Abortion Stops a Beating Heart Introduction: Abortion Is an Enormous, Horrific Problem in Our Society Which Must Be Acknowledged and Understood

Mark E. Larson

Abortion Stops a Beating Heart Introduction: Abortion is an Enormous, Horrific Problem in Our Society Which Must Be Acknowledged and Understood. In the United States there are nearly a million abortions each year, that's 2,700 abortions every day or 2 abortions every minute. Since Roe vs. Wade was passed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973, there have been over 50 million babies aborted. This is not an issue that should be ignored or minimized, most especially by the children of God who have a duty to stand for truth and righteousness. Knowing the biblical and scientific facts is essential not only for our own sake, but the sake of our children and our society who we have a responsibility to teach the truth. I. When Human Life Begins is a Question Answered by the Bible and Science. A. Scientific evidence demonstrates human life begins at conception. i. Abortion advocates falsely assert that those who take the position that human life begins at conception is merely expressing a religious belief. ii. On the contrary! There is an overwhelming consensus in the medical and scientific community that human life begins at conception! (e.g. medical textbooks, scientific reference works, prominent scientists and physicians). iii. The sperm and egg, individually, are each a living organism, yet it is only until they are joined together, does a new, human life begin! iv. At that wondrous, incredible moment, a new life for a new unique person has begun with his/her own unique genetic code, distinct from the mother. B. Biblical evidence also demonstrates human life begins at conception. i. “The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26). ii. When does that unique eternal spirit join to biological life to bring a new human being, a new person into existence? - AT CONCEPTION! iii. God's foreknowledge of every person's existence is biblical proof that human life begins at conception (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalms 139:13-16). a) Every human life foreseen by God, demonstrating that at the moment of conception, God values each one as a personal with great potential! II. The Development of a Human Life inside the Womb (Isaiah 44:2). A. The embryo or fetus is a human being at an early stage of development. i. The baby is called an embryo at the first stage of development from the moment of fertilization until eight weeks. ii. The baby is called a fetus after eight weeks at which time it significantly looks human in appearance. Fetus (Latin): unborn “young one /little child” a) A fetus is just another name for a baby that has not yet been born. iii. A embryo/fetus is not a non-human. The stage of development of these“young ones” does not determine human worth! (Stages – picture). a) An infant is no less of a human being than a toddler; a toddler is no less a human being than an adolescent; Likewise, an embryo or fetus is no less a human being than a newborn baby. iv. Every baby is a gift of God at the moment of conception! (Ps. 127:3). B. During the first trimester, the fetus (the unborn baby) already possesses every body part he/she will ever need! (Ps. 139:13). i. 21 days: Heart is beating; the brain, spinal cord, and other organs are developing ii. 28 days: Face, eyes, mouth, jaw, and throat are developing

1 Mark E. Larson

iii. 40-45 days: Brain waves can be recorded; skeleton is formed; possesses all the internal organs that an adult has; budding arms, legs, reproductive organs, etc. iv. All this before earliest abortions take place! (most occur at 6-8 weeks) v. Every abortion stops a beating heart of a real human being! III. Abortion is not Discarding a Blob of Tissue, but the Murder of Human Life! A. Many have been deceived by pro-choice advocates into believing the lie that abortion does not actually involve killing a baby (cf. Rom. 16:17-18). i. Deliberately, abortion clinics do not disclose the photos we have available of the unborn at the different stages of development (e.g. 6, 9, 12, 16 weeks) a) Most abortions take place at 6 weeks or later. If wombs had windows! b) Sadly, women are taught abortion is just getting rid of a blob of tissue! B. No matter what abortion is called, it is always the death and murder of a baby. i. “Medication abortion involves taking medicines to end a pregnancy... Aspiration abortion (surgical or suction abortion) uses medical instruments to remove the pregnancy.” (Common description by pro-choice advocates) ii. “Terminating a pregnancy”!? Call it what it is: The murder of a little baby! a) When a person's heart and brain stops functioning, we call that death. b) Abortion is not “emptying out the uterus.” It is bringing forth death! (e.g. new law in Texas will require clinics to bury or cremate aborted babies) iii. “Aborting a fetus” What is a fetus? “A young one / little child”! A baby! (e.g. Dr. Gosnell murder trial for killing live-born babies after botched abortions) iv. Murder is murder no matter what you call it (Rom. 13:8-10; 1 John 3:15). C. Murder cannot be justified or excused by human reasoning (Prov. 14:12). i. Pro-choice advocates falsely claim 10k women die each year from unsafe abortions (less than 400!), therefore abortion should be legal and safe. a) Tantamount to: "Because some people will die attempting to kill their babies, the state should make it safe and legal for them to do so." ii. Human reasoning says abortion is acceptable when pregnancy is due to incest or rape. Yet, God sees a soul with great potential! (Ps. 71:5-6). iii. “An inconvenience to my career / a financial burden” This is equivalent to idol worship, sacrificing babies for better crops! (Ps. 106:36-38). iv. “To protect the life of the mother” - It is extremely rare when abortion is required to save the mother's life (less than 1%!). Doctors can be wrong! a) True love is to sacrifice yourself for others (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16). IV. We Have a Duty to Defend the Innocent and Educate Others with the Truth. A. Let us hate what God hates (Prov. 6:16-17ff; cf. Isaiah 59:1-8; Ps. 119:104). i. Those promoting abortion have a murderous agenda! (Planned Parenthood– 324k abortions yr; selling organs; China 1-2 child policy, abortion, infanticide). ii. Abortion is a disgrace to our nation (Pv 14:34). Let us seek to abolish it! B. We have a duty to defend the life of unborn children (Ps. 82:1-4; Isa. 1:17) i. e.g. Partial birth abortion (4-6-9 months; banned 2003); a horrific crime! ii. Human life is just as precious in the womb as outside it! (e.g. Luke 1:41). C. We have a duty to expose this evil to the light of Truth (Eph. 5:11-13). i. Abortion clinics refuse requirements to explain all the risks and options to abortion. Media will not present the truth. It is up to us to tell the world!