When is murder, murder or another way, when one person takes the life of another is it murder? One would think the answer would be simple but when politicians and sometimes judges become  involved it isn’t.

On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court made the decision that abortion was the law of the land. In May of this year, 2013, the Greens Party of the Australian state of New South Wales will be bringing forth a bill legalizing euthanasia. What’s next? Who knows for the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked.

In consideration of what occurred forty years ago with abortion and with euthanasia now being considered the question comes to mind; when is it murder? If abortion is, then euthanasia is! Most civilized nations consider murder a crime. “Why is murder regarded as a criminal offence?” Answer “Because it is the taking of someone else’s life. Deep down it is stealing, you are stealing who they are, who they will be, everything they have or ever will have. Stealing a father or mother from their children, a son or daughter from their parents, a wife or husband from their mate, and any good they may do in their life from those who need it.
Legally speaking though. . .While murder is a natural crime (something everyone inherently knows is wrong), it is a criminal offense because the legislature has codified it as a such.”

So murder according to the above “is the taking of someone else’s life”. The key word here is “life”. Yet the destruction of the unborn via abortion is legal in the USA and Australia with well over 80 thousand unborn children in Australia eliminated each year with many, many more being eliminated in the United States. So the question is; does the unborn have “life” and if it does have life is that a “life” of a human person and if it is; is that life worthy of allowing to live  or not?

“Concepts of personhood based upon science and philosophy abound. For some, personhood begins at syngamy. For others, it is 14 days after fertilisation, twelve weeks, 28-weeks, birth, three months after birth and so on.
There is no agreement in science or philosophy about when personhood begins, or where it ends, or how it should be defined. The only agreement one finds is in the embryological text books, that human life begins at fertilisation. It is the fertilisation of a human egg by a human sperm that produces a member of the human species, the human family.”

Well, let’s now turn to the Book written by the Creator of all life.

1. Man is Unique of all creation.
Genesis 1:26, 27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Here we find that out of all God’s creation man is unique! Man is the only part of God’s creation said to be made in God’s image and after His likeness. Man’s creation was an act of affection and is the climax of the creation week!

2. The spilling of man’s blood is abhorrent to the Creator.
Genesis 4:8 – 10 “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

Matthew Henry commenting on these verses said “In the original the word is plural, thy brother’s bloods, not only his blood, but the blood of all those that might have descended from him…”
Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut writes that “blood – Hebrew – damim is plural, a usage that, with rare exceptions, appears in a context of bloodshed or bloodguilt. The Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5, so the Targums, takes the plural to include, apart from the blood of the victim, also that of the potential offspring now doomed never to be born: ‘Whoever takes a single life destroys thereby an entire world.’”

Cain in taking his brother’s life meant those who would have issued from Abel also had their lives terminated. The blood of those yet to be born of Abel were crying out to the Creator! Life is life! 

3. The unborn is the fruit of the womb.
Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” I would be negligent if the prince of preachers was not quoted here concerning this verse. Spurgeon wrote “Ver. 3. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD. This points to another mode of building up a house, namely, by leaving descendants to keep our name and family alive upon the earth. Without this what is a man’s purpose in accumulating wealth! To what purpose does he build a house if he has none in his household to hold the house after him? What boots it that he is the possessor of broad acres if he has no heir? Yet in this matter a main is powerless without the Lord.  The great Napoleon, with all his sinful care on this point, could not create a dynasty. Hundreds of wealthy persons would give half their estates if they could hear the cry of a babe born of their own bodies. Children are a heritage which Jehovah himself must give, or a man will die childless, and thus his house will be unbuilt.
 
  And the fruit of the womb is his reward, or a reward from God. He gives children, not as a penalty nor as a burden, but as a favour. They are a token for good if men know how to receive them, and educate them. They are “doubtful blessings” only because we are doubtful persons. Where society is rightly ordered children are regarded, not as an incumbrance, but as an inheritance; and they are received, not with regret, but as a reward(Emphasis added). If we are over crowded in England, and so seem to be embarrassed with too large an increase, we must remember that the Lord does not order us to remain in this narrow island, but would have us fill those boundless regions which wait for the axe and the plough.  Yet even here, with all the straits of limited incomes, our best possessions are our own dear offspring, for whom we bless God every day.”

God said to Jeremiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…” Jeremiah 1: 5. David said “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Psalm 139: 13, 14. How can anyone look upon the human body and not be amazed at its grand design and in turn praise the Great Designer?!

When two people unite in marriage they usually desire to have children. This is natural for in the beginning God had said to the first man and woman “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply…” Genesis 1: 27, 28.

Why then does today’s society desire for same sex couples to be united in marriage? First, marriage has been historically, an institution  reserved for one man and one woman. The Lord Jesus said “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” Mark 10:6.  Secondly, biology tells us that it takes a man and woman to reproduce another male or female. Same sex individuals WILL NEVER, WILL NEVER have children unless one from the opposite sex becomes involved. It is not natural!
  
As the Psalmist said children are from the Lord God, Himself! Not only is He the designer of how man and woman would populate the earth BUT He is the giver of life; Psalm 94:9 “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?” He Who created and designed all things and has given life to man hears the cry of the unborn and He also sees the taking of that life!

4. Killing the unborn is unnatural.
Note 2Timothy 3:1 – 3 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection…” Abortion is popular because men and women in these “perilous times” are simply in love with themselves! Perilous times people are self-centred and no desire to share their lives with someone else such as a baby. A baby would require losing some sleep and time spent on the baby rather than self!  Remember what Spurgeon said “Where society is rightly ordered children are regarded, not as an incumbrance, but as an inheritance; and they are received, not with regret, but as a reward.” Perilous times people are covetous. Covetous of their time, their money, their lives! Yes, a child just may prohibit them obtaining that material object the “Jones” may have acquired and if they haven’t the perilous times person will have it FIRST. Murdering one’s unborn child is “without natural affection”.
5. From conception the person is there.
“Day 1
When conception (fertilization) occurs, the baby’s features and personal characteristics including temperament, sex, hair and eye colour are determined. Though smaller than a grain of sugar, all of the information is present for all this person will ever become.
Day 21
The heart begins to beat.
Day 18-20
The foundations of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system are laid.
5 weeks
7 weeks from Last Menstrual Period (LMP): The umbilical cord develops which will be the baby’s lifeline in utero. It bears the responsibility of pumping in oxygen, removing waste and supplying the necessary nutrients for the remainder of the pregnancy.
8 weeks
10 weeks LMP: Cartilage and bones begin to form. By the end of the week, the baby will have already completed one fifth of the journey until its birth-day!
9 weeks
11 weeks LMP: The baby will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand – this is amazing to see! At only nine weeks, if you happen to observe an ultrasound, you may see the baby fascinated by everything he or she can lay their fingers on (mainly other fingers, toes, ears and nose!) Fingerprints are already evident in the skin.
10 weeks
12 weeks LMP: The most critical part of the infant’s development is complete. Now it’s headed into a period of rapid growth.
14 weeks
16 weeks LMP: The baby’s skin is still very transparent. Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby’s body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age. Generally this will be shed prior to birth. Its purpose is to help protect the baby’s skin while in all that water!
16 weeks
18 weeks LMP: The baby has learned to breathe, inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. These actions help the lungs develop and grow.
19 weeks
21 weeks LMP: The baby is beginning to develop its senses. The brain is designating special areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch.
15 weeks
17 weeks LMP: The mother may begin to feel some fluttering as the baby moves.
21 weeks
23 weeks LMP: The baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, it can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music and sounds that the baby becomes accustomed to during its development stages are often calming after birth.
23 weeks
25 weeks LMP: With the baby’s sense of movement now well developed, the mother can
sway to music and the baby will be able to feel the dancing motion.The baby can now viably
survive outside the womb.
26 weeks
28 weeks LMP: Although they’ve been sealed shut for the last few months, the baby’s eyes are opening and beginning to blink. Fetal brain scans show a response to touch. If a light is shone on the mother’s abdomen, the baby will turn its head, which according to researchers,
means their optic nerve is working.
27 weeks
29 weeks LMP: Tiny rhythmic movements may be felt by the mother which are likely a case of baby hiccups and may be common from now on.
32 weeks
34 weeks LMP: It may be noted that the baby’s not moving around as much. It’s fine – it’s just running short on room. Besides growing, the baby is busy dreaming. Brain scans have
shown that babies have periods of dream sleep (REM) starting around the eighth month.
35 weeks
37 weeks LMP: From this point onwards, the baby is no longer considered premature and is patiently awaiting its entrance into the world.”

Note at 21 weeks the baby “can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music and sounds that the baby becomes accustomed to during its development stages are often calming after birth.” Concerning John Baptist at 6 months “when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb” Luke 1: 41.

Sadly, abortion is all too common in today’s society. Abortions take place each and every day without much thought by the general public. Unfortunately, most of those women and girls who have had an abortion were not given the truth as presented here and in other places. They were never given the evidence that is available today which shows the baby as a person with LIFE. It MUST be stressed there is LIFE at the moment of conception there is no doubt.

Alas, all is not doom and gloom for those who have had an abortion, for the Lord is “…good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” Psalm 86:5. The 19th century Baptist preacher C. H. Spurgeon well said “SINNER, if you trust in Christ, He will forgive you the blackest sin into which you have ever fallen. If—God grant that it may not be true!—the crime of murder should be on your conscience, if adultery and fornication should have blackened your very soul, if all the sins that men have ever committed, enormous and stupendous  in their aggravation, should be rightly charged to your account, yet, remember that “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1Jo 1:7); and “all that believe are justified from all things” (Act 13:39), however black they may be.
God will forgive you at once, as soon as you trust Christ. There was a daughter, well beloved by her father, who, in an evil hour, left her home and came to London. Here, having no friends, she soon fell a prey to wicked men and became an utter wreck. A city missionary met with her, spoke faithfully to her about her sin, and the Holy Spirit brought her to the Savior’s feet. The missionary asked for her father’s name and address; and at last, she told him. But she said, “It is no use for you to write to him. I have brought such dishonor on my family that I am quite certain he would not reply to any letter.” They wrote to the father and stated the case; and the letter that came back bore on the envelope, in large text hand, the word Immediate. Inside, he wrote, ‘I have prayed every day that I might find my child and am rejoiced to hear of her. Let her come home at once. I have freely forgiven her, and I long to clasp her to my bosom.’ Now, soul, if thou seekest mercy, this is just what the Lord will do with thee. He will send thee mercy marked Immediate, and thou shalt have it at once. I recollect how I found mercy in a moment, as I was told to look to Jesus, and I should be forgiven. I did look; and, swift as a lightning flash, I received the pardon of sin in which I have rejoiced to this very hour. Why should it not be the same with you, the blackest and worst sinner here, the most unfeeling and the least likely to repent? Lord, grant it; and Thou shalt have the praise!

Come, sister, smooth those wrinkles out of your forehead. You have been saying, ‘I shall never be saved’; but you must not talk like that, for Christ’s forgiveness of sin is “according to the riches of his grace.” And, brother, are you in trouble because you have sinned against God? As He is so ready to forgive, you ought to be sorry that you have grieved such a gracious God. As He is so ready to forgive, let us be ready to be forgiven. Let us not leave this [subject], though the midnight hour is about to strike, until we have received this great redemption, this great forgiveness for great sin.”
There is forgiveness for all sinners including those who have performed abortions and those who have had an abortion. Sin is a burden carried in the soul of the sinner. The Lord Jesus says to all who like Christian in Pilgrims Progress realize they have such a burden to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew 11: 28 – 30.

(The foot-notes did not paste with the copy from the word processor. Therefore if the foot-notes are desired email me at aussiedubbbo@yahoo.com and ask for the pdf on Abortion = Murder)