Faith Bible Church                                                                                         Dr.Robert C. Newman

September 15, 1991                                                                             BiblicalTheological Seminary

 

                                            ABORTION:SCIENTIFIC, ETHICAL

                                               &BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

THE PROBLEM

Notethe following statistics: recent issues of Statistical Abstract of theUnited States and the WorldAlmanac:

 

U.S. ABORTION COMPARED TO OTHER CAUSES OF DEATH IN U.S. (allcolumns but 1 & 3 in 1000s)

 

  

   YEAR

  LEGAL

ABORTIONS

  /1000

  BIRTHS

  INFANT

  DEATHS

ACCIDENTAL

  DEATHS

 

  MURDERS

 FORCIBLE

  RAPES

   ALL

  DEATHS

   1973

   744

    239

    56

   116

   19.6

   51.4

  1973

   1974

   898

    282

    53

   105

   20.7

   55.4

  1934

   1975

  1034

    331

    51

   103

   20.5

   56.1

  1893

   1976

  1179

    361

    48

   101

   18.8

   57.2

  1907

   1977

  1320

    400

    47

   103

   19.1

   63.6

  1900

   1978

  1410

    417

    46

   106

   19.6

   67.7

  1928

   1979

  1498

    422

    46

   105

   21.5

   76.5

  1914

   1980

  1554

    428

    46

   106

   23.0

   83.1

  1990

   1981

  1577

    430

    43

   101

   22.5

   82.5

  1978

   1982

  1574

    428

    42

    94

   21.0

   78.8

  1975

   1983

  1575

    436

    41

    92

   19.3

   78.9

  2019

   1984

  1577

    423

    40

    93

   18.7

   84.2

  2039

   1985

  1589

    422

    40

    94

   19.0

   88.7

  2086

 


U.S. ABORTIONS COMPAREDTO U.S. WAR DEATHS (numbers in 1000s)

     WAR

  BATTLE

 NON-BATTLE

 TOTAL

 Revolution

    7

    19

   25

 War of 1812

    2

    NA

    2

 Mexican

    2

    12

   13

 Civil (USA)

  140

   224

  365

 Civil (CSA)

   75

    59

  134

 Spanish

    1

     2

    3

 World War 1

   54

    63

  117

 World War 2

  292

   115

  407

 Korea

   34

    21

   54

 Vietnam

   47

    11

   58

    TOTALS

  653

   526

 1178

1

 

 

ABORTIONS COMPARED TOMAJOR CAUSES OF ADULT DEATHS, 1985

 

Total deaths (1000s)      2086

 

Major causes of death:

 

1st: cardiovascular         978          

2nd: cancer                   462

Sum of 1st two:             1440

 

Abortions:                    1589

 

 

ABORTIONS COMPARED TOJEWISH HOLOCAUST

 

Jewish victims (est.1000s, Encyc Judaica, 8:889)                5821         

 

U.S. legal abortions1973-78                             6585

                                                     

 


 

Some Observations:

 

**Note US war deaths.  Since 1976,there have been more US  abortions eachyear than the total wardeaths in US history.

 

**Compare rapes with abortions: the latter outnumber the former by about 20 to 1.

 

**Compare all deaths with abortion: the number who are killed before birth each year is more than 3/4ths thenumber of born people (babies thru elderly) who die each year; there are moredeaths by abortion than by heart disease and cancer combined.

 

**If abortions are taken into account, life expectancy in the US drops from 75 to53!

 

**Nazi holocaust surpassed by US abortions by middle of 1978.  By end 1990, est. total US abortionsalmost 25 million, about 4 times Nazi total.

 

SCIENTIFIC CONSIDERATIONS

 

Safety to Mother:

            Slightlysafer to abort than to give birth

            Butwhy restrict consideration to mother?

                        Certainlynot safer for child!

 

Is Fetus Human?

            Notan onion!

            Whatscientific warrantfor a "no" answer?

            Israbbit fetus a rabbit?

            Howis fetus different from unfertilized egg?

                        Fullvs half set of genetic material

            Whatdifference does "viability" make?

                        Partlya matter of technology

 

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

Article by Peter J. Riga in WashingtonPost, 23 Aug 91, p A-19

 

What standard for behavior?

            Goldenrule: do unto others ...

            Silverrule: don't do unto others ...

            Kant'scategorical imperative:  universalrule

 

Personal rights

            Wheredo one person's rights end and another's begin?

 

Compare with:

            Slavery

            Non-voluntaryeuthanasia

            Murder,abandonment of unwanted children

            Holocaust

 

BIBLICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

God's Great Commandments:

            1st:Love God with everything

            2nd:Love neighbor as self

 

Sanctity of Human Life

            Gen9:3-6: distinguished from animal life

                        deathpenalty for murder

            Ex20:13: 6th of 10 Commandments

 

Specifics on Abortion: Ex 21:22-25

            Evenaccidental abortion penalized     

 

Care for the Helpless

            Ex22:22-24: command and threat

            Dt10:18: God's attitude

            Jas1:27: pure religion to care for widows, orphans

            Matt25:31-46: contrast abortion with action of righteous toward hungry, thirsty,stranger,               naked,sick, prisoners