To vote for Jesus is to vote for policies that recognize and protect the sanctity of life by prohibiting abortion...

This week, we have been addressing the issue of abortion. Specifically, I we have been asking and answering the questions “What should the policy would Jesus promote when it comes to abortion? Why would Jesus take the position that He would take? How would Jesus engage in the conversation surrounding the issue of abortion?”

So far this week, we have examined the arguments that are used by people on both ends of the conversation surrounding the issue of abortion. Then, on Wednesday, we drilled down into the “why” behind what the Bible says about the issue of abortion. We talked about the reality that, as a result of being created in the image of God, we are created for relationships and to represent Him on earth. And as part of that representation, humanity possesses a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature that does not exist among the rest of the creation.

We ended Wednesday with t he reality that every human being on the planet has been woven together with a personality and a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature from the moment of conception. Now as soon as I just made that last statement, an objection may have formed in your mind. And if we were to have a conversation that objection would sound like this: Well Dave, how can you say that life begins at conception? Just because the Bible may claim that life begins at conception that does not mean science claims that life begins at conception.” 

If we were able to have that conversation, here would be my response: That is an interesting objection, because the Bible and science are not at odds with when life begins.

What science has demonstrated is that at moment of conception the fertilized egg has 46 chromosomes that are uniquely different from those of its mom and dad. At the moment of conception the fertilized egg scientifically is a unique person. In addition, science has demonstrated that at eight weeks the baby is sucking their thumb. At eight weeks a baby in the womb recoils from pricking. At eight weeks a baby in the womb responds to pain. At eight weeks all organs present. At eight weeks a baby in the womb has a functioning brain, heart, and kidneys, and even has fingerprints.  And this is significant because virtually all abortions occur after this point.

Now another objection that is often raised by those who advocate for abortion is “Well Dave, what about rape, incest, and the life of the mother?” This objection is a straw man argument. Now a straw man argument is when someone puts forth an argument—usually something extreme or easy to argue against—that they know their opponent doesn't support.

You put forth a straw man argument because you know it will be easy argument for you to knock down or discredit. It's a way of misrepresenting your opponent's position that your opponent was not arguing for. The reason that this argument is a straw man argument is because less that 1% of abortions that have ever been performed involve such cases. In addition, the advances in medical technology involving Cesarean Sections and neonatal care virtually eliminate the life of the mother argument.

As a matter of fact, the technological advances in medicine since the 1973 Roe v. Wade case are overwhelming the arguments of those who advocate for abortion. And because of the advances in science, combined with what the message and teachings of Jesus have to say about when life begins and when personhood begins, those who support abortion, along with our current culture, find themselves making arguments that are hypocritical in nature.

For example, in our culture, there is nothing worse than harming a child. In our culture, there is a soft spot when it comes to hurting a child. Just think of the outrage that occurred in our community just a few years ago when a young child was brutally killed. Child molesters cannot be placed in general population of prisons because in our culture, hurting a child is especially heinous. The shock of the violence that occurred in shootings like Newtown Connecticut was not over the death of the adults; it was over the shooting of children. However, it seems to be hypocritical to view those who do harm and violence to children with such rage and not feel the same way about the harm and violence done to the most vulnerable of all children during abortion.

Another example of the hypocrisy in our culture surrounding the issue of abortion surrounds the pro-abortion argument that the baby is not a baby. Instead of calling what is in a woman’s womb a baby, it is called a product of conception, it is called tissue. Yet secular feminists in Europe were in an outcry over selective abortions that were being performed over the sex of the baby, where female babies were being aborted while male babies were being brought to term. But, this morning, why is there outcry over such abortions if it what is being aborted is only a product of conception or a clump of tissue?

In addition, under federal law, if you molest, break, or steal a sea turtle egg, you are subject to 10 years imprisonment and 100,000 fine. Yet the same federal law says that it is legal to dismember and destroy a baby that is living in a mother's womb? Finally, if a woman makes a decision to have an abortion and is driving to an abortion clinic to have an abortion and is struck by a drunk driver and the baby dies, the drunk driver is charged with killing the baby. Yet if that same woman makes it to the clinic and has an abortion, the doctor is not charged with killing the baby?  

The reality is that when it comes to the issue of abortion, there is rank hypocrisy when it comes to reconciling what the message and teachings of Jesus and science say with what those who advocate for abortions argue. So, with all that in mind, it is here that we discover another timeless truth when it comes to voting for Jesus in that to vote for Jesus is to vote for policies that recognize and protect the sanctity of life by prohibiting abortion.

You see, to vote for Jesus is to recognize that humanity has been created in the image of God, and created for relationships and to represent Him on earth. And as part of that representation, humanity possesses a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature that does not exist among the rest of the creation. To vote for Jesus is to recognize that humanity has been divinely designed by God in His image and is of greater value than any other animal. To vote for Jesus is to recognize that for Jesus, the issue is not quality of life; the issue is sanctity of life.

To vote for Jesus is to recognize the reality that the Bible and science are not at odds with when life begins. Instead, both the Bible and science clearly demonstrate that life begins at conception. And to vote for Jesus is to promote policies that advocate for the sanctity of all life and provide opportunities for adoption by eliminating much of the expense and red tape that surrounds many adoptions.

You see, so often, when people are faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, they falsely believe that there are only two choices: to keep the baby or to kill the baby. However, there is a third option, and that option is adoption. And to vote for Jesus is to seek ways by which one can either adopt or support those who would want to adopt. I am a product of adoption and there is no more powerful of a word picture to what God has done for us through Jesus to adopt us into His family then we adopt.

However, more importantly than all of that, is that to vote for Jesus is to deal with those who have been involved and impacted by abortion in a way that is full of grace and truth. Unfortunately, far too often Christians have been full of truth and empty of grace when it comes to the issue of abortion. As we talked about, however, all of us have made a train wreck of their lives at some point in their lives. And for many of us, we encountered Jesus in the midst of that train wreck and experienced grace, mercy, and forgiveness. So if this is personal, I would encourage you to do what so many of us have done, which is to run to the forgiveness that Jesus offers. I would encourage you to recognize the hurt and pain that you have caused and that you are experiencing and seek the forgiveness that Jesus offers.