Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (NIV)
Recently, some prominent TV personalities insisted that the Bible accepts abortion because it doesn’t mention it. That is the same as saying that I am a billionaire because my birth certificate doesn’t say I am a billionaire. (No, I am not.)
This group of blogs deals with the consistently anti-abortion values and culture of Jews and Christians across history. For those interested in the short version, below is a summary of why the Bible and the church are against abortion.
· No Old Testament scripture talks about abortion, but Jews are commanded to fill the earth (with people; see scripture above).
· Two Old Testament scriptures are cited by pro-abortionists as supporting abortion. Those scriptures actually say nothing about abortion but do talk about the death of an unborn child.
· By the time of Jesus, some prominent secular Romans publicly condemned Jews for not practicing abortion.
· Two first-century Jewish writers defended the Jewish practice of avoiding abortion.
· Since the church was built in Jewish teachings of the Old Testament, the New Testament also says nothing about abortion.
· The earliest non-New Testament church manuscript, the Didache (c. 100, see below), condemns abortion and killing a child after birth (exposure). It reflected what the church was already teaching.
· All early church leaders condemned abortion. Numerous manuscripts state that fact.
The Didache
“The second commandment of the teaching: You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall not commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child” (Didache 2:1–2 [around 100 AD]).
If that is all the information you need, carry on. If you want greater detail on the anti-abortion views of Christianity, I will be writing on the following topics in the future. Stay tuned.
· Part 2: What is the Purpose of Abortion Anyway
· Part 3: God Makes Us Special, Do No Harm
· Part 4: Hitting a Woman in the Stomach is Not Abortion (Exodus 21:22-25)
· Part 5: Judgment of a Woman’s Unfaithfulness is Not Abortion (Numbers 5:11–31).
· Part 6: Condemnation of Jews by Romans Because They Didn’t Abort Their Children
· Part 7: Defense of Jewish Refusal to Practice Abortion by Jewish Writers
· Part 8: Early Church Outrage and Opposition to Abortion
· Part 9: Later Church and Talmud Teachings
· Part 10: Why People Try to Manipulate the Bible to Support Unbiblical Things
If you would like to order the book that I use for most of the information in my Abortion and Christianity blogs, click here. It is easy to read and contains all the facts about Jews, Christians, and abortion. After you read it, you could give it to a friend so they can find out more information about abortion and Jewish/Christian life.
Blessings,
Tom