Abortion: A. is a frontline issue today - moral, social, legal, political, medical
B. is afamily issue
The purpose of this message:
#1. to inform you briefly about abortion
#2. to convince/persuade you that it is wrong
#3. to direct you away from abortion (in your future - especially young people)
#4. to assure you - if you've had an abortion that God loves you, He heals, He forgives.
Statistics show that about 43% of women in the US will have at least one abortion before they are 45 years old.
#5. to challenge you to combat abortion by various means and to open your heart and arms to those who've experienced abortion.
Today's Statistics:
The U.S. has one of the highest abortion rates among developed countries. It's estimated that around one million abortions take place annually and more than 45 million abortions have been performed in the U.S. since 1973.
In comparison: during WWI 116,576 Americans were killed. In WWII 405,399 Americans were killed. That totals 521,915. In any given year since 1972, more babies are legally aborted in the United States than in both those wars combined. (in 1990, it was almost exactly double that figure)
Worldwide, approximately 42 million abortions per year are performed - that averages 115,000 per day.
In the United States, approximately 1,37 million per year - average 3,700 per day.
Compare that figure to the total Americans killed in the Iraqi war since Mar. 19, 2009 - 4,300 total as of 5-23-09.
We could call this an argument against abortion, but prefer to to call it the components in the Argument for Life.
#1. The Scriptural Argument - where we begin as Christians.
Sanctity of Life - Gen. 1:26-28 - human life is very special.
Individuality of the child - Psalms 139:13-16 and Jer.1:4-5 God knows every child even prior to conception.
The Greek word used in scripture is the same word in these three instances:
a. Luke 1:44 (in womb) b. Luke 2:12 (infant) c. Luke 18:15 (child) There is a similar situation in the Hebrew language as well.
#2. The Common Sense Argument - people have always know that termination of a pregnancy results in the expulsion of a child!!!
In the 21st. century we are the only people who deny what has always been known. Now they try to say that "it's not really a baby!!!"
One doctor's answer: "in 25 years of medical practice, I've never delivered a carrot or a rabbit; I've always delivered babies, members of the human species...."
We only fool ourselves when we try to deny what we know!
#3. The Medical Argument (why is the most modern generation the only one to deny medically that it's a child?!)
Facts: there is a detectable heartbeat at 30 days.
there are brain waves at 40 days.
there are identifiable arms and legs at 45 days.
At 56 days, all body systems are present!!!
This is the point at which most abortions take place!! Babies can feel pain at this point, they will move away from a needle during amniocentisis.
#4 The traditional Argument (ie: the traditional Christian argument) Many quotes from early church fathers regarding the sanctity of life.
#5. The Human Rights Argument (civil and constitutional)
A baby in the womb is protected by law ONLY IF wanted by the mother.
John C. Wilke, a Cincinnati physician and for many years the head of the National Right to Life Committee, has summarized some of the .... likenesses in his book, "Abortion and Slavery". Both required a Supreme court decision: the 1857 Dred Scott case ruled that blacks were not persons worthy of protection under the Constitution; the 1973 Roe v. Wade case ruled that unborn children were not persons worthy of protection under the Constitution. The slave was considered the property of his owner; the unborn child is considered the property of his mother. The slave owner had the right of choice over the slave - to buy, sell, and in some cases to kill. The mother has the right to choose to keep or to kill her unborn child. Pro-slavery proponents argued vehemently that they did not want to impose slavery on any other states or sections of the country; they only wanted the rights of those that chose to own slaves protected; they objected strongly to the imposition of the moral values of the abolitionists upon them. Pro-abortionists argue that pro-lifers have no right to impose their morality on the mother. And of course the most obvious parallel is this: slavery received, and abortion receives, the full protection of the law.
He goes on to say in his book that: "....Both are but particular cases of the recurring challenge to the first principles of the American Revolution, which forbid the violation of the God-given rights of any person, no matter how convenient such a violation might be for some powerful individual or faction, or even a majority".
According to the Constitution "we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.."
and "that among them are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Incidentally: the Supreme Court has reversed itself 100 times in 200 years!! It is NOT infallible.
#6. The Psychological Argument (the effect on those involved)
Women: and LA times poll showed that 56% felt guilty; 26% mostly regretted it.
Men: One man who'd taken his girlfriend to an abortion clinic stated that, "every spring I find myself thinking 'what would my son be today?"
This is called Post Abortion Stress Syndrome Prov. 27:17 - includes the unborn!
#7. the Social Argument (the effect on our people, nation, society)
Who knows? How can we measure?
#8. The Consequential Argument - (long term results and consequences)
A. Here and Now? one example: there is a population implosion. Almost all countries in the world today are experiencing a decline in population. There are not enough babies being born to replace those people who are dying off.
Gal. 6:7 - "a nation reaps what it sows"????
B. there - afterlife and judgment?? Matt. 18:5 & 6 (context is not abortion, but Jesus attitude toward children.)
Numbers 1 - 8 all lumped together equal
THE MORAL ARGUMENT AGAINST ABORTION
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