A.      In previous lessons, we have considered two false concepts that have turned our nation away from God:

                                                             1.      The false interpretation of separation of church and state that suggests that God has no place within our national conscience;

                                                             2.      The false teaching of evolution as a fact of science that offers an alternative to God’s creation for those who want to deny their accountability to Him.

B.      These false concepts and other factors have cultivated such godless minds and consciences that it has made acceptable one of the worst abominations that this world has known, which is the practice of abortion.  Presently, let us consider the lies and truth about this atrocity.

II.      THE BIG LIE

A.      Let us recall from Lesson 2 that the “big lie” is a propaganda technique that employs the frequent repetition of an outrageous lie to affect belief in the public.

B.      Whereas in the previous lessons we saw that the “big lie” technique was used to promote false ideas, now let us see how it has been used to promote an exceedingly wicked practice.

                                                             1.      The practice of abortion is considered to be a constitutionally protected right for women.

a.       This has been the standard ever since the United States Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973.

i.         The Court ruled by a vote of 7-2 that a woman may abort her pregnancy until a child in the womb is viable (capable of sustaining life outside the womb) or “capable of meaningful life.”

ii.        The Court also allowed for abortions within the last two or three months of pregnancy (post-viability) if the life or health of the mother is threatened.  “Life or health” was defined as physical, emotional, or psychological health, which is a broad definition that includes nearly any burden on the mother.

b.       Some details of abortion laws were delegated to the states, but Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land ever since the Supreme Court’s ruling.  The Court has refused to rule on any other cases that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

                                                             2.      Before Roe v. Wade, abortion advocates promoted abortion as a solution to many social problems, including illegitimate births, single motherhood, violent crime, teen suicide, and children on welfare.  Since the ruling, abortion advocates have continued to stand by the arguments.

                                                             3.      For thirty five years, Americans have been told that abortion is a civil right that is protected by the Constitution of the United States, that it is good for women, and that it is good for the nation.  These lies have led this nation down an unprecedented path of violence against the innocent.

C.      The result of the big lie of abortion is a devastating destruction of life.

                                                             1.      The statistics are compiled and reported by the government through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  They are also reported by two private, pro-abortion organizations, which are The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) and Planned Parenthood’s Family Planning Perspectives.

                                                             2.      Now, let us consider the numbers:

a.       According to the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), 48,589,993 babies were terminated via abortion between 1973 and 2006.

i.         This number is based on numbers reported by AGI and by estimates for 2004-2006.  AGI estimates a possible 3% under reporting rate, which is also factored into the total.  This is an average of more than 4,000 babies killed per day.

ii.        For perspective, our nation’s population is currently around 300 million, so about 14% of our population was not allowed to be born in the last thirty five years.

iii.      For further perspective, the total of all Jews who were killed during the holocaust was six million.

b.       93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).  Only 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and only 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest.

c.        An estimated 43% of all American women will have at least one abortion by the time they are forty five years old.

III.   THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH

A.      Inconvenient Truth #1: Abortion is an abomination against God.

                                                             1.      Of the seven things which are listed as abominations to God in Proverbs 6:17, one of them is “hands that shed innocent blood.”  None could be more innocent than the unborn.

                                                             2.      One of the detestable acts of the Canaanites was the sacrificing of their own children (Deut. 12:31).  God destroyed them for such abominations: will He do less to us?

                                                             3.      In the Law of Moses, an injury done to an unborn baby was punishable in the same way as an injury done to any other person (Ex. 21:22-25).

a.       Some translations incorrectly use the term “miscarriage” in verse 22, but the Hebrew word literally means that “her children come out,” i.e., she has a premature birth.

b.       If the baby was simply born early, then there was only a fine.  However, if the baby was injured or killed, then the penalty was “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” etc.

c.        Thus, killing an unborn baby was a capital crime (compare to Gen. 9:6).

                                                             4.      Some have devalued the lives of the unborn by calling them “fetuses,” “the results of conception,” or “unviable tissue masses,” but God considers all unborn children to be living souls.

a.       Psalm 139:13-16 describes God’s intimate knowledge of an unborn child.

b.       The inspired Scripture uses the same words in Hebrew (yeled) and Greek (brephos) to describe both unborn and born children (compare Ex. 21:22; Luke 1:44; 2:12; 18:15).  In God’s eyes, there is no difference between the born and the unborn.

c.        Consider how John was already filled with the Holy Spirit while still within the womb (Luke 1:15) and how God made plans for Jacob and Esau while still in the womb (Gen. 25:23; Rom. 9:11-12).  Today, these would be candidates for abortion.

                                                             5.      How could anyone say that abortion is just a personal issue or a political issue?  If ever there has been a moral issue, then abortion is it.  God’s word clearly demonstrates that abortion is an abomination against Him, for it is no different than murder.

B.      Inconvenient Truth #2: Abortion is not a civil right.

                                                             1.      The founding document of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, declares that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”  We have already noted that our Creator views abortion as an abomination, so He does not endow us with the right to perform abominations toward Him.

                                                             2.      The Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade was a bad decision rendered entirely upon a subjective judgment pertaining to when an unborn child is considered a person.

a.       The Court ruled that an unborn child was viable at six or seven months of pregnancy, but then it ruled that the child could still be killed in certain situations.

b.       The only objective way to measure the life of a child is to consider it from the beginning at conception.

C.      Inconvenient Truth #3: Legalized abortion has solved no social problems whatsoever.

                                                             2.      Even if these problems had improved because of abortion, it still would not make abortion right.  The ends do not justify the means, and in this case, the means just made the ends worse.

II.      CONCLUSION

A.      The issue of abortion goes far beyond any culture war.  It is a war against the defenseless unborn.  It is the most deplorable and immoral issue of our time.

B.      Let us always remember that regardless of what we may see in the world around us, victory is in Jesus.