By Kevin Barron
(Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of last week’s column from Kevin Barron)
On Sunday, June 26, 2022, I stood before both of my congregations in their services, and stated that the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court, almost 49 and a half years after the decision was handed down, was 100% good. Then, during prayer, I gave thanks to God that Roe v. Wade was no longer the law of the land. In the month since, I’ve thought about that statement. I stand by it with no wavering at all. I totally believe what I said! Here’s why.
Abortion is not good. By good, I mean in the sense of right and wrong, of the teachings of the Bible and the morality we base on Scripture. At focusonthefamily.com is an article by Carrie Earll with the title, What The Bible Says About the Beginning of Life. The article answers these questions: why should we value life? Who is the Creator of the preborn? How is God concerned with the preborn? Are the preborn human beings? Who is responsible for life and death? Are humans permitted to take life before birth? Should a child conceived as a result of rape or incest be aborted? Should a child who might be born deformed or disabled be aborted? How should a woman view her body and the preborn life growing in her womb? Does God forgive those who have had abortions? I do not see how you could read this article, consider carefully the Scriptures it refers to, and reach any other conclusion other than abortion is not good.
Abortion is avoidable. Everyone past a certain age, and the age is getting younger all the time, understands how babies are made. I contend that abortion is avoidable because anyone who is able physically to be involved in sexual activity also has the ability to control their desires, not engage in sex, and thus not conceive a child. I realize that our society has changed to the point where sexual abstinence seems odd, where those who practice purity outside of marriage are in the minority, where many feel that extramarital sex is just a “normal” occurrence, and where the phrase one man, one woman, for life seems odd. But I pray for, and I believe that God can bring about, such a world once again! And this would be a world where abortion would be very rare because a pregnancy that caused even the thought of an abortion would be very rare.
In closing, let me state that I realize that the Christian church does not have a perfect track record on these issues. Could churches and individual Christians do better at supporting unborn children and their families? Yes. Could we do better at supporting children and their families in times of struggle? To be sure. The overturning of Roe v. Wade, I must admit, is a blast of reality at the people of God. It is way past time we be more caring and more aware and more generous with the needs around us. But the answer to a failure to care enough is not to exterminate some of the very beings we should care the most about! I am also aware of those who say we must be pro-life from womb to tomb, and declare that capital punishment should be outlawed. I will admit that is a strong argument. The Bible seems to support the ending of a life for certain terrible offenses, but it is still a terrible thing. But there can be no such ambiguity when it comes to the unborn. They are defenseless, they are helpless, they have no moral stain on the record of their lives, and they cry out to us, the only source of help they have. Can we not rise to the challenge and set them free?
Kevin Barron is the pastor of Perryville and Crossroads United Methodist churches. He can be reached by phone at 573-547-5200 or via email at kdbarron@gmail.com.
