This is part five in our series on responding to your questions and comments. In this Q & A episode, we address two commenters who responded to Off Script 34: Killing the Unborn (A Christian View of Abortion). Dan Fitzsimmons responds to Candace who inquired why Dan would vote against capital punishment but not against abortion even though he opposes it on moral grounds. Rose Rider responds to John’s lengthy comments in which he called into question the legitimacy of using the bible to arrive at a position on abortion.
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- Listen to the episode that this comment came from: Off Script 34: Killing the Unborn (A Christian View of Abortion)
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- Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Bless you all for your thoughtful discussion on the legality and also discussion in Offscript 34, I believe which dealt with christians’ views on abortion. Although not a proponent of abortion, I certainly am not as strong an anti abortion stance as you all appeared. Abortion is a unique subject, and also one in which I find nothing coming from Jesus directly addressing it. I believe he addressed taking care of the poor about ten times, but nothing direct on abortion. After all, we worship a God, who at times killed fetuses in the womb when directing certain battles. Also, we worship God who permits nearly half of the total aborted pregnancies to take place naturally occurring to many women causing anguish to many. This doesn’t count women who lose pregnancy in first month. Scripture such as Jeremiah 1 v5 seems to state that if God knows you (or what you will ever become) before you are in your mother’s womb, this doesn’t add much clarity either. I probably am one that leans more to life beginning with breath. The Jews certainly took that attitude in the OT which to me lends to argument in Exodus 21 v22-23 that if a miscarriage occurs and the aborted fetus dies, a fine is paid which would signify property ownership in the old law. If fetus was considered a human, then it would have been relegated to eye for eye. Maybe this falls into Isaiah 55 v8-9 which show that we can’t understand God’s ways. Further, it appears in Numbers 5v 23 plus that a test for an adulterous wife can be handled by a priest who gives “bitter water”, an abortifacient which could cause the unborn to be aborted and this looks like it was sanctioned by God. There is a lot of vagueness here it seems to me, but then again, I am not a seminary graduate or bible school graduate. Although I heard your explanation on Gen. 2 v 7 which states “God breathed into is nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul” as an invalid argument, because Adam wasn’t born of a womb. Still, in the creation story of the earth itself, it talks of God’s breath being over the waters thus breathing “life” into his creation. There are many breath meaning life scriptures such as Gen. 6 v17, Job 27 v 3, Job 33 v 4, Isaiah 42 v5, Rev. 11 v 11, Job 34 v 14-15 and Psalm 104 v 29. I also find 1 Kings 17 beginning with v 17 interesting where “life” and “soul” are brought back into the dead boy by Elijah after God answered his prayer to bring breath back to the boy. I do find it odd that this issue has become so polarizing and yet Jesus would mention ten times to care for the poor, command in Matt 5 to “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you and do good to those that hate you” which really pushes the envelope but mention nothing directly about abortion. He was direct about prostitution when he said “go and sin no more.” Abortion, mainly through abortifacients was quite common amongst gentiles and perhaps some Jews also. I am at ease with my “breath” as life and also time of getting soul, but I know I am a minority and sad this has become so polarizing. I actually share scripture with homeless and in the same park, there is a “reverend” with signs all over the street and his truck claiming abortion doctors are murderers and women having abortions for any reasons are murderers and pastors not doing what he is doing are fake. One problem I see is that if life begins at egg fertilization, some poor lab tech that spills a slide with fertilized embryos on the floor, breaking the petri dish can be arrested for negligent homicide or considered a serial killer. God bless you all and thanks for your studies. BTW, I don’t encourage women to have abortions but believe the government has no business in the issue.
THANK YOU all for taking the time to read comments and sincerely address listeners’ questions! So impressed!
Thank you, especially, to Daniel for courageously making his argument and clarifying his positions. I know this is not easy in today’s world, regardless of which side you sit on. Being the person willing to “stand in the gap” (with either perspective) is tough. Everybody these days is supposed to be “lukewarm” about everything. . . neutral, per se, so that nobody’s feelings are hurt. Takes bravery to commit to a viewpoint.
I’ll leave my personal opinions on subject aside; this podcast isn’t about me. Doubtful I have anything to add to this thoughtful discussion anyway.
Just wanted to let you know I appreciated everybody’s diligent attention to the subject matter and listeners’ opinions. May God bless all of you in these endeavors!