I was thirteen when I found out what an abortion was. The video Silent Scream was shown at my

Christian school. The movie revealed an abortion via an ultrasound. That afternoon, I rushed home and wrote a poem about it.

My first year in college, abortion turned personal, with my younger sister’s pregnancy. Instead of an abortion, she decided to move into the Godparent Home in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she continued high-school with other girls pregnant out of wedlock. Here, girls had the option of keeping their child or adoption. Tricia chose the former.

Her baby moved into the bedroom we shared. She named him Caleb, which meant “brave.” Caleb is now 28 years old. Initially, my sister felt humiliated, scared, and unprepared, but God used Caleb to grow her faith, strength, and confidence.

Today, Christians have differing opinions on abortion. Some have wandered into the shade of pro-choice, finding it easier to listen to modern rhetoric, than to stand for a life that has no voice. Other Christians sit on the fence by not subscribing personally, but feeling it’s a woman’s right to choose. The third group of Christians stand against abortion by utilizing their finances, time, voting, and voice.

Too often, we as Christians take a position based on experience or feelings, but following Christ means seeking God’s opinion in everything. None can argue God sees murder as sin, so the question remains…does God consider the unborn a life?

On the internet, I found “biblical scholars” who claimed there was no life until breath entered the infant, therefore abortion could not be murder. They quoted scripture to back up their position, “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7, English Standard Version) Here, we see the birth of mankind, not the beginning of a conceived life.

Throughout the Bible the word “life" is paralleled by the word “blood.” Jesus Christ poured out his life-giving blood on the cross so we may have eternal life. “In Him we have redemption through His blood.” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV)

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” (Leviticus 17:11, ESV)

“For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life.” (Leviticus 17:14, ESV)

The Bible clearly establishes the blood is life, which brings us to the next question when does blood enter the unborn? According to WedMD, by week four an embryo’s blood cells are taking shape and circulation will begin. This is the week, a woman is due to start her period. By the time a woman realizes she’s pregnant, life has already occurred.

For those who lean on the argument it’s a woman’s life and she should be able to decide what to do with it. The mother’s blood provides nutrients and oxygen, but the embryo has its own blood. The embryo is a dependent life with separate blood cells and DNA than its host. This makes the embryo a different life than its mother according to God, for blood is life.

“For You framed my inward parts You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalms 139:13-14, ESV)

According to the Family Research Council in the fiscal year 2016, Planned Parenthood Federation of America reported to conduct 321,384 abortions, which means 881 babies every single day, or a baby was aborted every 98 seconds in the United States that year. We need to fight to protect the lives of the unborn.

Christians are not powerless when civil laws conflict against God’s. We can adopt, volunteer at pregnancy crisis centers, foster unwanted children, offer respite to those willing to foster or adopt, financially assist, pray, volunteer in youth ministries or community clubs, assist a single mom, write our congressmen, vote, educate our friends, and raise our own children with awareness. If more Christians take action, lives will be saved.

Abortion not only kills life, it alters the life of the mother. We may not be able to stop a friend from having an abortion, but we can lead her to the One who offers grace and healing after. Many times, women who’ve experienced abortions feel broken and alone in their grief. They need compassion and love - not our judgement.

Silent Scream is a bit graphic, but I’ve included “Give Me a Chance,” a simple poem written by a young girl after seeing it.

Give Me a Chance

Give me a chance, to live… to grow.

Give me a chance, much love I could show.

Lying here inside of you,

I don’t know all you’re going through.

You may not want me, or you just don’t care,

but I want to know what it’s like out there.

To breathe my first breath, see my first sight.

Can I see Mommy and know what she’s like?

Somethings now coming! I see my walls break.

I move away knowing my life it will take.

I scream a silent scream. Mommy couldn’t hear.

She couldn’t see what they were doing, I squirmed around in fear.

My body’s torn to pieces. Killed without a glance.

If she could’ve heard my scream, I might have had a chance.

Reference taken from the Family Research Council at www.frc.org.d

Embryo research found at www.webmd.com

The Fight for Life: Abortion