Articles From The Writings of Vasu Murti

Biblical View on Abortion

Exodus 21:22-24. If two men are fighting and one injures a pregnant woman and the fetus is killed, he shall repay her according to the degree of injury inflicted upon *her*,and not the fetus.
 
Author Brian McKinley, a born-again Christian, comments:
 
“Thus we can see that if the baby is lost, it does not require a death sentence-it is not considered murder. But if the woman is lost, it is considered murder and is punished by death.”
 
This is grounded in Exodus 21:22. That biblical passage outlines the Mosaic Law in a case where a man is responsible for causing a woman’s miscarriage, which kills the fetus.
 
If the woman survives, then the perpetrator has to pay a fine to the woman’s husband. If the woman is killed, the perpetrator is also killed. This indicates that the fetus has value, but does not have the status of a person.
 
Pro-life apologists say at least the unborn has *some* value in the Old Testament, if not actual or real personhood. But the New Testament is more permissive than the Old Testament!
 
Jesus repeatedly upheld Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17-19; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 16:17) as did his apostles (see chapters 10, 15, and 21 of Acts). Paul, however, claims Mosaic Law has been abolished, referring to his previous adherence to the Law as “so much garbage…”
 
So even if you could find a verse in the Old Testament indicating concern for the unborn, Paul, and not Jesus, says it’s “garbage.”
 
Paul doesn’t say anything about abortion in any of his epistles, but would it matter if he had?
 
Conservative Christians are quick to condemn anyone preaching a false gospel, but some conservative Christians argue not only that they’re not under Mosaic Law, but that they don’t have to follow Paul, either, because Paul claims the risen Jesus said to him three times “…my grace is sufficient for thee…” and they take this biblical verse as a license to do as they please.
 
If their view prevails, then:
 
What basis do pro-life Christians have for prohibiting abortion?
 
Doesn’t “three times…” permit abortion?
 
Secular pro-life arguments are religion-neutral and thus applicable to everyone, including atheists and agnostics.
 
The pro-life movement ALREADY HAS the support of organized religion.

Instead of preaching to the choir, i.e., wasting time with religion, pro-lifers should focus on embryology and prenatal development, DNA, RNA, etc. to make their case to our mainstream secular society.
 
The Democratic Party platform should support: Animal Rights, Defending the Affordable Care Act, Ending Citizens United, Ending Marijuana Prohibition, Giving Greater Visibility to Pro-Life Democrats, Gun Control, Net Neutrality, Raising the Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour, Responding to the Scientific Consensus on Global Warming, and a Sustainable Energy Policy.
 
Democrats for Life of America, 10521 Judicial Drive, #200, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 424-6663

Go on to: Book Review: “Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State”
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