Abortion has been the hottest social argument in America and around the world for at least 7 decades (but it has always existed), and recent rulings have reminded all of us just how volatile this topic is. After 50 years of women having the right to choose, that right was taken away as federal law and given over to the states. I want to be clear about where I am on this: I, like every person I know, would like to live in a world without the need for abortion. I also believe that those who oppose the right to choose do so for theological reasons, which is not an appropriate reason to ban it as a medical procedure. It cannot be medically proven when life begins, so viability is at the core of many pro-choice people’s argument to keep abortion legal and safe. This, however, is not about that; this thought is about a theology of abortion.
The word does not appear in the Bible. Your Bible might have it in there (probably has the word homosexual there too), but that is a misinterpretation of the word. The English rendering of the word Nephel means miscarriage. That word appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures; in 2 Kings 2 and Exodus 21. In 2 Kings, Elisha throws salt into a spring to purify it so there won’t be any more miscarriages (seriously?), and in Exodus 21 we are given a ruling about what happens if there is a fight that causes an accidental early birth. In that case, the guilty party is taken to court and a judge decides how much to fine them. That is all the entire Bible says about miscarriage. Neither Jesus nor the Apostle Paul mentions it. This doesn’t mean they thought it was a good idea or a bad idea; it means it isn’t there.
Good theology tells us that we shouldn’t attack someone who is suffering, and most women I know who have had an abortion, whether medically necessary or an agonizing choice, say that they have suffered spiritually and emotionally and, sometimes, physically. Bad theology blames the woman and gives the sperm donor (or rapist) a pass. Good theology provides for girls and women in need during this difficult time; bad theology weaponizes and punishes them. As a pastor, I have walked through this difficult time with a couple of women, and all I could do was hold their hand and tell them that God loves them. Bad theology tells us to stand outside clinics with condemning signs and harmful words.
I believe that the option of adoption works for some girls and women and not for others. Ultimately, as a man, I will never know the feelings that come with being pregnant. I will never have to decide what to do if I don’t or do want to keep a baby. I can tell you my opinion, but it really doesn’t matter, because I will never have to deal with this. I lived vicariously through the experience of my two children being born, but I didn’t birth them. Which is why those who will give birth should have a choice. If you oppose that choice based on your understanding of God, that is up to you. Just stop blaming Jesus or the Bible for what you believe. That is dishonest.
Prayer – God of all, be with all who have to make difficult, life-changing decisions, and give them a sense of Your love in their spirits, no matter what they decide. Amen.
Today’s art is “Purple Chaos” by Taly Katz (2015).