Pro-Life Apologetics for Christian Parents

The overturning of Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court level has brought up many interesting conversations. And let me tell you, if you have kids who are old enough to understand it, they are old enough to be confronted by the discourse happening in our culture. Sadly, even Christian adults are easily swayed by their emotions, as well as some of the worst meme theology on the internet.

My hope with this article is to help you navigate the abortion topic with your children. It’s tricky, because it involves talk about sexual activity as well as the brutal details of what an abortion really is. It is up to you, the parent, to decide when and how much to discuss with your children.

The reason I call this an apologetic is because scripture is our foundation for everything, including the subjects of life, abortion, and murder. You must know the Bible in order to defend the unborn, and you must not be intimidated by people who cherry-pick scriptures to defend abortion.

Christian, be bold and courageous. Know the arguments that are out there, because your children will encounter them among friends, at school, definitely in college, in the workplace, and online. Equip yourself and your children with the truth.

The Reality of Abortion

Discussing abortion with our children is disturbing, to say the least. It’s the violent murder of a baby inside his or her mother’s womb, and there’s just no way to sugar-coat it. In fact, that’s kind of the point. We’ve gotten to where we are in our culture because it’s been billed as “a woman’s choice,” healthcare, reproductive rights, and many other benign terms.

Foundations of Life has explanations of how a baby is aborted at different stages. It is not too graphic, but it’s still not easy to read. Young adults and some teens will be able to read this. If you don’t feel they are ready to read all of the details, you can simply explain that doctors have methods whereby the baby’s life is ended and removed from the mother.

Abortion ends a life. This is murder. There is no other way to describe it. There is no sugar-coating murder.

When Life Begins

This is heavily debated even in Christian circles. In the pro-abortion world, people will say that the baby is not a life until it enters the world and takes its first breath! If babies can be born at 25 weeks and 40 weeks and survive outside the womb, the first breath is not the determining factor.

Pro-abortionists like to use Genesis 2:7 as an argument, which says, “God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” It’s a beautiful verse about the creation of Adam, but as we all know, Adam and Eve did not come into this world like everyone else. There was no baby or birthing process involved.

Answers in Genesis states:

“Although science has shown us the wonderful continuity of the development of life throughout all its stages, science has been unable to define the onset of humanness. However, there is ample information in Scripture for us to determine the answer to this problem. The Bible contains numerous references to the unborn. Each time the Bible speaks of the unborn, there is reference to an actual person, a living human being already in existence. These Scriptures, taken in context, all indicate that God considers the unborn to be people. The language of the text continually describes them in personal terms. Since the Bible treats those persons yet unborn as real persons, and since the development of a person is a continuum with a definite beginning at the moment of fertilization, the logical point at which a person begins to be human is at that beginning. The answer is that life begins at fertilization. Frankly, no other conclusion is possible from Scripture or science.” (Read the entire article here.)

Babies in the womb are created beings with a heart and a soul. There is no timeline for when their murder is acceptable.

Miscarriage, etc.

You’ve likely heard this argument, or have even participated. The process of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy is scientifically cataloged as abortion. Abortion is the term for the termination of a pregnancy, whether it was involuntary or deliberate. It’s an unfortunate term, but this causes confusion for the uninformed. Don’t be uninformed. Miscarriage is almost always met with sadness and mourning for the baby that was to be born. It happens to many, many women, and is involuntary, but in medical records, it is usually listed as “spontaneous abortion.”

Ectopic pregnancies are the same. A fertilized egg in the fallopian tubes is almost never viable (though there have been instances where the egg was safely removed to the uterus) and a procedure is done to remove the fertilized egg to save the mother’s life. Even Planned Parenthood knows this.

You may have read some heart-rending stories on your social media that tell of women who will be left to die because an ectopic-pregnancy abortion is now illegal. Or maybe you’ve seen the fearful post about a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) being illegal, and women afraid of jail time after their miscarriage. These are fearmongering stories that have absolutely no basis in the truth. No state in America will prosecute a mother who has had a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, or a doctor who has performed a D&C for these situations.

What Does the Law Say?

The overturning of Roe v. Wade did not outlaw abortion across America. It simply put the decision back in the hands of the states, as the Constitution demands (and exactly as the Founding Fathers intended). This article from NBC News shows where the breakdown is by state. Some states have banned abortion completely, some are pending, and others protect the right to have an abortion. Note that in every state with an abortion ban, there is an exception that protects the life of the mother.

What About Rape or Incest?

Rape is a very unfortunate result of sin in our world, and the punishment should be severe. But the life that is often created from this act is no less valuable in the eyes of God than a baby welcomed into a loving marriage.

For You formed my inward parts:
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
(Psalm 139: 13-16)

This is often quoted in celebration of a pregnancy or the birth of a new baby. And it is a beautiful reminder! However, it is not only true for the babies who are eagerly awaited, but also for the baby conceived in rape. God makes no distinction.

Killing the baby conceived in rape will not undo the rape. It will not erase the memory of that very painful incident. An abortion after a rape only adds a second crime to the first.

A baby who is allowed to be born after a rape is often the agent of healing for the mother. Read the stories of people who were born out of rape and see what their mothers have to say. See what they themselves have to say! The Bible tells us that children are a blessing (Psalm 127:3-5), and that is no less true of the children born out of rape.

What About Poverty?

I believe this is one of the laziest arguments for abortion. It is borne out of the false premise that children are expensive. Children are as expensive or as inexpensive as you make them. Babies come into this world with few needs: milk, warmth, and love. They don’t need swings, bouncers, changing tables, or any of the other modern registry items we’ve come to believe are necessary. Growing children also have very basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, and love.

But instead of hashing out the list of needs and attaching a dollar amount, let’s get to the heart of the issue. This argument ignores the truth that children are a blessing from God! “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22). God provides. He makes a way where there is no way.

Instead of encouraging a poor mother to abort her baby, we should be the hands and feet of Jesus. We can give, we can help, and we can show her Jesus. She needs salvation, and she needs Christians to offer the only real, life-changing solution.

Taking a life is not a solution to poverty.

Beware of Terrible Arguments

If you or your kids spend any time on social media, you’ll encounter a list of scriptures thrown at you from people who don’t even believe the scriptures. This point is very important. The internet can be a great place for debate, but not with everyone. If an atheist gives you a list of reasons that God supports abortion, remember: they do not read the Bible as a whole book, and they typically don’t even know the context of the scriptures they just posted.

For instance, the Bible does not promote incest, just because Lot’s daughters “knew their father.” The Bible is a history book, and it tells us of the many times mankind (including God’s chosen people) rejected Him and chose sin. That is not an approval of the sin. The Bible, if you read it in its entirety, also shows us the consequences of sin. But Lot’s case is exactly the kind of bad argument people will use to say that the Bible is not a holy book, and that God is not a holy God. Don’t fall for it.

Another argument is that “you can’t be pro-life if you’re for the death penalty.” Oh, but you can! The death penalty is a punishment for taking the life of another human! It is quite different from taking the life of a baby for the sake of convenience.

Moms and dads, a bit of a background in logic goes a long way toward seeing right through these arguments. If you have teens, teach them Logic. If you’ve never taken a course in it, study alongside them. I recommend the Introduction to Logic course by Dr. Jason Lisle (Biblical Science Institute) from Master Books.

Be Bold and Courageous

Christians, we can stand firm on the holy scriptures! We need to show our children that God’s word is the truth, and that it is to be trusted. Let your children see your boldness and confidence in God, in His principles, and in defending the life of the unborn.