By The Rev. Marek Zabriskie
On Friday, June 24, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade. It is a monumental legal decision with major ethical implications.
Those who have fought to overturn Roe v. Wade often cite religious reasons. So what does the Bible actually say about abortion and what have Christians believed over the centuries about it?
In this regard, abortion is similar to the concern over homosexuality, which Jesus never once spoke about nor condemned.
In fact, the first explicit Christian condemnation of abortion is not in the bible. It actually occurs in the Didache, which dates back to the first or second century (Didache 2:2). The Didache prohibits murder, adultery, abortion and infanticide. The late second and early third century theologian Tertullian defined what would become the standard Christian doctrine when he wrote:
For us murder is once for all forbidden; so even the child in the womb, while yet the mother’s blood is being drawn on to form the human being, it is not lawful for us to destroy. To forbid birth is only quicker murder. It makes no difference whether one take away the life once born or destroys it as it comes to birth. He is a man who is to be a man; the fruit is always present in the seed. (Apology 9:8)
Thus, Christianity has traditionally condemned abortion. By the sixteenth century, however, distinctions were made which would permit an abortion in certain circumstances such as to save the life of the mother. Theologians distinguished between the formed versus the unformed fetus, based on Aristotelean theory which noted that the rational soul developed over time.
While popes and theologians equated abortion with murder, it was never punished as severely. Roman Catholic ethicists focused almost completely on the status of the fetus. Modern science has repudiated the Aristotelean theory in favor of a developmental concept of fetal life.
From the beginning, the fetus has its own genetic endowment which is different from either parent, yet it lacks the characteristics of consciousness and personality which make us fully human. It’s nervous and circulatory systems develop during the gestation period. Only then is the fetus capable of surviving outside the womb.
Episcopalians and many other Christian ethicists, however, note that abortion is a complex choice. It includes the health of the mother, her psychological condition, her duty to her other children, and the economic situation of the family. All of these factors can influence a conscientious choice regarding abortion.
Opponents of abortion often dismiss all considerations other than the status of the fetus, but clergy who have counseled women seeking an abortion know that these considerations weigh heavily on the individual and the family. An overburdened mother of many children with fragile health, inadequate income and under great personal stress may not be in danger of losing her life, but the quality of her life may be in jeopardy.
Does a woman have an absolute right to control her own body? Is an abortion a morally neutral procedure like having one’s appendix removed? The fact that the fetus has its own genetic material and at some point can survive on its own makes it distinct from having one’s appendix removed. Yet, potential for human life is not the same as human life. Hence, a fetus is not a baby and we should not treat it as such. In this case abortion is not murder.
The bias in the Christian moral vision, however, is toward the preservation of life. Therefore the Christian moral vision leans in favor of protecting the fetus. This does not mean that abortion is an illegitimate choice in every situation, but it does mean that it is a morally serious decision, one which should be made only when other possibilities prove inadequate.
My own tradition – the Episcopal Church – offers a balanced and even-handled approach to this ethical issue. The 1976 General Convention of the Episcopal Church considered this issue and produced a very thoughtful resolution.
It states, “That the beginning of a new human life, because it is a gift of the power of God’s love for his people, and therefore sacred, should not and must not be undertaken unadvisedly or lightly… Such understanding includes the responsibility for Christians to limit the size of their families and to practice responsible birth control. Such means for moral limitations do not include abortion for convenience.”
The 1976 resolution also reaffirmed a position taken in 1967, which declared support for the “termination of pregnancy” particularly in those cases where “the physical or mental health of the mother is threatened seriously, or where there is substantial reasons to believe that the child would be born badly deformed in mind or body, or where the pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest.” In these cases, an abortion was deemed a permissible moral act.
In addition “…members of this Church are urged to seek the advice and counsel of a Priest of this Church, and, where appropriate, Penance.” Clergy and others of this Church “are to explore with the person or persons seeking advice and counsel other preferable courses of action.” “The Episcopal Church expresses its unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decision in this matter and to act upon them.”
Finally, the 1994 Act of Convention opposed any “executive or judicial action to abridge the right of a woman to reach an informed decision…or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision.”
Now, some would say that religious leaders should stay out of politics, but I would argue just the opposite. Politicians should stay out of religion. That’s why we have separation of church and state. The government is not to favor one religion over another, mandate one religious practice for all people or tell religious believers what they can and cannot believe.
Let me conclude by addressing Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which includes two of the most important verses in the Bible. This epistle is perhaps Paul’s most impassioned text. He founded several churches in Galatia in the area of Asia Minor now known as Turkey. After he left, Jewish Christians came and shared a very different gospel from the one he had taught. Paul viewed these preachers as “trouble-makers” and “agitators,” because they created division concerning the Jewish Law and the practice of circumcision. The great division created back then is similar to how abortion divides faith communities today. Paul wanted to heal, create unity and help these churches focus on what truly mattered.
So, he spoke to them about the Holy Spirit, which allows us to be spiritual. What is spirituality? Spirituality is not about striving to be godly. Rather it is about becoming fully human. When we strive to be godly we can easily feel puffed up and view ourselves as better than others. Spirituality is not about trying to lead a perfect life, free of sin and imperfection, which is impossible.
Rather, it is an attempt to live a “whole” or “holy” life. These two words share the same root. The Greek word for “to heal” can be translated as “to save,” or “to make whole.” Hence, whenever Jesus healed a person, he made him or her “whole.” The goal of the spiritual life is to become a “whole” person and let the Spirit set us free us to be all that God intended us to be. Spirituality is therefore not otherworldly, but rather about the here and now. Its goal is to make us more human, more whole, loving, free and faithful.
When St. Paul writes, “Live by the Spirit… and do not gratify the desires of the flesh,” he is not using “flesh” derogatorily, as if our bodies were inherently evil. Rather, “flesh” is his shorthand for self-centered living as opposed to God-centered and other-centered living. Living by the Spirit gives us our deepest freedom, peace and joy. Thus, Paul writes this famous line, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These two verses offer us a great spiritual compass.
Note that love comes first. It is the root of the entire spiritual life. The spiritual author and former chaplain at the Shrine of Julian of Norwich in England, Robert Llewelyn wrote, “Here, Paul speaks of ‘fruit’ rather than ‘fruits,’ because what follows is not a list of separate qualities but rather diverse dimensions of the one fruit, love. ‘Thus joy is love rejoicing and peace is love resting. Patience is love waiting, kindness is love acting and goodness is love being. Faithfulness is love trusting, gentleness is love nurturing and self-control is love disciplining.”
I would ask that you read, if you will, Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul writes, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Then ask yourself, “Which of these is most lacking in my life?” Is it love or joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, or self-control? Identify which of these is most lacking in your life and then dedicate this summer to praying for help in this area of your life and working to develop this spiritual gift with God’s help, and you will have perhaps the most spiritually rewarding summer of your life. Amen.
The Rev. Marek Zabriskie is Rector of Christ Church Greenwich.
