Bits and Pieces – 207th Edition – September 8, 2024

    With the United States presidential election coming up shortly, the abortion issue has surfaced again.  “Abortion on demand” is undoubtedly one of the most serious moral issues facing Christians today.  When we speak of abortion, we are referring to the deliberate termination of the life of the unborn child, and the first question to be faced is – why is there a need for abortions?

     Some argue that in a dangerous pregnancy, the mother’s life comes first, and we would concur.  Christianity stands for love and compassion and is not like other religions that have tended to place the life of the child above that of the mother.  But cases of dangerous pregnancies are very rare so the present ‘pro-choice’ campaign cannot be on those grounds.

     The troubling fact is that most abortions today are merely a method of birth control.  Instead of responsible people exercising restraint within the context of marriage, the present promiscuous age is reaping a fearful harvest of sin.  Those who shout loudly for abortion rights are seldom, if ever, heard calling for obedience to the seventh commandment, “thou shalt not commit adultery” [Exodus 20:14].

     The sad result of such promiscuity is that abortion is used to wash away the evidence of the scarlet sin, and the unborn child is sacrificed on the altar of human transgression.  Remove adultery and abortion on demand would not be the major problem it has become.

     The whole abortion argument hinges on this question.  Is the fetus just a piece of tissue or a blob of protoplasm?  If it is then it deserves little respect.  But if it is a living human being, then he or she must be granted the same dignity our nation has accorded to every other human person.

     The Bible teaches great respect for the unborn child.  “My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”  [Psalm 139:15,16].

     The picture here is of the Great Artist, the Creator, labouring in secret before publicly unveiling His masterpiece created in the image of Himself.  What occurs in the womb is God’s handiwork, and it is a horrible sin to break in, with instruments of death, and trash God’s beautiful creation.

     It is no coincidence that God, after He had given a lovely picture of the unborn, speaks of “bloody men” [Psalm 139:19].  It is difficult for the abortionist to escape the charge of murder.

    It was on Saturday September 15, 1984, that the Toronto church held a major day of prayer to oppose the fifty- million-dollar papal visit.

     We took out half page advertisements on successive Saturday’s Toronto Star.  The church, on Warden Avenue was well filled for most of the day and a real spirit of believing prayer was evident.  Pastors, and members of other churches came and lent their prayerful support.

     One of the most encouraging features of the whole protest against the papal visit was the heartening revelation that there are still “seven thousand which have not bowed unto Baal” [1 Kings 19:18].

     “Controversy in religion is a hateful thing.  It is hard enough to fight the devil, the world, and the flesh without differences in our own camp, but there is one thing which is even worse than controversy, and that is false doctrine tolerated, and permitted without protest.  There are three things which we ought not to trifle with – a little poison, a little false doctrine, and a little sin” [Dr. J. C. Ryle].