Abortion
Summary
The premature termination of pregnancy resulting in the death of the unborn child, addressed in Scripture primarily through laws protecting the pregnant woman and her child.
☩Old Testament Law
The Mosaic law addressed harm to pregnant women and their unborn children. If men fighting caused a woman to give birth prematurely and there was no serious injury, the offender was to be fined. But if there was serious injury, the law demanded 'life for life,' indicating the unborn child's life was valued equally with other human life. This principle of protection extended to the unborn throughout Scripture.
☩Historical Christian Teaching
The early church fathers unanimously condemned abortion as homicidal. Tertullian declared that 'prevention of birth is the precipitation of murder,' while Minucius Felix classified it as parricide. The Council of Ancyra (AD 314) imposed ten years' penance for the crime. Throughout church history, the practice has been consistently rejected as contrary to the divine command 'Thou shalt not kill,' recognizing that human life begins at conception.
☩As Divine Judgment
Scripture also references miscarriage as a consequence of judgment. Hosea pronounced that because of Israel's unfaithfulness, God would give them 'a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.' This indicates that the loss of unborn children was viewed as a severe form of divine discipline upon a rebellious nation.
Related Verses1 mention
Hosea· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Abortion," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Charles G. Herbermann et al. (ed.), "Abortion," in The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. I (Robert Appleton Company, 1907–1912).