The other day someone actually tried to tell me that the Bible only mentions the killing of a child in the womb one time, so the Bible isn’t really against abortion. Good grief. Of course, this same person also tried to tell me that he knew all about Catholicism and the Catholic Church, even though he left that Church as a kid. Judging from our talk, he stopped believing in God and the Church at about the same time he stopped believing in Santa Claus. He came from a family where one parent was of one denomination and the other was Catholic. Unfortunately, his Catholic parent did not raise him in the Catholic religion, which is a serious sin of omission. (See Matrimonia Mixta, Apostolic Letter On Mixed Marriages.) Instead they sent him to one church one weekend and the other the next. No wonder he felt like a yo-yo and got out of there as soon as he was able. I don’t blame him, actually.
But here he was, trying to talk me out of being a Christian and particularly out of being Catholic, all because of his bad experience as a child. As for me, I’ve been studying this religion for 15 years. As an adult. An adult who has studied and practiced other religions, who has spent a lifetime searching for truth. One who is very much in love with Christ, Who is the Truth, and also in love with the Church He founded. One who is committed to that Truth and to becoming ever more faithful to Him. One who has always known that abortion is murder, long before I knew anything about Catholicism. One who is not going to exchange the Light of Christ for the darkness of that young man’s world.
The word “abortion” does not appear in the Bible. So what? The Bible does talk about “the shedding of innocent blood” over and over. Consider the following quotes:
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19, emphasis mine.)
Thus saith the Lord: Execute judgment and justice, and deliver him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor: and afflict not the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, nor oppress them unjustly: and shed not innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3, emphasis mine.)
The Bible does not use the word “abortion” but Biblical religion clearly considers the killing of the innocent to be murder. And who is more innocent than a child still in the womb? Who would want to kill that child? In the Bible the only people who wanted to kill unborn children were folks like Pharaoh and Herod. Their stories are recorded for us in the pages of the Good Book, but could anyone seriously think that the Bible gives us these ruthless baby-killing rulers as spiritual role models or that they weren’t recognized by God’s people as the cold-blooded murderers that they were?
Catholic Heart and Mind 
I have read the Bible since I was a child, Sarah. You talk about respecting my views as long as I do not harm others. But you are fine with other people harming the most vulnerable people of all, babies in the womb who have done no harm to anyone else and cannot protect themselves or even speak out in their own defense. There is no way to justify the deliberate slaughter of an innocent baby in the womb. We cannot agree to disagree. There is such a thing as truth, there is real Truth and His Name is Christ. I have taken the name of Christian, I have taken a baptismal vow and I have taken an oath to live as a Catholic. Therefore I cannot and will not pretend that there is a way to justify what is clearly unjustifiable. Murder is murder, abortion is murder, and there is no way around it, no matter how many ways one tries to say there is. Abortion is murder. I cannot approve of it and I cannot ignore it.
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Do you also support slavery and the raping of women? Because that is in the Bible also. Yet, Christians pick and choose what to believe in the Bible, stating that these views are outdated, but homophobia, abortion, anti-feminism, etc. are okay. The Bible also teaches you to love, to not judge, to respect & treat others as equals- yet, so many, do not practice this. So many, believe that abortion should be illegal and believe they have the right to control another woman’s body. They judge them, look down on them and do the opposite of what God taught in the Bible. I respect your opinion and your views, I think the Bible has very positive morals and life lessons and wisdom to offer. I believe in a Higher Power. But I am also not God, I will never be a person who condemns another’s lifestyle, who they love, and most of all…try to take away a woman’s rights. I respect your right to stand up for what you believe in, but I would still remain pro-choice and just personally encourage them to change their views if I believed that you shouldn’t abort. Also, know how devastating it is for a woman to make that choice. It’s one of the hardest, most difficult choice in their life. And it could be God’s path for her. Christians should offer comfort and solace for their suffering, giving them hope…not judgment, not control, not condemning. That will make the world a better place, if we truly respect one another. God created us all individually, each with our own unique perspective and experiences that made us who we are. You never know unless you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, what they are going through. Because we are each unique, it is only true that God each wanted us to have our own interpretation of Him, each interpretation bringing out the best, most beautiful version of themselves. There is no one Truth. My Higher Power is too great for us to understand. But what I do know, is we are to spread love everywhere. I do not agree with your views, but I have respect for them, as long as you do not harm others…and pro-life would harm others, and possibly cause severe problems for women. They could try to abort themselves, or engage in illegal activities inspiring crime. Food for thought love. :) Have a great life. Also, I know parts of your beliefs are to spread the word of God to others and to stand up for your views is to try to make abortion illegal…but if you read thoroughly into the Bible…you may change your mind.
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Hey Disciple,
good post, I caught the link from your new(er) post.
You handled that first commenter with grace and charity.
To continue with your post–nowhere does the Bible mention Nuclear destruction or the hydrogen bomb or chemical warfare. I think when we read the Bible, we are supposed to use some intelligence, be guided by the Holy Spirit and listen to the teachings of the pilgrim church on earth, who will not lead us astray.
Not many people would gripe if the Church made a statement that condemned either of these three on the basis of the scripture you quote above.
That is frustrating, but mostly very sad.
Peace.
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That’s a good point, Luce. The Bible says nothing about atomic or nuclear bombs but who would dare to suggest that the Bible is silent on the use of these things to destroy millions of lives and lay waste the land?
Absurd it is to think that the Scriptures should have to anticipate in gory detail every vain and vile imagining that human brains might one day entertain. And the people who say these things want us to believe that they are the rational ones. Riiight.
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You pick and choose what to believe in the Bible. And you think it is right to do this? The Bible also encourages and supports slavery, and the raping of women…I’m (hopefully) assuming you do not support this. You may say these views are outdated. But, you believe that abortion is not. If you were to take the Bible in its most positive form, you would treat others as equals, not condemn them for their choices, not judge them…and definitely not try to control them. Like I wrote below, I respect your views and your opinions. But I think that God would not want us to try and control another woman’s body, but instead if we didn’t support abortion then we can personally encourage it to women, but respect their right as an individual and not try to be God and control them by making it illegal. There is a reason God will never allow this to happen. And you should consider what would happen if it was illegal. What women would do to abort if needed…crime would rise, they may die from trying to do it themselves…anyway, just things to consider. From my experience, and my belief that God created us all unique so that we could all have our own individual understanding of Him, it is God’s plan for women to have a right to their own body, to their own choices. And that in turn, we should respect them, support them in time of need…
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And one of the times a woman is in need is when she is about to be aborted by someone else. And another time is when someone else is trying to force a woman into an abortion she does not want and knows is wrong. A woman does not have a right to control the other person’s body inside her, the baby in the womb.
The one picking and choosing what to believe in the Bible, Sarah, is you.
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The prohibition of abortion from the Church has been there from the beginning, even the Didache spells it out. Early canon of council prohibits any abortive remedy, c. 300’s if memory serves. As you point out the unborn child in the womb is named once.
To an unbeliever the reason is deeper than they will understand. It was something I didn’t realize until recently. The whole question is when is life begun and the debate purely focuses on the mortal body.
Consider the question of Mary the Mother of God. She is declared to be the Mother of God because from the moment of conception, via the Holy Spirit, she carried both God and Man as one. To declare it was only diety is anathema. To declare it wasn’t both deity and mortal man from the moment of conception but was mortal and later indwelt, even if indwelt in the womb, results in a widely condemned heresy of the earliest days of the church.
This relates to the formation of the soul. There is no minimum number of cells for the soul. The soul is not installed on its way down the birth canal. The eternal soul exists likewise from the moment of conception.
Thus abortion, and all abortive birth control measures likewise, separate a soul from its body.
The unchanging eternal nature of the Church is fascinating and awe inspiring to me. Likewise their doctrine. I have never encountered anything so incredibly consistent, so deep and awe inspiring. It is profound.
Pray for your friends salvation as who knows maybe one day he will see the light.
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Hi, Lucias :) I know what you mean about the beauty and depth of the Church’s teachings. That’s what attracted me so strongly when I discovered it. I’d already given up on other forms of Christianity, had already searched for answers among the Eastern religions and philosophies, looked at the Western traditions. I found some truth in all of these but something kept me unsatisfied, kept me searching. Then I discovered Catholicism. Who knew? What I had sought was there all along, waiting for me to cast even a momentary glance in His direction, waiting to catch my eye. And now I can’t take my gaze away from Him. I am praying for my friend, and all who wander in darkness, and it is my fervent hope that he and they too may one day gaze upon the Beauty of the Lord in the sanctuary.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Peace be with you.
Disciple
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They insist that each participant should have his or her own Catholic Bible and a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Jesus Christ
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Hi, commenter. I think you’re probably not Jesus Christ, so I’m not going to call you by the Holy Name of my Lord. I have no idea how to reply to your comment. If you care to comment further to clarify, please feel free. I welcome conversation, even debate. Of course, it helps when I know what we’re conversing or debating about. ;)
Thanks for reading and commenting, anyway, even if I don’t understand it. Peace be with you.
Disciple
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