Rev. Jeffrey L. Samelson

“It’s just one little thing. What are you getting so upset about? Why should we care?”

That’s the way a lot of people – even many Christians – have talked about one of the hottest of hot-button issues in our society. They can’t understand why it’s such a big deal to us – why anyone should get so worked up over one little thing – a fertilized egg, an embryo, a clump of cells, a blob of tissue – hidden deep in a woman’s womb where no one can see.

But it’s not “just” one little thing – not to God, and therefore not to God’s people, either. And the truths surrounding this “one little thing” lead us to many other truths about many other issues of life, ethics, marriage, sexuality, and more – things Christians will care about.

1. Read Psalm 139:13-16. This quite clearly shows that God first cares about and gets involved with a person’s life already in his or her mother’s womb – when he first makes us and weaves our bodies together. There is no point at which “one little thing” in a mother’s womb finally becomes big enough for God – and other people – to consider it to have life and value because God has given that “one little thing” life and value already at the moment he or she came into being. Neither size nor location (inside or outside of the womb) determines human life or value.Now read Psalm 51:5. Here David’s confession affirms that a person becomes sinful and therefore in need of Christ’s forgiveness not just at birth, but already at the moment of conception. Why are Christians, who understand the reality and consequences of sin, going to be particularly concerned about abortion cutting short the life of a new human being before he or she is even born?
2. How do the above Bible verses (and others you might know) help us respond to the suggestion that the “one little thing” in a mother’s womb is not something of great consequence, and not worth getting “worked up” over?
3. Read Genesis 9:5,6 and Exodus 20:13. These passages make clear that God not only does not approve of the taking of human life but prohibits it in no uncertain terms. He shows how serious he is about it by commanding the death of anyone who unjustly takes another’s life.Since we’ve already established that the “one little thing” in the womb, no matter how small or undeveloped, is a human life, what should we say is God’s position on any kind of casual or selfish “termination of a pregnancy”?

   It’s common for people to think that if something is legal it must also be moral. In what sense can we say that, for Christians, “it doesn’t matter” what our nation’s or community’s laws say about abortion?

4. Read Deuteronomy 32:39 and 1 Samuel 2:6. These verses help us express a fundamental biblical principle: God alone has the right and the power to initiate and terminate life. What does this then mean that Christians will feel about abortion?What does this then mean that Christians will do regarding abortion?
5. Read Psalm 31:14,15. The fact that our “times” are in God’s hands affirms that he is the one with the authority and control over when we live and when we die – our beginnings, ends, and everything in between. An increasingly popular opinion – and an actual legal option in far too many places – states that anyone who is suffering too much or is simply tired of living should have the right to end his or her life in a “humane” way – usually by having medical professionals provide drugs that will bring a “peaceful” death. Why must those who put their trust in God reject such opinions and “options”?
6. While Christians will understand that they do not have the right to end their or anyone else’s lives, things can get complicated sometimes so it’s not clear whether we are simply choosing what is best or are actively causing death. How will a believer approach a situation in which he or she or a loved one is given a terminal diagnosis for a medical condition, but efforts to keep him or her alive will result in prolonged pain and suffering, only delaying certain death?
7. Just as modern science and medicine have increasingly allowed people to “play God” with causing the death of human beings, so we have also seen “playing God” with attempts to create, design, and experiment with life. How do the truths Scripture teaches us that apply to things like abortion and euthanasia help us know how to respond to things like embryonic stem cell research, genetic engineering of fetuses, cloning of human embryos, and certain practices of in vitro fertilization (IVF)?Many would suggest that these practices are so rare or experimental they’re not worth paying attention to, let alone getting worked up about. Are these big or little things for Christians?
8. A common criticism of pro-life Christians is that they only seem to care about humans in the abstract and at the extremes – hidden away in other people’s wombs and suffering in hospitals and nursing homes. What’s the best way to respond to such criticism?
9. A similar criticism of pro-life Christians is that they step in too late – for instance, claiming that if we wanted to help mothers in crisis, we’d try to make a difference in their lives before a woman finds herself “in trouble” with an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy. What kinds of things should Christians and churches talk about and do to counter such criticism?
10. Someone you’re talking to suggests that your being pro-life is wasting time and energy over “just one little thing”. How will you respond?