Unique From Day One

Today, January 22nd is the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, when United States Supreme Court struck down protections for babies before they were born.

For the past 45 years, Pro-Life Advocates have organized a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C. Although, most major new media outlets ignored it, this year’s march numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

This year’s theme, “Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science” emphasizes the increased role of medical and technological advances that affirm the pro-life movement. Dr. David Prentice and Dr. Grazie Christie, a Radiologist, joined with Jeanne Mancini, President of “March for Life.” They discussed how this theme embodies the pro-life movement.

“Science is behind the pro-life movement. We see that medical and technological advancements always affirm the pro-life movement. For example, DNA is present at fertilization and no fingerprint on earth, past, present, or future, is the same. We know, too, a baby’s heart beats at just six weeks and we can distinctly observe it ourselves with ultrasound technology. As science progresses, we see clearly that every life is unique from day one in the womb.”

Sadly since 1973 over 60 million babies in the United States have been sacrificed on the altars of immorality, selfishness, and convenience. The good news is that the numbers of abortions have been declining in recent years. Also, an increasing number of young people are pro-life.

Scott Klusendorf, founder of the Life Training Institute, a great pro-life apologist, reasons that abortion is wrong on this basis. “Our case is clear: First, it is wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings. Second, abortion kills innocent human beings. Therefore, abortion is wrong.”

Klusendorf observes that the science of embryology shows that from the earliest stages of development, you were a distinct living and whole human being—not part of another human being, but a whole distinct member of the human family So, there’s no essential difference between you the embryo and you the adult that would justify killing you. Sure, your size, level of development and dependency, your environment were different when you were in utero, but these aren’t differences that justify killing you then as opposed to now.”

The pro-life movement has united Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Christians from every walk of life on this issue, affirming the uniqueness of each person created in the image of God and supporting their right to life.

We believe there is ample evidence in the Bible to condemn abortion and affirm the right to life for the unborn children. The expression “with child” is used 26 times in the Bible to refer to pregnant women. The term fetus is never used.

Luke, the physician, records that Elisabeth, the mother of John the Immerser, conceived a son (1:35). In verse 41 the doctor wrote, “the baby leaped in her womb.” The baby! Not the fetus! It is the same Greek word that Luke uses to describe Jesus after he was born (2:12, 16). God views the unborn baby and the newborn baby in the same way. Both are living human beings.

Furthermore, the Psalmist, David, describes himself as a person, unborn in his mother’s womb.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Ps 139:13-16)

A wonderful alternative to abortion is adoption. At the pro-life rally was a mother, Michele Thomas, who held aloft a cross next to her daughter, Mia, who was adopted from Vietnam.

“If it wasn’t for adoption I wouldn’t be here with the family that I have,” said Mia, a high school senior. “I could have been aborted when I was a baby but I ended up being put up for adoption instead… You have to kind of let faith take you through life.”

As people of Faith, let us support life. Oppose abortion. And declare the uniqueness of each individual created in God’s image.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman