Does Suffering Justify Abortion?

There are three twisted rationales for abortion I have seen lately in greater frequency:

1. I have miscarried before, I might again. I cannot endure that suffering. So, it is better to abort.
2. I used drugs and might have hurt the baby. The baby might suffer. So, it is better to abort.
3. I have nothing to offer a baby, and his life will be hard. So, it is better to abort.

All these arguments women make in favor of abortion boil down to the same issue: if I or my baby will suffer, he is better off dead.

Now listen to Jesus:

In this world you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

And Paul:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

Suffering will accompany life. God could remove suffering, but He has not. Not yet. There is a purpose which is glorious that will be accomplished, but suffering is in the path. In ALL our paths. Suffering was the path the Father chose for Jesus to bring about the redemption of humankind.

So how can we, as sidewalk outreach teams, deal effectively with each of these scenarios, specifically with the correct assessment that either the mom, baby, or both WILL suffer? How can we convince them it is STILL not better to abort?

Following are some specific things you can say to mothers in these situations.

• God puts no exceptions on His commandments. He does not say thou shall not murder unless you will suffer if you do not. He does not say thou shall not murder unless you are poor and cannot provide for your family any other way.
• The suffering in ALL the above scenarios is a possibility, maybe even a probability. But it is NOT a certainty. Abortion is the certainty of death for an innocent human baby.
• Suffering is often necessary for us to change and grow. If our choices have caused the suffering, that consequence can help us reassess our choices and make better choices now. As C.S. Lewis so eloquently put it: God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

• Jesus suffered. We are called to take up the cross and follow Him. The Cross is the instrument of suffering He endured. We follow Him in and through our suffering.
• Suffering will not end. There will always be suffering in life. We cannot control our environment or others’ behavior, or even the breakdown of our own body as we age.
• We can control how we respond to adversity, to suffering.
• We can suffer with integrity, WITH God by our side, trusting Him in and through oursuffering or we can suffer without Him and His strength, giving in to the temptationto abandon His clear commandments and guidance.
• The risk of miscarriage is greater following miscarriage. (About 20%) Therefore, thereis an 80% chance the next baby will NOT miscarry. Those are pretty good odds!
• We can connect you with a high-risk maternity doctor that can help you to insure thebest possible outcome for you and your baby.
• The pain of losing a baby is terrible. The pain of KILLING your baby is more terrible.
• Your choices that can inflict suffering on your baby CAN be changed. It may not beeasy, but you CAN stop using drugs that harm your unborn child. There are manydrug treatment centers that can help you.
• There IS an increased risk if you continue to use drugs that they will harm your baby.There is a 100% risk abortion will harm your baby.
• What is the most important thing you can control that you can offer your baby? To doyour best to be healthy and strong and give that baby a chance to live.
• You cannot ensure a struggle-free life for your baby, but you can ensure you do allyou can to let him remain alive.
• Most people feel they do not have all they need to be a parent. Our shortcomings donot justify killing the baby.
• Your past drug use may harm the baby. Take action now to prevent further harm.There are many addiction centers and resources that can help you.
• NEVER underestimate the power of God to heal and perform miracles.
• In MOST pregnancies, babies are remarkably resilient and are born normal andhealthy despite stressful activities by the mom.The following quote is from Dr Ernest – MFM and former acting chair of OB at Wake Forest Medical School:Babies, just like children and just like adults, can be affected by their surroundings. That is why it is important to avoid or stop activities that may harm babies.

However, humans, (including unborn babies), have a remarkable ability to resist stresses in their surroundings. That is why, in most pregnancies, we see normal healthy babies in spite of stressful activities by the mother.

In summary, we cannot prevent suffering in life this side of heaven. Suffering is the result of a fallen world. However, we CAN prevent OUR contribution to suffering, especially in terms of aborting a living, innocent baby. We CAN choose to suffer without sinning against God and be light to a world in the midst of our struggle. This is the message we need to convey to mothers who are contemplating killing their baby to avoid suffering.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1: 2-4

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:10