Is an Abortion ever right?

Much comment has been expended on the issue of whether the life of a pregnant woman living in the Republic of Ireland might have been saved if she had been given an abortion. The 31-year-old died after a miscarriage at Galway University Hospital on 28th October. Her family claimed she was repeatedly refused a termination during the miscarriage.

This begs the question is it ever right to grant an abortion to someone in these circumstances? The answer is yes! There are certain circumstances where it is wholly justified. This is justified on the grounds that an unborn child does not have the right to kill its mother. The unborn child must abide by the moral law of God like everyone else, which says that: Thou shalt  not kill. The unborn child like anyone else does not have an absolute right to live, even to the point where its mother loses her life as a result. An unborn child does not have an innate right to kill its parent.



If nothing is done in these extreme circumstances, where a mother's life is in danger, then both the mother and the child will die. The sixth commandment not only forbids us to take life, it also requires us to preserve life. The answer to Shorter Catechism question 68 states: The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life and the life of others.

To stand back and let both mother and child die on the grounds that abortion is always wrong is not in keeping with the teaching of the Scriptures and is actually to break the sixth commandment and kill by omission.

Historic Protestantism has always held to the belief that in these cases, where it is impossible to save the life of both mother and child, then it is the mother’s life which should have the first right to be protected. To argue otherwise is to give an unborn child the right to kill its parent.

It has to be stressed that these types of cases are extremely rare but they do exist. Another example of would be where a mother is suffering from a terminal disease. Where a mother may need medical treatment or surgery to preserve her own life but that treatment would harm and kill her unborn child she is entitled to go ahead with that treatment. That would be her personal choice.

This is the sole exception to the rule that the unborn child has the right to life and is not to be killed for some personal, social or economic reason. It is in the case where a mother’s own life is at stake!