Life- The Great Unifying Issue for Christians

Hardly anyone would disagree that Christians today are divided. As some churches have succumbed to the whims of the world in order to appease their followers, they have looked to worldly wisdom and, not surprisingly, end up following different paths. Over the course of many years, Christianity has splintered into a painfully large number of different parts and pieces. This division has not only weakened the Christian Church overall, but has emboldened its enemies. Fortunately, there is an issue that is moving many Christians of all ages to put aside their differences and work together for a common (and Biblically-inspired) goal. That goal is the preservation of human life, and in particular, an end to the practice of abortion.

"Conservative" Christians

There are many who say that the issue of abortion is a divisive topic. They are wrong in one sense. The fortunate reality is that the promotion of an equal right to life for all Americans is presently operating as a unifying force for many Christians. The continuing injustice of abortion is an issue that serves to unify those who believe in the sanctity of human life, and the idea that all persons are created equal. These Christians believe, first and foremost, that creation by God includes the right to life, along with rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness (which those whose lives are prematurely ended by abortion never receive a chance to enjoy). A common label that is given to these followers of Christ is “conservative" Christians. While it serves to identify persons who are traditional/orthodox from a religious perspective, the label should not necessarily denote membership in any particular political party, but rather merely clarifies that they all share an interest in “conserving” life.

The Abortion Issue and Dehumanization

Similar to the country’s shameful experience involving slavery, a group of humans who are without federal Constitutional rights in our present age–the unborn/pre-born–have (by default) been involuntarily classified previously under Roe, and currently in many states, as “human non-persons.” But why? Over time, it appears that the argument in favor of abortion has been reduced to a claim that the reason why pre-born humans who exist temporarily in the womb do not hold equal rights, is because they are not legally considered as “persons” under the U.S. Constitution. Rather than a scientific argument, this is a mere technicality. A similar argument was made in the case of slaves during a sad period in our country’s history, and was even formalized in an infamous Supreme Court decision (the Dred Scott case, which similar to Roe, was later reversed). Although it took way too long, our country did eventually realize it was wrong to treat some humans as more equal than others.

Different from slavery though, and perhaps more similar to how Jewish persons were classified in Nazi Germany, dehumanization efforts of the unborn/pre-born in our present day involve describing these particular disadvantaged individuals as mere “clumps of cells” or “entities.” This is despite clear evidence from biology, genetics, and medicine which reveals that the unborn/pre-born are unique persons and are both human and alive.

Allies in the Fight to Provide Rights for All Humans

In the United States, there are some who may believe that it is primarily the Catholic Church that holds Pro-life positions, and that it is the sole driver in of the Pro-life movement. Although it is true that the Catholic Church did exert a positive influence on the original creation of the Pro-life movement, this is definitely not the case. The Movement was never intended to be a “Catholic’s only” undertaking, and today, conservative Catholics and conservative (non-Catholic) Christians work together in harmony to protect those who are truly considered as “the least among us.”

The Bible says a Great Deal about Abortion

Applying a legalistic approach to theology, there are some individuals who contend that because the pages of the Bible do not specifically mention the word “abortion,” this indicates or somehow proves that God must be neutral on abortion. This argument is ridiculous, as neutrality is not a characteristic that can be attributed to the Creator. There is clear evidence, regardless of which version of the Christian Bible one is reading, that the deliberate ending of the life of an innocent human being is not consistent with God’s plan for his children.

It should be no surprise to hear that because God created us and gives us life, He knows us from the womb, and not just from birth. In fact, there are many passages in the Bible that clearly indicate that not only does God know us beginning from our existence inside the womb, but even before. It is therefore appropriate to ask the question: why would He give the incredible gift of life, and then not object to his children interceding to end it prematurely?

If life has already begun, and an action is taken to stop it, an affirmative choice has thus been made to end life. It could not be stated any more succinctly than chapter 30, verse 19, of the Book of Deuteronomy which says: “Choose life…[so] that you and your descendants may live.” We know (or at least should know) that abortion ends life. There is no lack of clarity on this matter.

The Bible references the practice of sacrificing children; and no surprise, it is against it. We learn from the Book of Leviticus (chapter 18, verse 21) of a practice where thousands of years ago children were openly sacrificed, and then burned on altars to pagan (demonic) gods. Because today it happens behind closed doors and in the silence of the womb, modernity chooses not to see the connection between ancient human sacrifice and abortion, even though the outcome is identical.

A Unifying Force

An important point on the issue of Christian unity was made by the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen:

It is not a unity of religion we plead for…but a unity of religious people…We may not be able to meet in the same pew…but we can meet on our knees.

Archbishop Sheen would be pleased to know that as a means to counter the practice of abortion, the Pro-life movement is continuing to bring Christians together in order to save innocent lives. This can be seen across the country in the membership of Pro-life organizations, and the staff who volunteer and work at pregnancy centers/women’s care clinics. Here you will find a mix of Christians from various churches, all coming together for the same purpose—to save as many innocent lives as possible.

While it is true that there are Christians in this country who tolerate (as well as some who support) abortion, this was also the case with regards to slavery. This is hard to imagine, as ending life (as in the case of abortion) and treating others as human non-persons (as in the case of both slavery and abortion) do not appear to be Christ-like actions. But just as was done in opposition to slavery, a large number of Christians have joined forces to end the practice of abortion. The Pro-life movement of our present age now includes all types of Christians of all ages working together for a common goal; to change the world for those small humans temporarily existing in the wombs of their mothers, who are so callously viewed by mainstream society as “non-persons.”

There should be no doubt that the pre-born/unborn possess fundamental (natural) human rights as both humans and as people. In fact, if you look carefully at the language of the Declaration of Independence, you will see that we were all “created” by God as equal (as opposed to merely being “born” equal under God). As a result of Christians working together, human rights for the unborn/pre-born will someday be confirmed as legally protected under our Constitution, making all Americans truly equal for the first time in history.

Photo Credit- New York Post.