Christian

Ethics
(Options & Issues)

The following studies were made by

Norman
Geisler

ABORTION

ABORTION
means termination of life in the womb.
What are the ethical consideration that come up when
the procedure is done?

3 Views of Abortion
1. Status of
Unborn

1st View
Fully Human

2. Abortion basis Never Sanctity

of life
3. Mothers

2nd View
Potentially
Human

3rd View
Sub Human

Sometimes

Anytime

Life Over Privacy Combination of

Quality of Life.

In the debate in the Congress of the Philippines when

the Reproductive Health Bill was being scrutinized (for
15 years) the big question was; When does life
begin?. Is it upon conception (sperm fertilizes the
egg) or only when the baby is born and breathes by
himself?).
The fear was the possible use of contraceptives that
the government was going to provide which may be
abortifacient a substance that can cause abortion.
For Christian, the absolute rule of Thou shall not kill
applies even to an embryo (just fertilized egg) or a fetus
(a growing Baby in the womb) and so abortion is a sin,
simple because the egg of the women is a human.

The humanity of an unborn is shown below

FIRST MONTH ACTUALIZATION

THIRD MONTH MOVEMENT

Conception All her human characteristics are

present

She swallows, squints & swims

She implants or nests in her mothers uterus

(one week)

She grasp with her hands & moves her tongue

Her heart muscle pulsates (three weeks)

She can even suck her thumb

Her head, arms, and legs begin to appear

She can feel organic pain (eight to thirteen

weeks)
FOURTH MONTH GROWTH

SECOND MONTH MOVEMENT

Her weight increases six times (to one half birth

weight)

Her brain waves can be detected (forty to forty

two days)

She grows up to eight to ten inches long

Her nose, eyes, ears and toes appear

She can hear her mothers voice

Her heart beats and blood (her own type) flows

FIFTH MONTH VIABILITY

Her skeleton develops

Her skin, hair & nails develop

She has her own unique fingerprints

She dreams (REM sleep)

The BIG question here is:

What is more important to a Christian?

Sanctity of Life
of Life

or

Quality

To a Christian at least, the only question about

abortion is whether or not the unborn human life is
an immortal soul bearing the image of God.

The evidence of modern biology

strongly reinforces the evidence of
scripture that fetal life should be
treated as sacred as infant life (or
even adult life)
McQuilkin, Bibical Ethics

Now, we know that Sanctity (or holiness) of Life is

more important that Quality of Life.

Sanctity
of Life

vs
Quality of Life

ample of

Quality of Life

1. A student may have to drop school because she

accidentally got pregnant
2. A family with an additional mouth to feed
3. A Model may lose her figure
4. A raped person may want to hider her shame
5. A politician may want to cover the result of his adultery

No Abortions:
The Beliefs that the Fetus is Fully
Human

The final view holds that the fetus is fully human.

Therefore, any intentional taking of an unborns life is
homicide.
This position is supported by both biblical and
nonbiblical evidence.

1. Unborn babies are called children, the same word used of infants and young children (Luke
1:41 & 44, 2:12 & 16, Exodus 21:22) and sometimes even of adults (1 King 3:17)
2. The unborn are created by God (Ps. 139:13) just as God created Adam and Eve in his image
(Gen 1:27)
3. The life of the unborn is protected by the same punishment for injury or death (Exo 21:22) as
that of an adult (Ge. 9:6)
4. Christ was human (the God-man) from the point he was conceived in Marys womb (Matt 1:2021; Luke 1:26-27)
5. The image of God includes male and female (Gen 1:27) but it is a scientific fact that maleness
or femaleness (sex) is determined at the moment of conception
6. Unborn children possess personal characteristics such as sin (Ps 51:5) and joy that are
distinctive of humans
7. Personal pronounces are used to describe unborn children (Jer 1:5 LXX; Mat 1:20-21) just as any
other human being
8. The unborn
said tothese
be known
intimately texts
and personally
by God
as hethat
wouldan
know
any other
Taken
as a are
whole,
scriptures
leave no
doubt
unborn
person (Ps 139:15-16; Jer 1:5)
child is just as much as person in Gods image as a little child or an adult
9. The unborn are even called by God before birth (Gen 25:22-23; Judge 13:2-7; Isa 49:1-5; Gal
is.
They are created in Gods image from the very moment of conception
1:15)
and their prenatal life is precious in Gods eyes and protected by his
prohibition against murder

nally, What does the word of God say?

- end -