Is Abortion My Right?

Come on, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.

Okay, well, let's pray.

Father, thank you again for life.

Thank you for your word.

We know that your word brings life, speaks life, sustains life.

And so we pray that your word would speak into our hearts today

so that we line up with your values and your truth,

that we do not live by our own decisions or our own choice,

but help us to live according to your ways,

for that is best for us.

It brings glory to you,

and it is good for the world in which we live.

So help us, we pray.

Amen.

Well, on Sunday, the 12th of November,

just a few months ago,

an earthquake measuring 7.3 struck Halabja in Iraq.

As the building shook and fell,

hundreds died and thousands were injured.

Survival was unimaginable.

The following date,

eight more earthquakes struck,

making rescue efforts difficult and dangerous.

The chance of finding anybody alive was near to impossible.

But yet, the community kept on digging.

Two and a half days later,

a baby was pulled from the rubble without any serious injury.

Why would anyone risk searching when it is dangerously high

and the chances of finding anyone alive extremely low?

Because life matters.

On the 19th of November, 2016,

so just over a year ago,

medical staff in a children's hospital in Aleppo, Syria,

were going about their normal routine.

Without warning, a bomb was dropped onto the hospital,

and one journalist captures the scene.

Nurses and other medical staff

were seen scrambling through the blackness,

trying to rush the patients out of the badly damaged hospital

as children cried out for help.

In another room,

nurses grabbed babies from damaged incubators,

with one staff member using a cloth

to protect a visibly undernourished child,

before trying to console a weeping colleague

who was also carrying a newborn.

The nurses later moved the babies to another room,

putting them on the floor next to each other

and covering them with blankets.

At least one of the infants

still had medical tubes attached.

Staff told Al Jazeera,

that's the news agency,

that all of the babies survived the attack.

Why is it that we can be so outraged

and full of anger

when a bomb falls from a plane

onto a children's hospital?

Because life matters.

When we see life in danger,

we reach out to rescue and protect.

When we see life cut short,

we are sad,

we're angry.

You see,

whoever we are,

whatever our background,

religious or non-religious,

we have this,

what is almost like an in-built conviction

that life matters,

that life is precious.

We want to protect life,

save life,

keep life.

So why is there a demand in this country

to end life?

How is it that people want to repeal the Eighth Amendment

and open the door to what will be abortion on demand?

Why is it that we celebrate the heroes

who risk their lives to save a child from an earthquake,

but yet ridicule and shame those

who want to keep our constitutional laws

that protect life?

Why is it that we shout and get angry

outside the door to protect babies and toddlers

who are in danger in war situations,

but yet march and protest

when we can't end the life of a baby

before they get out of the womb?

It seems we are in conflict with ourselves.

Simon Coveney,

our Tornishta,

if I can understand correctly,

is certainly a man in conflict.

He doesn't want abortion on demand,

but yet he does want to remove the Eighth Amendment.

On the one hand,

life matters,

but then the laws that protect life

are to be repealed.

Why is that?

Why that contradiction?

Well, those who seek to repeal the Eighth

will say it's different.

They say that what's in the womb

is different to what's outside the womb.

But that's not true.

Medical science is crystal clear

that life begins at conception.

The moment the sperm from the father

meets the egg of the mother,

life starts.

All the evidence points to the fact

that life begins when fertilisation takes place.

Even those who support abortion believe this.

Anne Faroudi,

who is the chief executive

of the largest independent abortion business

in the UK,

said this.

Here's the quote.

We can accept that the embryo

is a living thing

in the fact that it has a beating heart,

that it has its own genetic system within it.

It's clearly human in the sense

that it's not a gerbil.

And we can recognise that it is human life.

What's in the mother's womb,

what's in the mother's womb,

a conception is not just an embryo

or a living thing.

They are a human life.

In fact, those who advocate and perform abortions

admit that when an abortion takes place,

they are in fact killing a life.

Faye Wattleton,

former president of Planned Parenthood,

the largest abortion clinic in the US,

is clear about this.

Here's what she said.

I think we have deluded ourselves

into believing that people don't know

that abortion is killing.

Remember, this is somebody who supports it.

So any pretense that abortion is not killing

is a signal of our ambivalence,

a signal that we cannot say,

yes, it kills a fetus.

I would want to say a child.

Of course, people will still argue

that there's a difference

between life in the womb

and life outside of the womb.

They will argue that life in the womb is,

they'll term it in this way,

a human being,

but not a human person.

They are denied the dignity

of their personhood.

In other words,

killing the life of a human being is okay,

but it's not okay to kill a human person.

Now, I don't know about you,

but I can't understand what the difference is.

Surely a human being is a human person.

Well, for those who are on the side of abortion,

they make the distinction in four ways.

They talk about size.

So the life in the womb is different in size

to life outside the womb.

This is how they try to make the difference.

Second, they talk about level of development.

That the life in the womb is less developed

than the life outside of the womb.

Or third, environment.

The life in the womb is living

in a different kind of environment,

the environment of the mother,

than life outside of the womb.

And they talk about degree of dependence.

So the life in the womb has a greater dependence

than life outside the womb.

Now, to some extent, that is all true.

But how does size,

level of development,

environment, degree of dependence

determine whether a person lives or dies?

Each of these four categories

continually changes from conception to death.

What's the difference in terms of,

well, a baby in the womb

is different in size to a toddler,

but a toddler is different in size to a teenager,

and a teenager is different in size to an adult.

It's the same with dependence.

Of course, a child within the womb

is dependent on their mother,

but a newborn is equally dependent.

And as we get older,

we become dependent again.

The Christian apologist Alan Shellman

puts it like this,

Today, the unborn are victims of discrimination.

They are a class of human beings

that are disqualified from being valuable

based on arbitrary characteristics,

their size, level of development,

environment,

and degree of dependency.

None of these categories

determines the value or life

or worth of a life.

A life is precious and valuable

because they are a life.

Alan Shellman, again.

He says the pro-life position,

on the other hand,

is an inclusive view.

It says,

No human being,

regardless of size,

skin colour,

level of development,

race, gender,

or place of residence,

should be excluded

from the community of human persons.

This view of humanity

is inclusive

and wide open to all,

especially to those

who are small,

vulnerable,

and defenceless.

We must be clear

that those who are seeking

the repeal of the Eighth Amendment

is the intentional

intervention

to terminate the life

of an unborn child.

Any other view or opinion

is a lie

or an illusion.

It's rejecting the facts of science

and it's denying

the beauty of life itself.

It is,

as one author put it,

the extermination

of the powerless

by the powerful.

The extermination

of the powerless

by the powerful.

So why is life

so precious?

Why should we value

the life

of the unborn?

Well, three things

and then we're going

to look at three responses.

So three reasons

why life is precious

and then three responses.

So here's the first one.

First, all life

is created by God.

Let's go to Genesis 1.

If you've got your Bibles there,

please turn to Genesis 1

right at the very beginning.

Genesis 1.

When God created the world,

that's how Genesis opens.

God formed it

with mountains

and rivers

and seas

and then God

filled

what he had formed

with animals

and plants

and stars

and it was all good

and beautiful.

But when God came

to making mankind,

men and women,

it was very, very different.

Look at chapter 1,

verse 26.

Then God said,

this is coming

to the conclusion

of creation,

God said,

let us make mankind

in our image,

in our likeness.

So God didn't make animals

or plants

or fish

in his image.

They are not like God.

But when God created people,

he made them uniquely different

to the rest of all creation.

Because we are made

in God's image,

we're different

to the rest of it.

We can relate to God.

We can represent him.

We can reflect him.

We are not animals

that can be put down

at will

or rodents

that are exterminated

because they're spreading disease.

We are created

in the image of God

in his likeness.

We are uniquely different

to the rest of creation.

So first,

we are unique

image bearers.

Second,

we're very good.

When God finished

his creation,

the forming

of the universe

and the filling

of all that

he had formed,

he keeps saying

it's repeated

time after time.

It was good.

It was good.

It was good.

But after God

had made mankind,

chapter 1,

verse 31,

God saw all

that he made

and it was

very good.

It was very good.

The creation

of people

made in God's image

is not just good

like the rest

of creation,

but it is

very good.

Because what God

creates in

human beings

made in his image

are valuable

and precious

and beautiful.

You show a

scan of a

baby

to anyone

and the

immediate

response is

wow!

Isn't that

amazing?

They begin

to ask

questions,

no matter

of the size

of that little

child.

Do you know

if it's a boy

or a girl?

Everyone

recognizes

the incredible

beauty,

the little

tiny movements,

the distinctive

shape.

A tiny heart

no bigger

than a poppy

seed

begins

to beat.

People

made in

God's image

are very

good.

So life

is created

by God.

Second,

life

is a blessing

from God.

Many

people

view children

as a

curse,

not a

blessing.

So sometimes

when a mother

gets pregnant

they may

say it's

an unwanted

pregnancy.

Others

will say

that this

new life

within them

is interfering

with their

lifestyle

choice.

The child

that they

bear

has become

a curse.

It must

be removed,

it must be

taken away.

But God's

perspective is

so different.

Children

are a

blessing.

To have

children

is a

blessing.

Genesis

Genesis 49:25

49

verse 25

speaks of

children as

blessings of

the breast

in the

womb.

Or

Psalm

127

here's the

quote on

the screen.

Psalm

Psalms 127:3–5

127

verses 3

to 5

says

children

are a

heritage

from the

Lord.

Offspring

a reward

from him.

Blessed

is the

man who

is full

of them.

Blessed

is the

father

who

has a

great

big

family.

Children

are a

blessing

not a

curse.

They are

a reward

not a

disgrace.

They are

a joy

not a

burden.

You see

the main

reason and

you might

want to

come back

to me on

this afterwards

but I

think the

main reason

for abortion

has nothing

to do

with rights.

It's all

about personal

choice.

That my

life is

more important

than another

life.

I don't

want this

new life

interfering

or upsetting

my life.

So people

not only

choose not

to have

children but

they choose

to end

their child's

life before

they're born.

You see

children are

only perceived

to be an

inconvenience

because they

challenge our

self-centeredness.

We don't

want to give

up our

independence.

Having

children means

I'm not

going to be

free to

do what

I want.

Being

pregnant means

I no longer

am able to

pursue my

dreams.

Christopher

Ash

an author

puts it

like this.

This is a

question he

says of

lining up

our values

with God's

values.

Do we

agree with

the Bible

and face

children with

arms open

in gratitude

for the

blessing of

God?

Or do we

turn our

face away

from children

and count

as curse

what God

calls a

blessing?

Choosing to

have children

is a right

choice.

it is a

blessing.

So first

life is

created by

God.

Life is a

blessing from

God.

And life

finds purpose

in God.

You see

medical science

is great

in that it

can tell us

that life

begins at

conception.

We can

see on a

screen a

little tiny

heart beating.

We can

see the

fingerprints.

We can

see the

baby develop.

science can't

tell us the

meaning or

the purpose

for life.

We can

only find the

purpose for

life in

God.

Look again at

Genesis chapter

Genesis 1:28

1 verse 28.

verse 28.

So after the

creation of

the first man

and woman,

verse 28 says

God blessed

them and

said to

them,

be fruitful

and increase

in number.

The very,

very first

command that

God gives

to the first

man and

woman,

and we get

the second

account or a

fuller account

in Genesis 2

where Adam

and Eve

are brought

together in

marriage.

But the

first command

that he

makes to

this first

married couple

is go and

make babies,

have children.

And here's

the purpose.

When God

created the

first man,

Adam,

he placed

him in the

garden to

love God

and serve

God, to

work for

him and

live for

him.

So look at

chapter 2

verse 15.

The Lord

God took

the man

and put

him in

the garden

of Eden

to work

it and

to take

care of

it.

He's

reflecting

the very

nature of

God.

He's

being what

God has

called him

to be.

Again,

Christopher

Ash,

in his

book,

Married

for God,

puts it

like this.

You can

follow the

quote on

the screen.

The job

of caring

for the

garden was

too big

for Adam,

the gardener,

to do on

his own,

and so

Eve is

given to

work alongside

him as

his helper.

Alongside

her contribution

to work

as an equal

human being

alongside Adam,

it is her

unique privilege

to bear and

nurture children

and so

increase the

gardening

team.

Together,

Adam and

Eve are to

serve God,

but still

it's like

the task

is too

big on

their own.

It's too

much for

them.

The team

has got

to increase

and that's

why God

gives them

the command

and says,

go and

be fruitful.

That's why

God gives

them the

blessing of

children.

They are

to have

more children

so that

the children

can join

the gardening

team,

as it were.

Of course,

that's not

to say that

we're all

to be in

the horticultural

club or

to become

farmers.

It's kind

of giving

an imagery,

a picture,

it's symbolism

of all that

God has

called us

to be,

that God's

purpose for

life for

human beings,

for people

like us,

is that we

too should

love him,

that we

too were

created to

serve him,

to live

for him.

You see,

God is

seeking to

build a

worldwide

family that

crosses

boundaries

and cultures

and religions

and races

and languages.

He is

calling

together a

worldwide

family who

will love

him,

who will

serve him

and make

him the

centre of

their lives

and their

world.

You see,

life finds

its purpose

and meaning

in God.

We know

from their

creation story

that although

God gave

these commands,

life didn't

go as

God had

intended.

Man

rebelled.

Adam rebelled

against God

and said,

God, I

don't want

you being

God,

I want

to be

God,

I want

to make

choices

and decisions

for myself.

And we

have followed

in Adam's

path.

We too

have been

born with

sin,

we're

broken,

we're

people who

do exactly

the same.

We want

to play

God.

We want

to make

the rules

for life

and what

I can do

with my

life.

We don't

want God

telling us

how we

should live,

I want

to make

my

choices.

that's

why we

need to

be born

again.

That's

why we

all need

this new

life.

Remember

what we

talked about

at the

very beginning

this morning?

Turn with

me please

to John's

Gospel

chapter 1

where we

started this

morning.

John's

Gospel

chapter 1

verse 11

and verse

12.

You see

the world

is the

way that

it is

because we

have pushed

God out

and put

ourselves

in place

of God.

That's

why our

country

is wanting

to repeal

the eighth

and make

choices and

decisions for

themselves and

ignore what

God says

because we

want to be

God.

And the

only way

that that's

truly ever

going to

change

is when

people are

born again

into God's

family when

they begin

to see the

world from

God's

perspective.

And they

need to

change,

that is they

need to

humble

themselves

before God

and repent

and turn

to him.

Each one

of us,

myself,

yourself,

all of us

need to.

So look at

John chapter

John 1:11

1 verse

11.

This is

talking about

Jesus who

came,

who was

himself born

into this

world through

his mother

Mary.

John chapter

John 1:11

1 verse

11.

He came to

that which

was his

own, to

his own

people, but

his own

people didn't

receive him.

But yet to

all who did

receive him,

to all those

who accepted

him, who

believed in

him, who

entrusted

their life

to him,

he gave

the right

to become

children of

God.

Children born

not of

natural descent,

nor of a

human decision,

or a

husband's

will, but

born of

God.

You see,

each one of

us here have

a story in

terms of our

natural birth,

a decision on

behalf of our

parents, that

we were born

into this

world.

Yes, God

is sovereign

over that

life, but

this new

life,

this new

life from

God, where

we change

from living

for ourselves

and living

for him,

that too is

a supernatural

work of

God, not

something that

I can decide

for myself

or choose

for myself.

It's only

enabled by

the Holy

Spirit who

helps me to

see that I

need to turn

my life around

and to go

the way of

God, to

believe in

his Son,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

that when

he came,

he didn't

come to

take life,

but the

Son who

came to

give his

life for

all, to

give his

life for

people like

you and

me, to

give his

life for

those who

have had an

abortion, to

give his

life for

those who

are wanting

to repeal

the AIDS,

to give his

life for

those who

perform an

abortion.

He's

saying, you

know what, I

have come

into this

world to

take the

blame for

all the

wrong things

that you

have done,

so that

you can be

forgiven,

so that

you can

have life,

so that

you can

now live

my way

and do

what is

right and

good.

The only

solution that

I can think

of, we

can have

all our

arguments from

science,

we can

have all

the pictures

that we

want, the

ugliness and

the brutality

of some of

those pictures,

but the

only thing

that's really

going to

change the

human heart

is the

good news

of Jesus

Christ who

has come

to give

his life

for us.

This is

God's

purpose for

each and

every new

life,

that every

child born

into this

world would

turn to

the Lord

Jesus and

become part

of his

worldwide

family, of

loving him

and serving

him.

That's why

we have

children.

That's why

we protect

life and

save life and

treasure life.

We want

children born

into this

world so

they can

enjoy God

and know

him and

love him.

So three

reasons why

we should

protect and

value life.

Life is

created by

God, life

is a

blessing,

and life

finds purpose

in God.

Very quickly,

I know our

time is

moving on.

I just want

to give

three responses

to life.

Three things.

First, we

should celebrate

life.

Life is a

beautiful gift

from God.

Children are a

blessing and a

reward and a

joy.

Yes, parenting

can be difficult.

Yes, our

children may

struggle through

life.

Yes, our

children may be

born with a

disability.

But all

life is

precious and

valuable, so

we should

celebrate the

gift of

life.

Protect

life.

I encourage

us, as

Anne was

encouraging us

to make

that priority

for keeping

the Eighth

Amendment, to

speak up for

the unborn.

Be a voice

for those who

cannot yet

talk.

Don't be

silent on this

issue.

you know

what?

I think we

need to do

more.

It's not

just enough to

say no to

abortion.

We need to

come in grace

and mercy

and compassion

and provide a

shelter and a

refuge for those

who have had an

abortion, for

those who are

struggling and

find it difficult.

We need to

love them.

We also, and I

think this is

true as we

think into the

future, that I

think together

the church in

this country, in

this land in

which we live, I

think we will

need to be

investing our

resources, financial

resources, into

providing centres of

care, homes where

young mums who

are struggling with

a child and have

nowhere to go and

are going to be

finding it

difficult.

We need to

provide a place

where they can

come and be

looked after and

walked through and

say, you know

what, when you

have your baby, we

will stand there

with you.

It's not enough

for us to say

no.

We need to

think in terms of

building these

centres that will

be fully equipped

and staffed to

look after the

most vulnerable of

our society.

That's where we

need to go.

And third, adopt

life.

You see, again,

it's not enough to

say it's wrong

and start pointing

fingers.

We need to be

prepared to open

our homes, to

adopt children, to

foster children, to

say to those who

for various reasons

can't manage to

care for their

children, who

perhaps haven't had

the privilege of

some of us in the

homes that we were

raised, to say, I

will care for your

son, I will care for

your daughter.

What a beautiful

and precious gift

to care for life.

A beautiful and

precious gift to

care for little

children.

As I think about

these three responses

celebrating life,

protecting life,

not just speaking

out, not just

putting my tick in

the box when it

comes to vote, but

thinking of where I'll

put my resources in

building a place of

care and being

equipped to look

after people.

Thinking about

looking after other

children, adopting

them into your

family.

As I reflect on

that, I have some

serious, serious

thinking to do.

And I think we

all, as God's

people, have some

serious thinking to

do.

God has given

us life.

We are to

protect life.

We are to show

people the way of

life through the

Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to pray.

In our news sheet

this morning, if you

open up into the

middle pages,

there's a number

of prayers that

are written

there.

If you haven't

got one and you

need to get one,

please do.

But there's a

number of different

prayers all the way

down the page.

And I'm just

simply going to

invite us now,

where we are,

to pray.

It may be just

simply, if you

find it hard to

pray out loud,

just to simply

read the prayer

that's written

there.

They can just be

short prayers,

to thank God

for life,

to pray for our

government, to

pray for the

pro-life organisation,

to pray for people

like Anne and the

work that they are

doing.

Let's pray.

together.

Father,

we declare

that you are

a good God.

You are our

creator God.

You made us

and you formed us.

You delight in us.

You take pleasure

in us.

You give us the

breath that we

breathe.

You give us

health and strength.

You sustain us

and keep us.

You are an

amazing God.

And not only

have you given us

physical life,

but through your

Son,

you have given us

new and eternal

life.

forgiveness of all

of our sin.

So that we

might know you

and enjoy you

in a personal

and intimate

way.

That we might

enjoy your

eternal kingdom

of a world

where

there will never

be again

the death

of an unborn.

never again

will an old

person die.

But life

will go on

as you

planned and

you determined

at the very

beginning.

You will put

all things

right.

Father,

we are sorry

for the times

we have been

silent.

Please forgive

us.

Father,

we are sorry

for the times

we have

given off

and complained

and spoken

harshly to

our children

and not

treated them

as a blessing

that they are.

Forgive us,

Father.

Help us to

treasure life,

to celebrate

life,

to nurture

life.

We pray

for your help

in doing

this.

Amen.

I just

leave an

open time

now for

those who

would like

to respond

in prayer.

Amen.

Amen.