuable and worth protecting.

Myth #3: Science Tells Us That It's Just a Clump of Cells

Many argue that the unborn are just a collection of cells or that it's part of a woman's body, so it's her choice, like clipping her nails or having her appendix removed. However, science tells us otherwise. A survey in recent years of over 5,500 biologists found that 96% affirmed that human life begins at fertilization. From the moment of conception, a new, distinct, living human organism is formed, complete with unique human DNA, only needing the proper environment to grow and develop.

This organism, while small and undeveloped, is a whole human being, not a potential human. Medical textbooks affirm this, as do some of the most well-known pro-choice bioethicists, such as Peter Singer, who admits that, “There is no doubt that from the first moments of its existence, an embryo conceived from human sperm and eggs is a human being.”

Myth #4: It's Not Really a Person Yet

Since science confirms the unborn's humanity, pro-abortion advocates often use the category of personhood to maintain a distinction between the unborn human and a rights-possessing born human. Sadly, the tactic of dehumanizing the unborn is not new to modern pro-abortion advocates.

In the book, Less Than Human, author David Livingston Smith observes that while it's wrong to kill a person, it's permissible to exterminate a rat. He says this was the logic that Nazis used to convince themselves that killing Jews was okay, since to them the Jews were rats. By dehumanizing our enemies, we can enslave, torture or kill them, which we’ve seen throughout history.

The unborn are certainly different from their born counterparts, but not in a way that is meaningful or that demonstrates a lack of personhood. Ultimately, the argument for personhood often comes down to whether a child is wanted. Even staunch pro-abortion advocates are willing to celebrate an unborn child as a person as long as the mother wants her baby, but not if she doesn't. But personhood cannot be based on subjective factors like “wantedness.” Every human being, regardless of size, level of development, environment (that is, their location) or degree of dependency, is valuable and deserves protection.

What Can We Do to Help?

1. Advocate: By advocating for the unborn, we can be a voice for the voiceless. One way we can do this is through politics by voting, writing to your congressman, and assembling and bringing attention to this issue on a public scale.
   
   Advocacy can also look like graciously engaging and asking questions of your friends and family who may have different ideas. The point is not just to be right, but to graciously awaken the consciences of others.
   
   

2. Influence: The rise of abortion is a side effect of our highly individualistic and autonomous culture. We can have a moral influence in our culture by having a strong emphasis on serving others, strengthening the concept of marriage as a covenant commitment, and keeping a biblical sexual ethic. As we pursue and promote these things, we can help create a culture where abortion becomes unthinkable.
   
   

3. Support: Consider donating to or serving at your local pregnancy resource center. Adoption or foster parenting honors God by reflecting what He has done adopting us. Within the church, we can create a supportive and grace-filled community where those facing an unplanned pregnancy will be met with open arms ready to receive them and love and help them through it.
   
   

4. Pray: We must not forget to bring this important and multi-faceted issue before our Heavenly Father. Pray for the unborn, for mothers and fathers considering abortion, and for our culture to change.
   
   

Pro-Abundant Life

Abortion, as large of a crisis as it is, is a symptom of a deeper problem—sin, death, and our resulting separation from God. Even if we were able to stop every abortion from ever happening, it would still not take care of sin. Abortion is still just a symptom of a greater disease, and Jesus is the only antidote for it.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” As Christians, we are not merely on the side of life—we are on the side of abundant life, which is found in Jesus. Our mission is not just to protect the unborn, but to offer these children and their parents the opportunity to experience the full and abundant life found in Jesus Christ.

Derick Zeulner earned his M.A. in Theology at Talbot and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry degree. He has been involved in full-time ministry at South Shores Church since 2005. Derick and his wife, Rebecca, have four children: Hutch, Oakes, Avonlea, and Shiloh. Outside the church, Derick is an assistant coach for a local water polo club and loves watching each of his own kids surpass him in speed and skills.