Pro-Life and Pro-Choice are Both Biblical
Like wealth-creation, loosely defined as capitalism and wealth-sharing, often referred to as socialism (see Essay | For the People, Of the People, By the People), pro-life and pro-choice are also both biblical. Of course, neither capitalism nor socialism is biblical if the rich get richer and the poor, poorer. How could pro-life undermine God’s will? What if God says, “It’s OK for some to return the gift of life to me – I will welcome your unborn child in heaven?”
10 “Thy will [NOT MINE] be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6: 10).
I could never advise abortion. However, would God forgive parents who, often in desperation, return their unborn child to God? God’s grace, by definition, is unconditional; his love, eternal (John 1: 29, Romans 5: 20, Hebrew 9: 26, Psalm 136). How God deals with parents is sacred. It’s God’s business. We should neither help nor hinder. Let go! Let God! Trust God!
Meet Gabriella! Our sweetheart, born without a left brain. Physically, she is 30 years of age with a mental (cognitive) age of around two. Socially, she ranges from four to 11. “I doctor dress too,” she asks. Why not? Everyone around here is a doctor. So, I took the picture. We have always been a traditional family. My wife stayed at home. Her mother lived with us until God took her home at age 92. Our children never saw a ‘babysitter.’ Two of our children are physicians. Our youngest is severely mentally impaired—what a profound blessing she is.
Every morning, she greets me with “Happy Birthday Wish.” What’s the difference between now or tomorrow or yesterday? Gabriella has no concept of time nor distance. Before seeing our friend, Dr. Daniel Starr, she wants to go to the market to buy him cheese, ‘jong belegen kaas.’ That the open market is 6000 miles away from Dr. Starr’s office is inconsequential. And, oh yes, she wants to give Dr. Bomalaski a box of chocolates from a chocolatier in Brugge, Belgium. And the lawyer gets a box as well. Time and distance mean nothing.
By nature, she is giving. God gave us an angel. Gabriella knows no hatred. In her special needs class in church, she cares about her friends and caregivers, not church doctrine nor dogmas. And she knows God, personally and intimately. God resides in her soul. She asks us to pray with her between 10 to 17 times a day. Because of Gabriella, we are close to God. We know that everything is in His hands.
Daily we pray, “one more day God.” Years ago, her neurologist told us not to expect her to live beyond 12. Yes, there is constant seismic activity between her right and left brain, medicated with an armory of anti-epileptic medications. She loves wearing her face mask. “I doctor now,” she says, like her brother and sister. Even her dolls, all of them, must wear facemasks and, yes, they’re doctors too. Gabriella is especially vulnerable. We’re keeping her away from Covid-19. Unless God intervenes, she won’t survive the infection.
Would we have aborted her life if, before birth, we had known about her disability? Thankfully and gracefully, not one caregiver ever confronted us with this reality. We didn’t know. Thank God. Other parents were not that ‘lucky.’ They knew. How would God react if the parents return their beautiful gift from God back to God?
Mind you, 52 years ago, Dr. Peter Shugarmann, my biology professor, taught: “life starts upon conception. When the parents’ DNA fuses into one, the seed and egg become one person.” What about God’s DNA, God, the source of all life? At conception, God’s DNA enters directly into the person’s soul. The person may not yet be in a perfect form. But with God’s Holy Spirit inside the soul, the soul, from day one, is and will remain perfect forever. Christians believe God no longer resides in edifices made of stone. God’s Holy Spirit dwells inside temples made of gems, more precious than stone, His creations made in His image.
12 For as woman came from man, so also man [all humankind] is born of woman. But everything comes from God. (1 Corinthians 11: 10-12 Message Translation).
God assigns the woman to decide on behalf of the child in her womb. Concomitantly, against this delicate backdrop, society justifiably must legislate morality.
Though man imposes, God disposes. He has the last word.
Read more: Jews, outraged by restrictive abortion laws, are invoking the Hebrew Bible in the debate
With Every Good Wish to You, I am,
Sincerely,
Building the Bridge Foundation, The Hague
Abraham A. van Kempen
Senior Editor
*‘Christian Zionism … Enraptured Around a Golden Cal” (2nd Edition)
e-book version $ 3.33
Paperback $33.30 (2nd Edition is out of print)
Recent Comments