{"id":233973,"date":"2020-11-03T07:20:25","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T13:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=233973"},"modified":"2020-11-03T14:56:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T20:56:00","slug":"yale-divinity-school-professor-bible-silent-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/yale-divinity-school-professor-bible-silent-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Yale Divinity School professor incorrectly claims Bible is silent on abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"
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John J. Collins, a Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School, argued<\/a> against the existence of a theological case against abortion in a recent op-ed he wrote for the Religion News Service. The issue of abortion, Collins said, is never mentioned in the Bible, and on this topic, \u201cthere is no divine intervention to be had.\u201d Collins asserted the Bible is disconnected from the idea of a \u201csupposed \u2018right to life,\u2019\u201d and says contrary to the claims of religious pro-lifers, the Bible does not morally condemn abortion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The wrongness of abortion is evident even without Scripture, as science<\/a> tells us the preborn are human<\/a>. However, there are several problems with Collins’s argument regarding the Bible\u2019s neutrality on abortion, as the Bible provides substantial support for the pro-life view.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bible Is Not Unconcerned With Life<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bible\u2019s ambivalence on the subject of a right to life begins in its first book, Genesis,\u201d Collins claimed. \u201cIn chapter 9, God tells Noah after the flood: \u2018Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person\u2019s blood be shed, for in his own image God made humankind.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Continuing, Collins wrote, \u201c\u2026God can even demand human sacrifice on occasion, most famously in the case of Abraham and Isaac, and the death penalty is routinely in the Bible for all sorts of offenses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collins said this shows the Bible \u201clacks any discourse of human rights.\u201d First, did Collins misunderstand the story of Abraham and Isaac? Genesis 22:5<\/a> and Hebrews 11:17-19<\/a> make it clear Abraham trusted God would return Isaac to him \u2013 even if it required resurrection. Furthermore, God provides a sacrifice in Isaac\u2019s place, representing His offering His own Son for our sake. It\u2019s not a story of human sacrifice \u2013 it\u2019s about trusting God to fulfill His promises.<\/p>\n

As for the death penalty, God\u2019s words to Noah in Genesis 9:6<\/a> prove human life is inherently valuable. Instead of refuting the Bible\u2019s support for pro-life arguments, Collins has shown God does not condone unjust killing. This is consistent with the pro-life position, which says it\u2019s prima facie wrong to deliberately kill an innocent human being. Abortion always deprives an innocent person of life, whereas the purpose of the death penalty is to punish a capital offender. “Hands that shed innocent blood” are listed among the “things the Lord hates” in Proverbs 6<\/a>.\u00a0Killing an innocent is a great moral evil, and it\u2019s an action the Bible explicitly condemns.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0The history of American Evangelicals\u2019 opposition to abortion is long<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Certain Actions Are Wrong Even If Scripture Is Silent On Them\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

By emphasizing the Bible\u2019s alleged silence on abortion, Collins has put himself in the unfortunate positon of having to sanction everything the Bible does not expressly forbid. Biblical documents do not specifically denounce killing toddlers for fun. Does that mean this action is permissible?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We know it is forbidden because all humans are made in God\u2019s image (Genesis 1:26<\/a>), and unjust murder is outright condemned (Exodus 23:7<\/a>; Matthew 5:21<\/a>). Collins is asking the wrong question here. It is not a matter of \u201cDoes the Bible verbally forbid abortion?\u201d Rather, \u201cAre the preborn treated as human in Scripture?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If yes, then the Bible clearly does not permit abortion, as we already know it condemns the deliberate killing of innocent persons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bible Verses That Affirm Fetal Personhood<\/b><\/p>\n

Collins referenced Jeremiah 20:17<\/a> to show abortion was known to the people of Israel. In it, a despairing Jeremiah wishes his mother\u2019s womb had been his \u201cgrave.\u201d What is interesting is Collins happened to cite a verse that makes it clear Jeremiah had a life before birth. In fact, Scripture consistently describes the preborn using humanizing language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke 1:41<\/a> and 1:44 <\/a>says John the Baptist \u201cleaped\u201d in his mother Elizabeth\u2019s womb, and the text refers<\/a> to John as the \u201cbrephos\u201d (baby). The same word would be used to describe the already-born Christ in Luke 2:12<\/a>. We see this again in Job 3:3<\/a>, where the word \u201cgebher\u201d (man child) is applied<\/a> to Job as a conceived embryo, tracing his humanity to the point of conception. The Bible also tells us God knows the preborn before they are born and endows them with purpose prior to birth (Judges 13:7<\/a>; Galatians 1:15<\/a>).\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n