Abortion Laws and the Bible: The Conflict between Human Choice and Divine Will
Shawn St Peter • February 1, 2023
The 40 days and nights that Jesus spent in the wilderness was a defining moment in his ministry, marking the beginning of his journey towards fulfilling his divine mission. Prior to this, he was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, where he fasted and was tempted by the devil. This momentous event is chronicled in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and serves as a testament to Jesus' unwavering faith in the face of temptation.
The story of Jesus’ trials in the desert serves two purposes. Firstly, it highlights his ability to overcome temptation, proving his holiness and the fact that he was able to succeed where Adam and Eve had failed. Through these trials, we can see Jesus' true nature as the son of God, possessing an unwavering faith and the ability to resist the devil even in his weakest moments. Secondly, it shows Jesus as a man of flesh and blood, with the same human limitations and temptations as any other man. In this sense, the story of Jesus’ trials serves as a testament to his humanity, as well as his divine nature, and is a reminder of the central Christian belief of the importance of free will in making the choice to be faithful or unfaithful to God.
The idea of free will is central to what it means to be a human, and a Christian, from the beginning of the Bible. As a former catholic and Pro-Choice advocate, I am often confused by how Christians’ are so fervently in favor of laws restricting free will when it comes to abortion. I understand why they are against abortion generally, that it is immoral and a sin - and I am not unsympathetic to this. I get it, life is precious and should be protected. But the idea of having a law to force this morality on people seems antithetical to my understanding of Christianity. Quite frankly, it seems like a cop out - it seems like taking the easy way, the path of least resistance. At best it seems like a perversion of our core purpose on earth. At worst, it is a level of arrogance that causes man to assume the role that God has reserved for himself - that of imposing judgement on our fellow man. Perhaps, I am being naive when I say it was my understanding that we as Christians have two main purposes during our time on earth: to Honor and Glorify God, and to spread the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so that all may have the chance to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But to me, being in favor of government determining what a person can and can not do with their own body seems antithetical to this idea of Christianity. Let’s get into it.
This concept of man not being controlled by God, but having free will to choose Him goes back to the beginning Abrahamic religions, specifically Genesis 1:27. In the original Hebrew, it states: “וּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם בְּצַלְמֵ֑נוּ כִּֽי־צַלְמֵ֞נוּ יִשְׁרָ֤אֶה בְּדַעְתֹּו֙ בְּט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע וְיִרְבֶּ֖ה יֹורֵ֥ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃" The translation of this text into English may vary slightly depending on the method used, but the general meaning is the same: "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' God created man in his image and gave him the ability to make choices and exercise authority over the rest of creation. This is seen as reflecting God's own sovereignty and power and is sometimes interpreted as a mandate for humans to exercise responsible stewardship over the natural world.
What’s more, God tells us exactly how to honor Him in Isaiah 58:6-11. In this passage, the prophet Isaiah speaks to the Israelites about the type of fasting that God desires. The fast that God wants is not just a physical fast but a spiritual one. God desires that the Israelites demonstrate their faithfulness to him by caring for the poor, freeing those who are oppressed, and refraining from speaking falsely and maliciously against others. In this way, their light will shine, and they will become a source of healing and renewal to those around them.
Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature. Hebrews 1:3–4 says emphasizes that Jesus upholds the universe by His power and has made purification for sins. He has become superior to angels and has inherited an excellent name.
Not only is Jesus Christ the radiance of God's glory, but He is also our perfect example for how we can glorify God. In Matthew 28:19–20 Jesus instructs His disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that He has commanded. He promises to be with them always until the end of the age. By following Jesus' example and teachings, we can also glorify God.
Inherent in this message is the understanding that we were created in God's image with a free will. We must choose to accept God, with our mind, heart, and soul. Galatians 5:13 tells us that "You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don't let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love." The act of Baptism (and Confirmation in the catholic church) is a public confirmation that a person accepts Christ and freely chooses to live as a Christian.
The ability to choose to follow or reject God is a gift from Him. Each person has the power to believe that living by His teachings will bring blessings in this life and the next, but also has the ability to choose otherwise. Imposing our understanding of His word on those who don't accept it freely goes against His will and fails to glorify Him. It's not our place to judge how others use the gifts He's given them.
And this is why I struggle to understand why so many Christians fight not to spread the Good News to the people, but rather to attempt to impose it through the law. The time, effort, and resources spent on advocating for laws that enforce a Christian moral code could be used more effectively to educate and spread the message of God's love and teachings, or to promote abstinence and sexual education as a way to reduce the number of abortions.
There is part of Christianity that could account for their overwhelming push to fight against legalized abortions - and that is its legacy of misogyny. Although Jesus himself treated women with respect and equality, and some early Christian communities were led by women, misogyny soon became prevalent in the Church. This was largely due to the influence of Greco-Roman cultural attitudes and the writings of early Christian leaders such as Tertullian and Augustine, who taught that women were inferior to men and responsible for sin in the world.
The idea of women's inherent sinfulness and inferiority persisted in the Church for centuries, leading to widespread restrictions on women's roles and opportunities. Women were not allowed to hold positions of authority in the Church, and their voices and opinions were often excluded from religious discourse. This contributed to the idea that women's bodies and reproductive choices were not their own, but rather under the control of men and the Church.
As a result of this history of misogyny, many in the Church today are still reluctant to give women the freedom to choose what to do with their bodies. The Church's stance on issues such as birth control, abortion, and female ordination is often seen as a continuation of this patriarchal attitude, which views women as secondary to men and their bodies as subject to male control. Despite efforts to challenge and change these attitudes, misogyny remains a significant issue within the Christian faith today and continues to impact women's experiences of religion and their ability to make decisions about their own bodies.
Our free will, given to us by God, allows us to make choices and exercise authority over creation, including our bodies and anything within them. The restriction of abortion access through government laws goes against the principles of God's will for human beings to have free choice. This restriction is not solely a result of religious beliefs, but also stems from the Church's long history of misogyny and patriarchal oppression. It undermines the fundamental right of individuals to make decisions about their own bodies and their own lives. The story of Jesus' trials in the wilderness and his teachings serve as a guide for us as we strive to glorify God and spread His love to all those around us. The honoring of God and glorification of Him can only come through allowing individuals to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and unborn fetuses, regardless of any personal moral objections to abortion.
Ultimately, the debate over abortion is not just a political or legal issue, but also a moral and spiritual one. It is important to approach this issue with compassion and empathy, recognizing the complex and often difficult circumstances that individuals face when making decisions about their reproductive health. By ensuring access to safe and legal abortion services, we can help to create a world that is more just, equitable, and respectful of all human life.
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Note – this article was written by ChatGPT. I asked it to write an explainer post for my website in the style of Malcolm Gladwell. As part of this week’s podcast, I had ChatGPT co-produce it with me. It came up with script suggestions. I asked it to help me write an explainer companion post for the website. I did not really like the first one it wrote, and so I tried asking for different types of articles, asking for a particular style(witty, snarky, etc) or well know writers (Bill Simmons, Malcolm Gladwell). The below is the one by Gladwell, which I liked the best.
I have made no edits.
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