Our journey through the difficult terrain of the American
abortion controversy has involved encounters with a complicated set of biblical,
philosophical, medical, social, and legal issues. It is scarcely to be wondered
that there has often been as much heat as light in evangelical discussions
of the issue. Nevertheless, through the efforts of Harold O.J. Brown, Francis
Schaeffer, C. Everett Koop, and other conservative scholars, there is a growing
momentum in evangelical circles toward a pro-life understanding. The
Schaeffer-Koop film series, "Whatever Happened to the Human Race," has, for
example, exerted a quiet but significant influence in many conservative churches.
In many areas of behavior the American public as a whole seems to be moving
away from the liberal and permissive attitudes of the sixties and early seventies
and back toward more traditional positions.
In spite of all the complexities, a number of clear observations
have emerged from our study. Socially, it is clear that abortion is not an
isolated phenomenon, but is part and parcel of a permissive moral climate.
More often than not, abortion is sought as a result of
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sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Medically, it is clear that
human life is a genetic and physiological continuum from conception until
natural death. The trimester scheme of prenatal development used by the Supreme
Court and many writers on the subject is artificial and can hardly be considered
an adequate framework for ethical decision making. We have also seen that
the full range of possible medical hazards — perforation of the uterus,
damage to the cervix, accidental infections, increased risk of prematurity
and miscarriage, and so forth — are very often not disclosed to women
seeking abortions. Ethically, we have seen that arguments that are used to
justify permissive abortion can logically justify infanticide as well. Criteria
such as brain function, physical defects, viability, or socio-economic hardship
can be applied to human beings postnatally as well as prenatally, and an
ethicist such as Joseph Fletcher has been willing to argue that under certain
conditions infanticide may be the most "loving" course of action. Biblically,
we have examined numerous texts that indicate God's loving concern for the
unborn child. The biblical witness gives no basis for the casuistry of
"line-drawing" between first, second, and third-trimester human beings. These
social, medical, ethical, and biblical considerations, together with the
principle of equal justice under the law for all human subjects, have led
us to conclude that the "life of the mother" position is the one that
evangelicals ought to hold.
There does seem to be, as we have noted, movement in this direction
in evangelical circles. Much work remains to be done, however. Concerned
Christians should seek opportunities in Sunday school classes and youth groups
to raise the level of awareness and concern on this issue. Pastors should
encourage their parishioners to be involved in community and state pro-life
organizations as an expression of their Christian vocation. Denominations
that have adopted permissive policy statements on abortion need to be challenged
by an informed and aroused laity. Christians need to consider seriously a
candidate's position on abortion in local, state, and national elections.
Finally, in addition to these educational and political expressions
of Christian concern, there is yet another needed dimension to a truly biblical
response to the problem of abortion. In addition to
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openly opposing abortion — and this is essential — evangelicals must also promote positive alternatives to abortion. Helping centers for unwed mothers such as Birthright or crisis pregnancy centers affiliated with the Christian Action Council can be dramatic and effective expressions of Christian concern for both the unborn child and the woman with a difficult pregnancy. Believers are called to be both "prophets" and "Good Samaritans" in the present abortion situation in America. If a growing number of them continue to catch such a vision, the positive impact on the general spiritual revitalization of the church could be dramatic.