Michigan Christians for Life

The earliest specific written references to abortion in Christian literature are those in the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas. The Didache combines a code of Christian morality with a manual of church life and order, while the Epistle of Barnabas is a more theological tract on Christian life and thought. While both of these probably date from the early second century, they most likely drew on Christian sources which had their origins in the late first century.

Both texts regard abortion as murder and provide an ethical context within which abortion should be viewed. “Thou shalt not abort” becomes a sub-commandment of the commandment not to murder. It has a status almost on a par with the Decalogue itself. Use of the commandment form provides a succinct continuation of the Jewish condemnation of deliberate abortion. There is no formed/unformed distinction, no elaboration. Abortion is presented also as an offense against humanity, a defiance of the second great commandment — “Love thy neighbor” — which the Epistle of Barnabas has expanded to say “more than thyself.” Furthermore, abortion is depicted not only as a sin like sexual immorality, but as an evil no less severe and social in scope than oppression of the poor and needy and no less dishonorable than the use of poisons.

The most eloquent apologist in the West was Tertullian (ca 160-ca 240), who ranks second only to Augustine for his Latin contributions to the church.

His comparison of the seed and the fruit conveys with imagination the universal Christian concern for life. It also has a parallel, probably independent but coming from the same ethical roots, in Philo’s comparison of the embryo to a statue ready to be removed from the artist's studio.

Tertullian reveals that the basis of the early Christian position on abortion was the commandment not to murder. Like earlier Christian writers, he considers the fetus a human being, though still dependent on the mother. Speaking for the Christian community, he consequently condemns abortion as “speedier” homicide. For Tertullian, dependence on the mother did not mean, as it did for pagan thought and for Jewish and Roman law, that the fetus is merely a part of the mother.

Last month, Pope Benedict, in his New York homily said, "May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, “the same, yesterday, and today and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world, including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb.

In a clear majority key representatives in all the major and minor Christian denominations have stated that abortion is a sin.  However, because the leadership has no way of enforcing on their membership a ban on abortion beyond the Commandments of God the desired results always miss the mark.  Hence Christians being united in opposition to abortion on demand fail.  This is why Michigan Christians for Life fights abortion by Prayer and our Christian Witness.  Those two weapons if used on a daily basis will add more fuel to those warnings by Christian leaders!

In 1979, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen said that he believed that unless abortion on demand was reversed the United States would develop serious  problems within the Nation.  That was three years after Roe v. Wade.  Today over 48,000,000 babies have been killed in abortions and the count continues every 3 minutes. Thirty five years of abortion on demand has indeed caused many of the problems within the life of our Country.  Life has become cheap and we are paying a price for it.  God help us.

Michigan Christians for life has nothing to sell but we do have something to tell.  Abortion stops a beating heart.  What are you doing about it?  If you are not involved in a profile group but have the means to do so, by all means do so.  If you can't physically take part Pray and Witness for Life from where you are.  It will please God and help to save lives in the process.  God love you, we do too!

Back to Home Page

---

Created and maintained by Artmix Web Works since 1997.