"At this point in the development of man's knowledge," we can "not resolve the difficult question of when life begins." He further states that “if this suggestion of (fetal) personhood is established, the [case in support of legal abortion] collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the (14th) Amendment."Yet this is where it gets just plain ridiculous. Here is what Abort73.com, an amazing Christian pro-life education resource, says about Justice Blackmun's words:
"While this claim of, "we just don't know when life begins," was demonstrably false in 1973, it is even more nonsensical today. We do know when life begins. We are "at the point in the development of man's knowledge" where we can "resolve [this] difficult question." Nevertheless, the law remains the same, abortion has become entrenched in American life, and the institution which was hoisted upon us without public debate has become a force to be reckoned with. Like slavery before it, abortion is now central to the lives of many Americans, but no matter what the social cost may be, when laws victimize the weak and vulnerable (rather than protecting them), it is time for those laws to change."Here Abort73 makes a clear, logical point. Science has proven that life begins at conception (check out the link in the quote - "we do know when life begins.") Now, forty years after this court ruling was made, it's even more clear that life begins from the moment it starts to form in the womb. And then Abort73 brings up a point you may have never thought about - today, abortion is like slavery.
Slavery forces people to give all control of their own life into the hands of someone else, someone who could abuse them or take their life at will. Slaves were completely helpless; the value of their life was determined by their master. And just like slavery is completely evil and immoral, so is abortion. Today we say that a baby's value is determined by its mother. If a mother thinks that her child's life is not worth living (whether it's for a reason they think is valid or biblical or not), she can terminate that life. But it is only God who decides the value of a person. Only He sets the standard for life. And His standard is that all life is beautiful. Every baby deserves to be born, every life deserves to live. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Just a few days ago, we celebrated Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Russel Moore (a noted theologian and professor and dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) wrote an article last week called, "Why I Hate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday." Here's why:
"I don't hate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday because I think it, somehow, unbiblical. No, indeed. The entire canon throbs with God's commitment to the fatherless and to the widows, his wrath at the shedding of innocent blood. I don't hate it because I think it's inappropriate. ... I hate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday because I'm reminded that we have to say things to one another that human beings shouldn't have to say.
- >>Mothers shouldn't kill their children.
- >>Fathers shouldn't abandon their babies.
- >>No human life is worthless, regardless of skin color, age, disability, economic status.
The very fact that these things must be proclaimed is a reminder of the horrors of this present darkness."So join with me today in praying for the unborn, for the abortive mothers, for the abortion clinics, for the pro-choice protesters and for those women who are pregnant and even now contemplating an abortion. Let's pray for God's glory to be manifested in the midst of such tragedy that goes on every day. As an abortion is committed every 26 seconds, let's commit to stand up for the right of the unborn. Let's stand up for life. And let's pray that this murderous practice will be condemned and stopped. For, as Russell Moore concluded his article,
"We'll always need Christmas. We'll always need Easter. But I hope, please Lord, someday soon, that Sanctity of Human Life Day is unnecessary."
A Few Resources on Abortion
- Abort73.com - A good overview of abortion, its legal ramifications, its medical roots, and the biblical stance for life.
- 9 Things You Should Know About Roe v. Wade - The Gospel Coalition looks at the practical case of Roe v. Wade and explains exactly what happened there.
- We Know They Are Killing Children - All of Us Know - In this painfully true post, John Piper looks at eleven reasons why abortion is taking a life.
- Five Things We Can Do for the Unborn - I posted this last year, but it's just as applicable today as it was a year ago.