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Ethix Chapter 7 Defending Pro-Life
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Ethix Chapter 7
Defending Pro-Life
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I you in the womb I you, before you were
I set you apart; I you as a to the
nations.”
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:
“Before I you in the I you, you were
I you
; I you as a to the .”
Is the Bible Really Pro-Life?
Aside from Jeremiah 1:5a, what Scriptures can you provide that support the idea that God is pro-life?
Defending Pro-Life (p. 91)
Purpose: To understand the biblical, scientific, and philosophical foundations of the pro-life position and to be able to respond to common objections.
In this chapter you will learn What the Bible has to say about the issue of abortion.
What the Scriptures say about the beginning of human life.
Philosophical issues related to the status of the unborn.
A three-step scientific case to defend the unborn.
How to respond to the most common objections in favor of abortion.
The Biblical Background of Abortion
The main reason Scripture does not directly address the issue of abortion is that abortion was so unimaginable to an Israelite woman it was not even necessary to mention it in the legal code.
1. Children were considered a blessing from God. (Ps. 127:3-5a) “3 Children are a heritage from the LORD; offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a
warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5a Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
2. God is a sovereign ruler over conception in the womb. (Genesis 29:33; 1 Samuel 1:19-20) “She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not
loved, he gave me this one too.”
“19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[a] saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
3. It was viewed as a curse to remain childless. (Deuteronomy 25:6) “The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted
out from Israel.”
The Biblical Background of Abortion
The same words are used throughout the Old and New Testaments to describe the born and the unborn. In the New Testament the Greek word brephos is often used of the
unborn, newborn, and younger children (Luke 1:41, 44; 18:15; 1 Peter 2:2), indicating that God views all stages of human development equally.
In the Old Testament the Hebrew word geber was used to refer to a person at conception but also to a grown man (Job 3:3; Exodus 10:11; Deuteronomy 22:5; Judges 5:30).
The popular distinction between the “potential life” of the fetus and the “actual life” of the newborn is found nowhere in Scripture. Every stage of human life has equal value in the eyes of God.
The Biblical Background of Abortion
Conception as the Beginning of Human Life
Genesis 4:1
Job 3:3
Psalm 51:5
God Relates Personally to the Unborn
Job 31:15
Psalm 139:13-14
Jeremiah 1:5
The Equality of the Unborn
Exodus 21:22-23 (important follow-up discussion in reading on this verse)
What do all of these pictures have in common?
Answer:
They wouldn’t exist if the people connected to them had not been
adopted.
How would our lives be different if these people’s parents had chosen abortion over
adoption?
Steve Jobs (Apple co-founder)
Jamie Foxx (actor and comedian) by grandmother after parents separated.
Faith Hill (country star singer)
Bo Diddley (blues legend)
John Lennon (Beatle) raised by aunt and uncle when he was 5 yrs. old
Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medalist ice skater)
Ray Liotta (actor)
Sarah McLachlan (singer)
Liz Phair (musician)
Dave Thomas (Wendy’s founder)
Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton (US Presidents)
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I you in the womb I you, before you were
I set you apart; I you as a to the
nations.”
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:
“Before I you in the I you, you were
I you
; I you as a to the .”
The Scientific Case (p. 95)
Conception: The beginning of life. Even a trained geneticist cannot distinguish between the DNA of an embryo and an adult human being. Note: Complete instructions for characteristics are all contained in the DNA of the forty-six chromosomes inside the small cell at the point of conception.
Implantation: On day six, the individual burrows into the wall of the mother’s uterus. Begins dividing into body and organ system.
Heartbeat: Can happen as early as 21 days.
Brain Waves: Brain forms functions by 6th week.
Organ Systems in Place: Embryo becomes fetus at 9 weeks.
The Scientific Case Cont’d
Movement: Baby moves by 12 weeks.
Quickening: Mother can feel movement as early as 16 weeks (wiggles fingers and toes.)
Hearing: Responds to stimuli at 21 weeks. Aware of mother’s feelings of stress, pleasure, and excitement.
Viability: Baby can survive outside of the mother’s womb as early as 23 weeks.
The Three Steps of the Scientific CaseBe able to support these 3 points, some as a process, others with at least one example.
1. Show that the unborn is alive: The mother and father are alive. So are the individual sperm and egg. The zygote
formed from their union is alive, as is the developing fetus during its entire term. Finally, the child delivered at birth is alive.
2. Show that the unborn is a separate individual from the mother: Many women carry babies with a different blood type than their own.
A woman may be carrying a male child (she doesn’t have male parts).
The fetus has a DNA fingerprint distinct form the mother.
If the embryo of black parents is transplanted into a white mother, she will still have a black baby.
Early in development the fetus has its own hands, feet, heart, skin, and eyes.
The Three Steps of the Scientific Case
3.Show that the individual is human:Beings reproduce after their own kind. (Ex: Dogs beget dogs,
lizards beget lizards, bacteria beget bacteria, humans beget humans.)
The Philosophical Case
When Does the Fetus Become Human?Many believe no one can know for sure when life begins, so it
should be left up to the personal choice. The problem with letting people decide: Why should we risk it if it’s even remotely possible?!
Even if there is uncertainty about when life begins, we should err on the side of life. The benefit of the doubt goes to the life-saver. The burden of proof rests on the life-taker to show that there is no presence of life.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:5a
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 1:
“Before I you in the I you, you were
I you
; I you as a to the .”
Memory Verse Quiz
On a half sheet of paper, complete your MVQ. When both you and the person next to you have finished, pull out your memory verse sheets and grade each other’s honestly. The total is out of 14 points this week.
Terms to Know
Viability: the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb with the commonly available technology
Brain Development: the point at which the brain begins to function
Sentience: the moment at which a fetus can feel sensations, specifically pain
Quickening: the first time the mother feels the presence of the fetus inside the womb
(Be able to match these words with their definitions.)
S.L.E.D.
The next two slides use an acronym of S.L.E.D. to help you explain why the differences between the born and unborn are not significant enough to deny the valuable human nature of the fetus.
For your reading quiz, be able to support each of the four reasons with examples or explanations as to why that reason doesn’t make a fetus any less human.
Important Differences between the Born and Unborn
Size: Just because the fetus is smaller than adults does not mean it is not a valuable human person.
Level of development: Adults are not more human than elementary school children because they have developed mentally. Handicapped people are no less human because they don’t develop fully.
Who is more human?
Important Differences between the Born and Unborn Cont’d
Environment: People do not stop being human because they change location. Where we are doesn’t determine what we are.
Degree of Dependence: Toddlers, handicapped, and those on dialysis are dependent on others, yet they are still fully human.
Who is more human?
Abortion Procedures
Partial-birth Abortion (Dilation and Extraction): Abortionist pulls the baby out of the birth canal by the legs and crams scissors into the back of the baby’s skull. (As long as baby is breathing inside the mother, the abortion can take place, even to the point that the baby’s head is partially out.) This procedure can be done up to the 9th month of pregnancy in most states.
Suction Aspiration: Suction apparatus literally tears apart the developing baby.
Dilation and Curettage (D&C): The baby has its arms, legs, and head cut off and its entire body shredded into small pieces.
The Silent Scream
If you are uncomfortable watching, you are allowed to sit quietly in the hall; however, all are encouraged to watch as this impacting three minutes will hopefully help you understand and help others understand more about the process in the future.
Show minutes 14:30-17: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2V7rmArsw
Extra details to know about Abortions
A woman who has an abortion is 30% more likely to get breast cancer.
The baby is physically in pain during an abortion.
Between 75-85% of rape victims who become pregnant choose to carry the baby.
Approximately 1,000,000 abortions are performed in America every year.
Responding to Objections (p. 102)
For the next two slides, be sure you are able to respond to the provided objections. You can use any of the arguments, questions, etc. provided for each one on your reading quiz. Just be thorough and accurate.
Responding to Objections
Objection: Women have the freedom to do what they want with their own bodies.
The fetus is NOT part of the mother’s body. A woman’s right to her own body is not absolute—it is limited when it brings harm to another human being.
Objection: If abortion becomes illegal, women will be forced into back alleys to have abortions, which is unsafe.
Does society have the responsibility to make it safe to kill innocent people? Same could be said for robbing banks or dealing drugs. Should we make those legal?
Objection: Bringing these children into the world can be an economic drain.
When humans become expensive, can we kill them (ie: the homeless, those born with expensive health care needs? Cost is irrelevant to life.
Responding to Objections Cont’d
Objection: Women should not be forced to bring unwanted children into the world.
When people become unwanted, may we kill them? The fact that a child is unwanted is more a commentary on the parents than the child.
Objection: Women should not be forced to carry a baby resulting from rape.
Why should the child be punished for her father’s crime? Should the law permit murder of an innocent person to relieve the mental anguish of a trauma such as rape?
A Powerful Alternative
ADOPTION
180 Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dhwI
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you my inmost being; you me together in my mother’s . 14 I praise you because I am and wonderfully made; your works are
, I know that full well.”
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you my being; you
me in my mother’s . 14 I you because I am
and wonderfully made; your are , I know that well.”
Ultrasound Pictures
Let’s see what babies look like through the first trimester (13 weeks):
http://www.baby2see.com/development/ultrasound_sonogram/first_trimester_scans.html#week12
Who’s Ready for the Hot Seat?
Women have a moral right to decide what to do with their bodies.
The right to abortion is vital for gender equality.
The right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential.
Banning abortion puts women at risk by forcing them to use illegal abortionists.
A pregnancy to a woman is perhaps one of the most determinative aspects of her life. It disrupts her body. It disrupts her education. It disrupts her employment. And it often disrupts her entire family life.
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you my inmost being; you me together in my mother’s . 14 I praise you because I am and wonderfully made; your works are
, I know that full well.”
Memory Verse
Psalm 139:13-14“13For you my being; you
me in my mother’s . 14 I you because I am
and wonderfully made; your are , I know that well.”
