Is Having An Abortion a Sin?

by Tania Ashraf⁽⁴⁾
Tani

Is having an abortion a sin?

Health (Pregnancy, fertility, and reproductive issues)

"Pregnancy is a kind of a miracle. Especially so in that it proves that a man and woman can conspire to force God to create a new soul." (Robert Anton Wilson)

Becoming a mom is the dream of every woman rich or poor because that is when a woman feels herself complete is what I have heard from elders so far, which I think is quite true to a great extent because a child is who makes a bond between the husband and the wife.

But what happens when a woman has an abortion is that considered a sin?

"In medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost.

A spontaneous abortion is the same as a miscarriage. The miscarriage of 3 or more consecutive pregnancies is termed habitual abortion". Therapeutic abortion: An abortion that is brought about intentionally. Also called an artificial or induced abortion. As opposed to a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage).

Abortion, induced: An abortion that is brought about intentionally.

Also called an artificial or therapeutic abortion.

As opposed to a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage).

Abortion, artificial: An abortion that is brought about intentionally.

Also called an induced or therapeutic abortion.

As opposed to a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage).

Definition of Abortion, multiple

Abortion, multiple: Two or more miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) by a woman. Couples who have had multiple abortions have about a 5% chance that one member of the couple is carrying a chromosome translocation responsible for the miscarriages.

Abortion, spontaneous: A miscarriage, that is, any pregnancy that is not viable (the fetus cannot survive) or in which the fetus is born before the 20th week of pregnancy. Spontaneous abortion occurs in at least 15-20% of all recognized pregnancies and usually takes place before the 13th week of pregnancy.

A spontaneous abortion is as opposed to an induced abortion. In a spontaneous abortion, it is purely accidental, that is spontaneous.

Induced abortion: An abortion that is brought about intentionally.

Also called an artificial or therapeutic abortion.

As opposed to a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage).

Abortion, recurrent: The occurrence of 3 or more miscarriages (which are medically termed "spontaneous abortions") with no intervening pregnancies.

Recurrent abortion (or, as it is sometimes called, habitual abortion) is a form of infertility. It may be due to chromosome abnormalities.

These were the different types of abortions but having an abortion which is induced is not recurrent or spontaneous is it a sin?

Specific Scriptures

in regard to Abortion

by T.F. Barans

While abortion was well known and written about in ancient Hebrew times (some in favor, some against), the BIBLE is COMPLETELY SILENT on the subject of abortion. None of these other writings, including those cited by those opposed to abortion, made it into the Bible (and citing such sources only reiterates that abortion WAS known and still unmentioned by the Bible writers). No specific passage in the Bible encourages or discourages abortion, although the Law of

Moses specifically authorizes it in the case of a married woman impregnated by a man other than her husband (Numbers 5:12-28). Which is the way it should be left: don't go to either extreme, to outlaw or forbid abortion (like the religious extremists) or mandate abortion (like the Communists in China on the extreme left). It should be left to each individual to decide in her own situation. There ARE passages in the Bible that speak of birth, conception, accidental miscarriage, pregnancy, the formation and creation of life, extremely detailed descriptions of what constitutes murder, etc., any one of which would have been a PERFECT OPPORTUNITY the Bible writers to include the simple statement that abortion is a sin, or is forbidden, or is murder, or whatever. BUT THEY DIDN'T.

Abortion was well-known and widely practiced in ancient times, during Old Testament domination by the Israelites as well as under the Roman domination at the time Jesus lived, as it has been in even the most primitive societies. The Old and New Testaments are very outspoken on even very minute aspects of daily life, especially the Law of Moses. Jesus later clarified many of these laws to remove ambiguity or to add motive and intent to the spirit of the law. There are many non-scriptural accounts showing how herbal abortifacients were employed, using herbal methods such as combining pennyroyal with black cohosh or blue cohosh [more detailed accounts and precise methods can be found by going to any search engine, and typing in as required key words: "cohosh blue black pennyroyal abortion"].

If the commandments against murder were intended to apply to fetuses, then the Law of Moses, the later prophets and judges would have said so. Or, if there were some misunderstanding or confusion about the subject, Jesus speaking many hundreds of years later, could have provided some clarification on the subject. At the very least, an omnipotent and omniscient God would have been able to foresee the future conflict in our time and state specifically that commandments against killing were also applicable to abortion. Yet, while the Law of Moses outlines penalties and conditions for various types of killing (neighbors, foreigners, intentional, etc.), along with various types of permissible and forbidden killing (self-defense, executions, wartime vs. homicides), there is not a single place in the Bible where abortion is condemned, forbidden or even frowned upon.

In fact, the Bible on several occasions discusses fetal life and existence. These would have been perfect opportunities to include a prohibition against abortion, if such had been intended (or was God guilty of a sin of omission?). BUT THEY DIDN'T.

Since abortion was well-known but not forbidden, the Bible's silence reveals much. Many aspects of personal behavior are not addressed in the Bible. The Bible doesn't say what color our houses should be painted or how long we should wear our hair -- matters of personal preference are left to individual CHOICE, separate from issues of moral law. Conversely, the Bible also does not encourage, support or promote abortion. It is neither pro-abortion nor anti-abortion; like most people it takes a neutral (silent) position, leaving the matter to individual discretion, or CHOICE. Since the scriptures are completely silent on the issue, they obviously intended this to be left to individual preference (i.e. CHOICE). Those who claim Biblical authority to justify their human interpretations about a subject on which the Bible is silent are dishonest and hypocritical.

It is amazing that the Bible is ambiguous and contradictory in many places, and there are other scriptures such as Levitical commands in the Law of Moses where the Bible is very clear, but simply ignored, and still others where the Bible is cited on subjects about which it is silent. The religious conservatives deny obvious contradictions, they ignore specific commands and yet they claim Biblical authority on a subject NOT IN the Bible!

Exodus 20:13: "Thou shalt not kill." (KJV)

This scripture, one of the Ten Commandments, is often translated as "Thou shalt not commit murder." One could easily look at the Ten Commandments and view them as an "index" to the Law of Moses which follows in the remainder of Exodus, Leviticus.

Abortion in Islam

By Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D.

President

Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.

In principle, the Qur'an condemns the killing of humans (except in the case of defense or as capital punishment), but it does not explicitly mention abortion. This leads Islamic theologians to take up different viewpoints: while the majority of early Islamic theologians permitted abortion up to day 40 of pregnancy or even up to day 120, many countries today interpret these precepts protecting unborn children more conservatively. Although there is no actual approval of abortion in the world of Islam, there is no strict, unanimous ban on it, either. Islam has not given any precise directions with regard to the issue of abortion. Hence it is not a matter, which has been clearly stated in the Shari'ah (Islamic Law) but rather an issue pertaining to the application of our knowledge of the Shari'ah. Such application may vary in conclusion with a difference in the basic premises of one's arguments.

The Qur'an clearly disapproves of killing other humans: “Take not life which Allah has made sacred” (6:151; see also 4:29 “If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever)” (4:93). Allah (SWT) went even further, making unlawful killing of a single individual human being equal to mass murder of the whole of mankind: "Because of that, we ordained for the children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation for murder or for spreading mischief on earth, it would be as if he killed all mankind. And who saved a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind." (Al-Maidah, 5:32)

As to whether abortion is a form of killing a human, the Qur'an does not make any explicit statements. Only Surah 17:31 warns believers in general: “Kill not your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.”

There are those in Islam who oppose all abortions. A favored text to support this is: "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty for it is we who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them." (Surah, Al-An' am, 6:151). This Qur'anic reference is to killing already born children--usually girls. The text was condemning this custom. The Arabic word for killing used in this text "means not only slaying with a weapon, blow or poison, but also humiliating or degrading or depriving children of proper upbringing and education." The text doesn't explicitly address the abortion and therefore doesn't close the argument on it.

The Qur'an says: We created man from an essence of clay: then placed him, a living germ,

In a secure enclosure. The germ we made a leech; and the leech a lump of

Flesh; and this we fashioned into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh;

Then we develop it into another creation. (Surah Al-Mu'minoon, 23: 12-14)

The Shari'ah allows abortion only when doctors declare with reasonable certainty that the continuation of pregnancy will endanger the woman's life. This permission is based on the principle of the lesser of the two evils known in Islamic legal terminology as the principle of al-ahamm wa 'l-muhimm (the more important and the less important). The Prophet said, "When two forbidden things come [upon a person] together, then the lesser will be sacrificed for the greater." In the present case, one is faced with two forbidden things: either abort the unborn child or let a living woman die. Obviously, the latter is greater than the former; therefore, abortion is allowed to save the live person. 1

Abortion in Islam 5

Some Muslims argue that abortion is permissible if the fetus is younger than four months (120 days). They quote a statement from the Prophet (s) that refers to a human being starting as a fertilized ovum in the uterus of the mother for forty days, then it grows into a clot for the same period, then into a morsel of flesh for the same period, then an angel is sent to that fetus to blow the Ruh into it and to write down its age, deeds, sustenance, and whether it is destined to be happy or sad.

Assuming the Hadith to be authentic, scholars explain that the error comes from understanding that before the Ruh is blown into the fetus at 120 days, the fetus is not a living entity, and therefore aborting it does not amount to killing it. It therefore becomes clear that aborting a fetus before 120 days is still killing a living entity, let alone abortion after that presumed period.

Some Muslims argue that the only case when aborting a fetus, before or after 120 days, is allowed in Islam, is when a medical situation threatens the life of the mother, leaving only two options, to let either the other or the fetus survive, but not both. Scholars argue that such a case can only be determined by a specialist, trusted and committed Muslim doctor. They argue that the mother can have other children, whereas the child cannot make up for losing the mother.

Therefore its difficult to say whether abortion is a sin or not but both the religions are correct in their own perspectives so abortions should be avoided to the maximum.

Article submitted Monday, January 02, 2012 & read 4693 times.

Leave your comments through Ice Pop:

» left by Tiana Carter from USA (12 days 14 hours ago.)

I don't believe that abortion is a sin. I too believe that it should be avoided (if possible). It is not for anyone that is not going to care for the child that would result from preventing an abortion to say what the mother that carries it in her body to term should do.

Sin is consciously disobeying a commandment or law of God and since you have researched the point very well, we agree that it is a medical procedure and not a sin, an act that can save the life (and/or sanity) of the mother and will not condemn her soul to hell. Good job of researching.
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