Bible verses commonly used by abortion advocates
- Exodus 21:22-25: A child's life does not have the same value as a mother's life.
- Genesis 2:7: Life begins at the "first breath," not at fertilization.
- Numbers 5:11: God terminates the pregnancy of the adulterous woman.
- Exodus 11:5, 2 Samuel 8:12: God kills children and orders their murders.
- Deuteronomy 28:18: God does not care about the sanctity of life.
The unbeliever distorts the Word of God
It should not surprise us that unbelieving sinners, in rebellion against their Creator, distort His Word. The twisting of sacred truth to achieve malicious ends is characteristic of the wicked. Mockers and scoffers twist the biblical text to justify themselves and escape obedience to it. This deviation usually leads to attempts to deceive others from the clarity of God's revelation.
Atheists and agnostics try to isolate selected parts of the Bible and use them as a weapon against pro-life Christians. Their contention is that God permits and even approves of abortion in Scripture. However, this “evidence” is incompatible with a correct understanding of the Bible’s teachings on abortion. Unfortunately, Christians should not expect those who hate God to be able to correctly discern the truth of the Word, given what the Word says about their ability to do so.
The unbeliever distorts the Word of God
Biblical examples:
- Ephesians 4:18: "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts."
- Romans 1:21: "For when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
- 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The unbelieving person does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The problem with unbelievers is not their intellect, but their rejection of God.
This reminds us that the fundamental problem of anyone outside of Christ is not a lack of intellectual ability. The wisdom of the Bible describes the one who says, “There is no God” as a fool (Psalm 14:1, Proverbs 9:10). This does not mean that the unbeliever is foolish. This means that sin and its consequences touch the deepest parts of a person, including his reasoning. The problem is not a lack of intelligence; when someone is called “foolish,” it is a moral accusation.
All knowledge is covenantal, and therefore neutral, and does not exist. Everything makes sense and is explained in Christ (Colossians 1:17). True knowledge begins with Him.
It is important to make it clear from the outset that unbelievers know the truth about God but reject it. The consequence of this proud ignorance is that their reasoning becomes useless and cannot lead to true understanding. They may “know things,” but they lack a grounded, true, and genuine faith, which is why every atheist and agnostic is forced to draw on the Christian worldview to give meaning to their beliefs.
The Bible tells us that they are unintelligible. because of the hardness of their hearts. Legalized consciences lead to erroneous reasoning. Spiritual truths can only be understood through spiritual discernment and regeneration, which comes through the Holy Spirit. Without the new birth that God gives, understanding divine truths is impossible.
Stand firm in the face of perceived contradictions
Christians who take God’s Word seriously should proceed with caution when confronted with supposed contradictions in the Bible. This caution does not come from fear, as if such inconsistencies really exist and cannot be explained. The point here is faithfulness to their Lord. By stepping on the Rock (Christ), Bible believers should not allow unbelievers to “judge God,” as the saying goes. God is not on trial and does not have to give an explanation for His actions to anyone.
The unbeliever is the one who is on trial. Therefore, Christians are encouraged not to engage in Bible studies with spiritually rebellious people, not to cast their “pearls before swine.” Answers should be given, but not in such a way as to try to convince unbelievers and prove their point that God exists or that He does everything according to His good will.
However, our prayer is that this resource will serve as a solid foundation from which to defend the Word of God and refute those who seek to undermine the Bible’s ethics of life. We must remember that in responding to these objections, atheists, agnostics, and even progressive evangelicals need the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to gain His mind and be able to understand the Bible correctly.
The goal in answering each objection
The goal in answering any objection is to get to the heart of the matter and appeal to the image of God in each person, demonstrating their spiritual infirmity and need for restoration. This includes repentance (a change of mind) and conversion to faith in the Living God. To fulfill this task of faithful witness, we must clear away the “ruins of truth” that are being misused so that others will not be led into emptiness and error.
This resource will help you respond to some of the most common misuses of the Bible that unbelievers try to use to support abortion and oppose the protection of the unborn. We will examine each objection by setting the context of the verse in question, refuting the supposed interpretation, and then presenting the positive teaching that the text actually conveys. In this way, you as a Christian will be able to respond to misuses of God’s Word with clarity and confidence.
"The fetus in the womb is property, not a person"
Exodus 21:22-25
22 "If men fight and hit a pregnant woman, and her children come out, but no harm comes to her, the one who hit her shall be fined as her husband determines, and he shall pay according to the decision of the judges.
23 But if there is harm, then you will pay life for life,
24 An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Objection: The Bible prescribes the death penalty for killing a human being, but not for expelling a fetus from the womb. Therefore, the unborn are not human.
Answer: God treats unborn persons in the same way as born people and demands justice when harm is caused to any of them.
Revealing the Application of Biblical Legal Examples
This section of Scripture deals with the application of the moral principles found in The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Case law examples serve to illustrate these principles in real-life situations. Case law takes the general nature of the precepts and punishments in God’s law and applies them appropriately to the crime committed.
This legislative system, discovered in The Pentateuch, has formed the foundation of the legal system of the United States. It is somewhat controversial to claim that our modern justice system is flawed. Nevertheless, the foundation of all the blessings of freedom and justice that America has enjoyed throughout its history comes from the Bible.
Case study analysis
In this particular case, two men fight in front of a pregnant woman. In the course of their conflict, they hit her, which ultimately leads to what some opponents call a miscarriage (more on that below), but which is actually pre-birth of the child she is carrying. Abortion advocates will cite this text to argue that the penalty for harming a woman is greater than that for harming an unborn child.
There is something essential here that should not be missed. After all, the whole anti-abortion position is based on the claim that unborn children are human beings and therefore deserve the same protection as anyone else (even if contemporary anti-abortion movements are not always consistent in applying it in a legal context.) The line of argument goes something like this:
"If a miscarriage occurs, only a fine is given, but if the woman dies, the punishment should be 'life for life'".
The issue that needs to be addressed
We need to ask ourselves the question: Does the Bible really place a lower value on babies in the womb compared to other people?
The verse in Exodus presents the principle Lex Talionis (an eye for an eye), meaning that the punishment to be imposed by the civil judge must be proportionate to the crime, including in the most serious cases (the death penalty). Opponents of this argument argue that this principle applies only to the mother. The correct understanding of this text and the defense of the biblical principle depend on several factors:
- The Character of God
- The meaning of the word translated as "her children come out"
- The principle of reasoning from less to more
Equal justice for all
In our response, we must clearly establish that the Bible teaches that God is impartial (Deuteronomy 10:17, Job 34:19, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6, 1 Peter 1:17). He shows no favoritism toward certain groups of people (James 2:8-9). Justice is equal for all according to His law (Exodus 12:49).
On the foundation of His holy character are based both justice, and so on mercy (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17, Psalm 82:2-3, Acts 15:9, Romans 3:22-24).
God cannot change or distort the standards of His own law, just as He cannot divide Himself (Psalm 89:34). His Word does not distinguish between people based on arbitrary characteristics such as size, age, dependency, or location.
To argue that He would require different standards of justice for the mother and her unborn child would be to deny the immutability of His character, to undermine the anti-abortion position, and to fail to condemn the injustice of abortion.
Examples from the text and the meaning of terms
The same Greek word (Gr. brephos) is used in the New Testament for both born and unborn children (Luke 1:41, 18:15). Biblical teaching shows that God treats people with the same value, both in the womb and outside. The unborn child has the same value as the born child. If the value is equal, then the protection should be equal.
Conclusion
The text of Exodus makes no distinction between mother and child when considering harm:
"but if there is harm."
The harm to whom? The mother or the baby? Yes, for both. If there is harm to either party, justice must be served. The life of the mother is not more valuable than the life of the unborn child.
Misconceptions that lead to wrong assumptions
Furthermore, there is nothing in the context of this passage to justify the claim that the baby is dead, as is often claimed. Yes, the phrase "her children are going out" is translated as "miscarriage" in the NASB translation. However, as we will see with the text from the Book of Numbers, we must be wary of those who use a Bible translation that best supports their misleading claims.
The main question
Here is the question: The word "miscarriage" does it have the same meaning as the Hebrew word used in the text?
The word here literally means: "child comes out"Its most common biblical meaning refers to the coming forth of a living being, in general, and of a child in particular (Genesis 1:24, 8:17, 15:4, 25:25-26, 1 Samuel 8:19, Jeremiah 1:5, 2 Samuel 20:18).
Those who claim that this applies to miscarriage (stillbirth), in fact, have no basis for this. The passage refers to a premature birth of a child, not a stillborn child.
Why a fine?
If a baby is struck so that it is born prematurely, there are likely to be medical complications requiring compensation, as well as trauma to the mother. Therefore, the fine prescribed by the text can serve as a form of retribution and compensatory justice for the damages caused.
One important point
There remains something essential to understand. The example of the law given in Scripture deals with unintentional harm to the baby in the wombThe careless behavior of the perpetrators, which resulted in injury to the image of God in the womb, is categorically considered a crime.
The main question
If God values the child in the womb so highly that even an unintentional injury could lead to something as serious as "life for life", what then does this mean for those who, with a conscious and premeditated purpose, commit murder against an unborn child?
The Bible provides unborn children with a level of protection that is priceless and unparalleled.
"Human life begins with the first breath"
2 Genesis 7
"Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul."
Opposition
Opponents argue that the Bible teaches that life begins when a baby takes its first breath, not at the moment of conception.
Answer
This verse describes the unique creation of the first man, Adam, and this should not be confused with the reproductive process by which humans are created.
The Anti-Abortion Approach: No Biblical Basis for Reconsideration
The agreed anti-abortion principle holds that life begins at the moment of fertilization and must be protected until natural death. Both the Bible and biological science are extremely clear on this point.
However, abortion supporters continue to use revision of textsto support their false assumptions. Phrases like: "the life process begins with the first breath" are nothing more than attempts to justify their religious commitment to abortion at any time. They have neither a biblical nor a scientific basis.
Analysis
This verse from Genesis is often quoted to support the idea that a fetus is not a "person" until the moment it leaves the wombThe claim is based on the fact that Adam became alive when God breathed life into him.
But something important should be noted:
- Man is created in the image of God, which makes it the crown of creation above everything else in nature.
- Man was created man and woman, and God gave them the opportunity to multiply and inhabit the earth.
- The process of transferring God's dominion over the earth is accomplished through fertility and the creation of offspring.
All of these points are rejected by today's non-biblical culture. Man is not a mere animal, as evolution and materialism claim. His value existed before he had a heartbeat.
Assumption against biblical truth
The idea that human nature is acquired through experience is false. The Bible teaches that our lives have value even before conception and that God actively creates us in the womb for a specific purpose and purpose.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."
Jeremiah 1: 5
"But when He who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me..."
Galatians 1:15-16
Conclusion
The biblical account clearly shows that life begins at conception, not after birth. It is God who gives life, and every human embryo has value and meaning even before a heartbeat begins to manifest.
Life is not something given by external circumstances or human choices, but is a divine gift, created in the image of God and destined for His glory.
Biology opposes religiously based worldview on abortion
Modern science, which is coming into agreement with biblical revelation, further supports this reality. According to The basics of embryology:
"The zygote, formed by the union of an egg and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being."
This is information we have known for a long time, despite efforts by pro-abortion medical leaders to change the definition of the beginning of life.
The Genesis text describes the creation of Adam, the first man. Adam was not carried in his mother's womb and did not experience childbirth, but was created as an adult. He was unique in that he did not undergo the normal reproductive processes that we all experience.
Using this verse to claim something different is simply category error and a convenient disregard for the preceding creation narrative.
Man as a material and spiritual being
The work of God is presented as the work of a master sculptor who forms the first man from the dust and then breathes life into him. "the breath of life" in it.
This act presents the dual human nature of tangible and intangibleThe Bible teaches that we are both matter and spirit. We live as bound beings who give our bodies incomparable value and dignity.
Opposing Worldview: Gnostic Roots and Abortion
On the other hand, the point of view of abortion supporters, with its Gnostic foundations, perceives the body of the unborn child as worthless and insignificant in relation to the issue of "personality".
Why?
Because, according to them, until the child has achieved his "personality status" (as they arbitrarily define it), it may be human, but not personality, worthy of protection.
Only the Christian worldview offers a comprehensive ethic that asserts that all human beings are valuable on all levels, due to the fact that they bear the image of God (Image of God).
"God causes babies to abort"
Numbers 5:27-28
“And when she has made him drink the water, then if she has defiled herself and broken her faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter her and cause bitter pains, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.”
Opposition
Statement: God encourages abortions and even gives instructions on how to perform one.
Answer: This text describes a testing ritual that a priest could perform to acquit a wife from false accusations by a jealous husband.
The Resolution of the “Testing by Bitter Water”
Abortionists and atheists like to use the famous “Testing by Bitter Water” ritual described in the book of Numbers to claim that God causes abortions.
The passage tells how the test was performed on a woman accused by her husband of adultery. This ritual was intended to determine whether the woman had committed adultery or was innocent.
This ritual was a merciful mechanism in God's law that protected the woman from false accusations and protected her from a vengeful husband who would seek a divorce (Deuteronomy 22:19).
The priest prepared a ritual mixture of holy water and earth (symbolizing God’s holiness), which was taken by the woman. The curse associated with marital infidelity was read and written, then dissolved in the water. If the woman was guilty, physical signs of guilt would appear from her (Numbers 5:19-28).
Meaning conversion
The language in describing the consequences of infidelity is one that is twisted and used against Christians.
Some argue that this passage shows that God causes miscarriages and uses such methods as punishment. However, it is important to understand that this text is not referring to abortion, but to religious examination and dealing with moral issues in the context of God's law.
As Christians, we believe that abortion is murder, and this statement is not based on such texts, but on an understanding of God's word in its full context.
In conclusion, understanding the language and historical context is key to not jumping to wrong conclusions about God and the concept of abortion.
The Creator of all life determines what is right and what is wrong
Deuteronomy 32:39
"See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand."
Christians should remember the biblical teaching that God is the Creator of everyone and everything that exists (Genesis 1:1). He is the source of all life and therefore determines what is right and what is wrong. As Creator, God has the right to take the life of anyone He wishes, for any reason He determines, and He cannot be accused of injustice. After all, He is God.
People often take life unjustly. But no such charge can be made against God. He creates for His own glory and disposes of His creations according to the purposes He has determined. God is the righteous Judge of all the earth and always acts in righteousness (Genesis 18:25). No believer should be ashamed of these basic biblical truths.
It is also important to remember that because of the state of sin and its consequences, humans live in a fallen world where things like miscarriages can happen. Children die of “natural causes” beyond the control of their parents. The loss of a child causes much pain and sorrow. But this is fundamentally different from deliberately and knowingly causing the death of one’s own child through abortion.
In one case, the mother and father are not at fault and should be the object of love and sympathy as they recover from the loss. In the other case, however, the mother who kills her own unborn child should be subjected to the same justice as anyone else who commits murder, along with the accomplices and those responsible.
Using selected quotes to support specific goals
When we look at the quotes from the Bible, it is important to note that in the text of New International Version (NIV) since 2011 it has been claimed that it is a miscarriage:
“21 Then the priest shall put this curse on the woman: ‘May the Lord make you a curse among his people when he makes your belly swell and your womb rupture. 22 This water that brings the curse shall enter your body, causing your belly to swell and your womb to rupture.’”
But is it really a miscarriage?
The phrase "your stomach is shaking" does not appear in the same way in other translations. A more correct translation would be “dilation of the belly,” or “contraction of the uterus.” This is confirmed by the rest of the text, which notes that if the woman is found innocent of adultery, she will be able to conceive again. However, if she is guilty, God’s justice is meted out in accordance with the crime.
The Bible does not approve of abortion, but it does punish adultery, and this text emphasizes that when a woman sins, it leads to the loss of the ability to have children.
Examining biblical texts in the context of divine judgments
Psalm 137:9
"Blessed will be the one who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!"
This text represents a prayer of the Israelites in a time of suffering and their attempt to pray for retribution against their enemies. This is not a God ordering the killing of children, but an expression of despair and a search for retribution in the face of oppression and suffering.
Exodus 11:4
“Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die…’”
This punishment comes in response to Egypt's cruelty towards God's people. It is not evidence of cruelty on God's part, but retribution for the oppression and cruelty practiced by the Egyptians.
2 Samuel 8:12
"You will burn their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women."
This prophecy is given by the prophet Elisha about Hazael's upcoming actions as the new leader, not as a command from God.
In these texts, it is important to distinguish that although God is sovereign, human actions are also the consequence of human responsibility.
Conclusions
The cited texts and events show that God does not act arbitrarily, but always in a righteous way in accordance with His sovereignty and plan. However, man more often opposes this order through violence and injustice.
The Bible makes a distinction between retribution for crimes and unjustified violence. Therefore, Christians should strive for understanding based on truth and biblical teaching, rather than using texts for personal gain or abortion propaganda.
English 
Bulgarian