Guest writer: Larry Kelley, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Gooding, Idaho
“In May of 2019 Alabama passed a law banning abortion and criminalizing the efforts of physicians who would perform them, even in the case of sexual assault such as rape and incest. Many argue that the exception for rape and incest should remain. The views they share are based on faulty premises. They believe the rape victim would want an abortion or that she would be better off having an abortion. They think that child’s life just isn’t worth having to put her through the pregnancy.
According to the research of Dr. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, co-editor of the book Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and Children Resulting From Sexual Assault, and author of the article “Rape, Incest and Abortion: Searching Beyond the Myths,” “most women who become pregnant out of sexual assault do not want an abortion and are in fact worse-off after an abortion.”
Reardon’s study suggests “that victims of rape and incest generally believe abortion would be another act of violence committed against their bodies. Abortion is a form of “medical rape”—an unwanted, violent intrusion into their bodies. Victims generally have a heightened awareness of the value of life and respect for others, so they respect the life they carry within them. Victims believe their child’s life may have meaning or purpose they don’t yet understand. They believe they were given this child for a reason.”
This study goes on to say that “making it through the pregnancy is a way for a victim to overcome the abuse. The selfless act of giving birth is proof that she is better than her attacker. For the victim of incest, pregnancy is a way out—a way to expose the criminal who is abusing her and to allow her to begin to heal.”
Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived by rape, stated: “One of the greatest things I’ve learned is that the rapist is NOT my creator, as some people would have me believe. My value and identity are not established as a “product of rape,” but as a child of God.” Psalm 68:5,6 declares: “A father to the fatherless . . . is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.” And Psalm 27:10 tells us “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
To jump to the conclusion that victims of rape and incest want and need abortion is one of the most common misconceptions in the abortion debate. Rape and incest cause considerable heartache and pain. Abortion is not the solution to this pain, instead it often makes it worse. As I read the testimonies of women that have experienced pregnancies through incest and rape, it became clear to me that they felt the decision to see the pregnancy through, was healing. Whether they kept the baby or gave it up for adoption, it seemed to be the one positive thing to come from such a horrific experience.
The science of embryology states that from the moment of conception, a human being is formed. The DNA it has is not only human DNA but the DNA of an individual distinct from that of either parent. In forensic criminology DNA is used to distinguish one person from another. So the DNA of an embryo indicates that the embryo is a person individual from its parents. Biologically, it is clear that the fetus is a human being. If the unborn is growing, it must be alive. From conception, when sperm and egg unite, the embryo grows through cellular reproduction. If the unborn has human parents, it must be human. Human beings reproduce after their own kind. The fetus is not part of a human, but is, in fact, a complete human organism, different than the mother and father.
In 1973, abortion became legal (with some regulating factors) in all of the U.S. with the passing of the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. Before this time, abortion (with some limited circumstances) was legally considered a crime in many states.
Our faith teaches us that murder is against the law of God. Before humans ever wrote down civil law, God determined what defines murder. Based on Scripture, a proper definition would be the willful unjustified killing of an innocent human being. From the very beginning, God called it murder when Jesus described Satan as a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Later, God instructed Moses to write down this law of the heart very plainly when He commanded, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). In light of this, it is clear that from God’s perspective murder has existed from the beginning of creation and is a universal moral wrong that applies to all people, in all cultures, and in every age in human history.
In addition, God has clearly called the unborn human beings, and has stated that life begins at conception. Psalm 139:13-16 states that the unborn are created by Him in the womb and Psalm 51:5 describes the unborn having a sin nature, and being alive at the moment of conception.
No matter how one looks at it, abortion, even in cases of rape and incest is murder. Abortion is the willful and unjustified killing of an unborn child. Regardless if abortion is legal by human government, it is a violation of the universal moral law of God, which supersedes man’s law. It should go without saying, in any regard, abortion is morally wrong, and a sin according to Almighty God.
Mankind’s civil laws were initially based on God’s moral laws. Slowly and methodically mankind has determined that they possess greater wisdom than God. They believe God’s laws to be outdated and irrelevant. Such belief has caused man to question the evil in this world and question why God would allow such. It comes back to the question of free will. With that acknowledgement, we understand this is not God’s fault and the responsibility lies upon mankind for leaving the wisdom of God.
So, Alabama has taken steps to reconcile God’s law with civil law. Thus, returning back to God and embracing His wisdom, Alabama has recognized the error of Roe v. Wade. “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13). Murder is murder no matter what other labels might be given it. Abortion, not miscarriage, is murder. It is premeditated and done with malice and indifference. It should be treated as such, even in the case of Rape and incest.”
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