oh, here are the members of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:
I don’t like that the Episcopal Church backs RCRC (which backs abortion). Personally, based on Scripture, I believe that the fetus is alive and exhibits humanity (Genesis 25:22-23, Luke 1:41). Thus, to kill a fetus is to murder a human being.
In terms of ABC (non-abortive), as long as contraception occurs prior to conception/fertilization, I do not see how it is sinful, but in the end, I think that is a question of personal conscience.
Looking at the RCRC website, I have to admit found one of the most ridiculous Scriptural defenses for abortion:
At the time the Bible was written, abortion was widely practiced in spite of heavy penalties. Even so, the Hebrew scriptures had no laws forbidding abortion and there is no condemnation or prohibition of abortion anywhere in the Bible. This was chiefly because the Hebrews placed a higher value on women than their neighbors did. Abortion is not mentioned in the Old or New Testaments. There are some references to the termination of pregnancy. The most well-known, Exodus 21:22-25, says that if a pregnancy woman has a miscarriage as a result of injuries she receives during a fight between two men, the penalty for the loss of the fetus is a fine. If the woman is killed, the penalty is life for life. It is obvious from this passage that men whose fighting has caused a woman to miscarry were not regarded as murderers because they had not killed the woman. The woman had greater moral and religious worth than the fetus.
At the time the Bible was written, abortion was widely practiced in spite of heavy penalties.
Huh? Even if this is a true statement, please back it up…
Even so, the Hebrew scriptures had no laws forbidding abortion and there is no condemnation or prohibition of abortion anywhere in the Bible.
Perhaps not calling it ‘abortion’, but there are definitely laws against murder (anyone ever hear of the 10 Commandments)?
**This was chiefly because the Hebrews placed a higher value on women than their neighbors did. **
The issue is not the value of women, but the value of human life.
Abortion is not mentioned in the Old or New Testaments.
Murder is though.
The most well-known, Exodus 21:22-25, says that if a pregnancy woman has a miscarriage as a result of injuries she receives during a fight between two men, the penalty for the loss of the fetus is a fine. If the woman is killed, the penalty is life for life.
22 "If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
-Exodus 21:22-25, NKJV
Since a punishment is being levied if the child is ‘born prematurely’ (also rendered ‘she has a miscarriage’ or ‘her fruit departs [from her]’), that implies there is a sin/wrongdoing in there. After all, do you get punished for doing nothing wrong? Thus, it may not be a capital sin, it is still a sin.
**
It is obvious from this passage that men whose fighting has caused a woman to miscarry were not regarded as murderers because they had not killed the woman. The woman had greater moral and religious worth than the fetus.
**
Whether it is regarded as murder or not, it is still sin. If the woman dies (‘harm follows’), it does not say they are murderers either. This passage does not appear to address the ‘moral’ or ‘religious’ value of women and fetuses.
