God Is Prolife!

God Is Pro-Life!
John R. Petrilli

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if certain people had never been born? Picture human history without the likes of John Wesley, William Wilberforce, Louis Pasteur, Leonardo DaVinci, Johan Gutenberg, or Queen Victoria. What would life be like? How would the world have fared without the Albert Einsteins, Isaac Newtons, and Martin Luther Kings? And just where would our world be without the birth of Jesus Christ? Would there even be a world left by now? While some lives have made significant contributions to society, the fact remains that every life is significant.

April 18, 2007, was a history-making day for the pro-life movement in America. After years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ban on the procedure known as partial-birth abortion. Many observers believe it’s the first in what may be a series of major shifts in social policy in the direction toward a culture of life. Rev. Frank Pavone, national director for Priests For Life, states that, “The U.S. Congress and the vast majority of state legislators and American citizens have made it clear over the last decade that this procedure - by which a child is killed in the very process of delivery - has no place in a civilized society. This decision draws a significant and necessary line that stops the momentum of the abortion movement that believes it can justify any and every method of killing the unborn.”

With all of the culture wars, philosophical debates, and political lobbying surrounding the life of the unborn, have you ever wondered where God weighs in on such a critical issue? A search through the Word of God reveals a Creator Who is decidedly pro-life.


First, God Identifies Prenatal Life As A Human Being.

In the book of Deuteronomy God calls the unborn a “child” (21:22), and refers to the same entity as a “life” (21:23). A first-century physician named Luke wrote under the inspiration of God that pre-born life exhibits all the physical, perceptual, and emotional characteristics of personhood (Luke 1:39-44). Research shows that an unborn baby has its own heat beat at the early age of 25 days, brain waves in 43 days, and at 10 weeks all body organs are present and working. This rapidly developing child becomes extremely sensitive to sound, pressure, heat, light, and pain. God also affirms prenatal personhood by giving the unborn a name even before its conception (Luke 1:13,31; 2:21)


Secondly, God Treats Prenatal Life As A Person By Superintending Every Aspect And Phase Of Its Development.

I recall watching a television special titled “The Miracle Of Life”. The program contained breathtaking film footage that allowed the viewer to see the conception and development of a baby inside a mother’s womb. In Psalm 139 David takes us on a very similar journey as he walks us through an autobiographical account of his own conception and prenatal formation. David credits God with personally creating his soul (“my inmost being”), as well as his body (“my frame” … “my unformed body”). God is pictured as a knitter diligently attending to every detail of a preborn’s development. He states that God watches over each step in the process, and that David’s individual qualities were preplanned and designed long before his actual conception. This might explain why no two humans ever share the same exact fingerprint or DNA code. Only an all powerful and loving God could pull off such an amazing feat.


Third, God Provides Physical and Legal Protection For The Unborn.

One of the great anatomical wonders is the human womb. Its ingenious design insulates and protects its resident from any form of intrusion or injury. The womb shields and sustains the unborn life, giving it the time necessary for full and healthy development. What’s more, God has granted full legal protection to pre-born life in the event of accidental or intentional injury or death (Exo. 21:23).


Finally, God Pronounces Judgment On Those Who Trifle With The Gift Of Life.

Godless individuals take innocent human life for any number of reasons including idolatry (Deut. 12:29-31), population control (Exo.1:8-22), political expediency (Matt. 2:1-16), irrational ethnic hatred (Esther 3:8-9), and sadly in our own generation, “personal convenience”. God’s anger burns hotly against those who would dare to destroy the life of the pre-born or the life of the newborn (Amos 1:13; Lev. 20:1-3). When a society turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to infanticide, God Himself takes personal responsibility for dealing justly with the perpetrators (Lev. 20:4-5). To anyone performing an abortion this should serve as a sober warning. And to any who may have made the tragic mistake of abortion, there is always the promise of forgiveness through Christ, healing of the heart, and the comforting hope of seeing their child again in Heaven.

New technology known as ultrasound allows a pregnant mother to see their unborn child with incredible clarity. James Dobson writes that 88% of abortion-minded women who receive loving counseling and meet their babies face to face through the wonder of ultrasound choose to carry their baby to term. This is just one example of how God can and will work through His people as they find creative and practical ways to preserve and protect the lives of the unborn. As Christians we must redouble our efforts to pray for our leaders as they formulate public policy, vote for pro-life political candidates, give to pro-life organizations, and fully support the crisis pregnancy centers and adoption agencies in our area. May God ignite the believing community with a vision and passion to right this wrong and restore moral sanity to our land.