What should Christians believe about abortion? Though the modern practice of ending a child’s life in the womb is not in the Bible, Scripture offers much evidence to support a pro-life view.

First, God declares the value of all human life in Genesis 1:27: “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” God makes every life in his image, with great value, care, and love.

Second, God defines the baby in the womb as a child. For example, when Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, we read, “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). The same word for “babe” is used in Greek for the child in the womb as when a baby is out of the womb.

Third, God forms each person as a child from the womb. In Psalm 139:13, the psalmist rejoices, “You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” God’s shows his care in the making of each human life far before a child leaves his or her mother’s womb.

Fourth, God creates each person with a purpose from the point of conception. In Jeremiah 1:5, God told the prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah had been set apart with a purpose even before God formed him in the womb. This affirms the value of life from the point of conception.

Fifth, even the Old Testament law revealed the equality of the child in the womb with a child out of the womb. In Exodus 21:22–25, the punishment for causing the death of an unborn child was death, just as it was for the murder of a person out of the womb.

But what about difficult situations such as a child conceived through rape or when there could be risk to the health of a mother? Let us be clear: we believe God always values life—despite the circumstances or even the potential disabilities of the child. We must seek the protection of life as top priority even when the situation is incredibly difficult.

However, it is also noted that less than two percent of America’s abortions are due to such circumstances. This means more than 98 percent of all abortions could be stopped today even if these extreme cases were not included, saving millions of young lives.

Despite these and other teachings supporting the lives of the unborn, many, including entire denominations, affirm the woman’s so-called “right to choose.” Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, more than sixty-two million children have been aborted. This is ten times the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust under Nazi Germany!

As believers, we are called to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8). This certainly includes the lives of the unborn. We must not only understand the Bible’s pro-life teachings, but we called to do our part to protect the lives of the unborn as we are able.

Used by permission from 100 Bible Questions and Answers by Alex McFarland & Bert Harper; copyright 2021, Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC.