Abortion, is it ever the right thing to do?

[djconklin]

This is a true story. There was a pastor(don't remember his name) who felt so strongly about pro life that he murdered an abortion doctor. He received the death sentence but he said that he was dying for God. It seemed very hypocritical, for he cares so much about a baby's life yet he does not care about ending the life of another person. A life is a life, murder is murder.

You are thinking of Paul Hill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Jennings_Hill) who was an excommunicated (we aren't told why) minister (we aren't told the denomination either--on another web site it says Presbyterian).
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When a woman's life is in danger is one reason some would say is ok to abort*--how often does that kind of situation actually occur?

*I was on another forum for a different church where they claim that they are pro-life and yet they'd let both die!

 

[Mankin]

You are thinking of Paul Hill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Jennings_Hill) who was an excommunicated (we aren't told why) minister (we aren't told the denomination either--on another web site it says Presbyterian).
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When a woman's life is in danger is one reason some would say is ok to abort*--how often does that kind of situation actually occur?

*I was on another forum for a different church where they claim that they are pro-life and yet they'd let both die!

I have made a thread about who you would choose if you had to choose to either abort your child or your wife will die. I was shocked by the amount of people who said that you should let your wife die. Sometimes, pro- life people go too far.

 

[Mankin]

Paul Hill was a modern day crusader who were one of the most violent groups of religious fanatics ever. The crusaders expected an assurance of going to heaven for conquering the Holy Land and killing the "infidels"(Muslims Jews.)

 

[JonDavis]

Someone puts a gun to your wife and a child and said I will shoot only one of them, and you get to choose, who would you take?

That is about the same situation when you have to decide if it will be the mom or child who gets to live.

Either choice in this matter may not be right or wrong.
Who should make that choice though?

 

[Mankin]

Exactly true. It would be extremely hard to decide.

 

[Sophia7]

I have made a thread about who you would choose if you had to choose to either abort your child or your wife will die. I was shocked by the amount of people who said that you should let your wife die. Sometimes, pro- life people go too far.

If I had to make a choice between myself and my child (assuming that it was not an ectopic pregnancy, which would either terminate itself or have to be terminated because there would be no chance of viability), there's no question that I would have to give my child the opportunity to live.

 

[kimmik]

I don't think it is any of our places to judge what is right and wrong. It is really between the person facing the decision and God. I truthfully don't believe abortion is "right" but I also know that there is no good solution to some problems. Adoption is always boasted as an ideal compromise, but I don't think it's always that easy.

I have a friend who had an abortion and I was heartbroken over her decision for weeks and weeks (perhaps longer than she was), but I'm glad that she was able to make the choice legally and wasn't left to seek out risky, dangerous medical procedures.

 

[NightEternal]

I have a question about these abortions on demand at these medical facilities. Do you think it is about money? What I mean is do they get support from the government for some patients (Welfare?) and so they must be willing to do certain 'procedures' or else they don't get the money?

I was just thinking - (I know I should stop that.)

Annie

I am told that it is because abortion is a legal procedure and they are obligated to offer it as a medical facility. But that could very well just be a cover for more financial issues. It certainly doesn't address the moral issue at all.

The official pro-choice position of the conference on abortion does not prohibit the actions of the hospitals. The GC just assumes that proper screening, preparation and counselling is being done by the doctors for potential abortion patients to see if they are valid cases. Based on what I have been told by ex-nurses from these facilities, the screening process is pretty loose and quick, not consisting of much more than a couple of questions. There have been eye witness testimonies of many abortions being preformed in the course of a day.

Not something you would expect if there was a rigid, selective process taking place.

 

[Dathen]

Technically abortion is murder. Exodus 20:13. You shall not murder. That's loud and clear. But really young teen girls. I really can't bring myself to say yes or no to that!! Though back in old days teens were the time you had first children. So I think the Bible is clear. NO ABORTION.

 

[Dathen]

This is an extract from a book, called Touchpoints for Women. In question answer form. So grab ya bibles to look up the texts

ABORTION

When does life begin?
Psalm 51:5

What is the value of an unborn child?
Psalm 139:13-16
Jeremiah 1:5

Is abortion absolutely wrong?
Genesis 9:5-6
Proverbs 24:11-12

Can I be forgiven if i had an abortion or encouraged someone to have one?
Isaiah 1:18
Psalm 103:3
1 John 1:9

 

[visio]

Pro-choice is baloney. Where is the babies choice? And yes it is a real baby. It is murder. Can a mother be forgiven? Yes but she can never get that baby back. Don't ever do it. Abortion is not condoned by any true adventist. I don't care if it is a GC president, if they condone it they are not following Christ.

 

[JonDavis]

Pro-choice is baloney. Where is the babies choice? And yes it is a real baby. It is murder. Can a mother be forgiven? Yes but she can never get that baby back. Don't ever do it. Abortion is not condoned by any true adventist. I don't care if it is a GC president, if they condone it they are not following Christ.

Amen

 

[Mankin]

viso, I never said that pro choice was right, I just said that there were some exceptions to the rule.

 

[visio]

viso, I never said that pro choice was right, I just said that there were some exceptions to the rule.

Can I have an example of an exception please?

 

[Sophia7]

For reference, here are some relevant portions of the official Adventist Guidelines on Abortion:

4) The Church does not serve as conscience for individuals; however, it should provide moral guidance. Abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the Church. Women, at times however, may face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life, serious jeopardy to her health, severe congenital defects carefully diagnosed in the fetus, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. The final decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not should be made by the pregnant woman after appropriate consultation. She should be aided in her decision by accurate information, biblical principles, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, these decisions are best made within the context of healthy family relationships.

5) Christians acknowledge as first and foremost their accountability to God. They seek balance between the exercise of individual liberty and their accountability to the faith community and the larger society and its laws. They make their choices according to scripture and the laws of God rather than the norms of society. Therefore, any attempts to coerce women either to remain pregnant or to terminate pregnancy should be rejected as infringements of personal freedom.

6) Church institutions should be provided with guidelines for developing their own institutional policies in harmony with this statement. Persons having a religious or ethical objection to abortion should not be required to participate in the performance of abortions.​

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I've had a few individuals over the years seek advice for what they should do after getting pregnant. They usually didn't want anyone to know. They wanted to hide it. It's natural for us to try and hide the things we do wrong and try and escape the consequences. They wrestled with their desire to avoid the consequence contrasted with the moral decision of terminating a life, their own offspring, knit together in their womb in the image of God. If killing the baby was the right thing to do, they wouldn't be wrestling with it at all because they would natrually want to avoid the consequence.

I didn't say much, but I certainly didn't leave them with the impression that abortion was the right choice. They all chose life, and my own kids are friends with a couple of those almost aborted babies (no longer babies now, of course). I'm sure I was not the only influence on them, but two of the mom's have thanked me (and my wife) for talking them out of aborting their child.

That's beautiful.

 

[Dathen]

I'm silly. I didn't think on looking at the adventists official statement!!!

 

[Sophia7]

I'm silly. I didn't think on looking at the adventists official statement!!!

Those guidelines are not part of the official belief statement, but they are listed in another section of the official website.

 

[Dathen]

Yeah. I quite often look at them for guidence and to help other people,because I think they are really well written, scriptural based ...stuff.

 

[honorthesabbath]

I want you to try to remember when you were young and carefree, and a girlfriend or friends came and asked you what they should do as they were pregnant......

Do you still hold to those views.........
Is abortion ever the right thing to do?

Red-I too an very against abortion for birth control. In the rare instances to preserve a life--it may be necessary.

But allow me to add-that I know a young woman that had an abortion at a time in her life that was in chaos--and to this day she cannot forgive herself. At one time she expressed to me that she thought that even God would never forgive her for this.

So I would advise any woman against it and tell them of the guilt and shame that they may suffer for years for that decision.