The Value Of A Child Series

Today, January 23, 2022, is recognized as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in the Southern Baptist calendar; and so, I’m going to be discussing the value of the unborn child and have us look at the abortion debate.

The abortion argument centers on human rights – namely the right of a person to make his or her own choice concerning one’s health and right to life. The pro-choice advocate will say, “It’s my body, my choice. It’s my health and my life. This fetus threatens my health and life; therefore, it must be aborted.” But this thinking assumes that the fetus has no rights; and thus, no “say so” in the matter. The woman has a choice and the right to life, but not the fetus. The only way to make this argument is to assume that the fetus is not yet human, and not yet alive. So, the crux of the argument revolves around something called “personhood.” Only a “person” has the right to choose. So, the real question is “When does a fetus become a person?” or “When does a baby become a person?”

The notion of personhood has to do with awareness. The pro-choice view says that a fetus or baby is a person only when it becomes aware of its surroundings and existence. At that point, it is a human life. The abortion advocate will argue that anything still inside the womb cannot be aware; and thus, cannot be alive. This is the reason why many who lean toward pro-choice are okay with late-term abortions; because the fetus is still inside the womb. And based on the notion of personhood and awareness, some will even say that a baby born alive is not yet a person, as it cannot yet speak or form complex thoughts. Be aware that this personhood idea is being used to support euthanasia. If you are lying in a hospital bed in a coma, then you are not a person; and thus, you have no rights.

In the book Moral Choices, author Scott Rae says, “The pro-life advocate must show that God attributes the same characteristics to the unborn in the womb as to a person outside of the womb. In other words, Scripture must indicate a continuity of personal identity when describing the unborn.”(1) The pro-life advocate will quote verses such as Jeremiah 1:5, which says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This verse shows that God saw Jeremiah as a person and had a plan for his life even before his conception (see also Isaiah 49:1). Rae continues to tell us, “The general tenor of the Scripture appears to support the idea that the unborn is considered a person by God, being described with many of the same characteristics that apply to children and adults.”(2)

But, as pro-life advocates are using the Bible to show how God values the life of the unborn, pro-choice advocates are looking at the same passages of Scripture in an attempt to justify abortion; and today’s passage is one such example – one that is central to this debate. I want to take some time this morning and have us look at Exodus 21:22-25, and show both sides of the argument; but in the end – since I am not in favor of abortion – I am going to show how this passage is pro-life. In fact, it supports the life of both the mother and the child! So, let’s go ahead and get started by reading through our passage, and I want to invite you to stand in honor of God’s Word.

22 If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (KNJV).

So, here’s the scene. There is some kind of fight between two men, and a pregnant woman either intervenes or just gets caught up in the commotion. She is struck, and the blow is hard enough to induce labor, and she gives birth prematurely.(3) So, does this passage somehow relate to abortion? Does it say something to support the value of the child; and thus, the value of its life? Or, does it somehow support the value of the woman over the child? Well, let’s look at all the arguments and find out!

The Pro-Life Lens

The way we interpret this passage depends on the lens we use; or rather, our preconceptions. Pro-life advocates will view this passage with the life of the child in focus; the woman being somewhat lesser. Pro-choice advocates will view this passage with the life of the mother in focus; with the child being lesser. So, let’s begin by looking through the pro-life lens and seeing the pro-life point of view.