Should Murder be Legal?

By The Rev. Canon Kathleen Kelly, Canon Evangelist
Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, California

Written for the Sacramento News and Review

“Abortion is murder, and it should be legal.” This view was expressed not long ago by a newspaper columnist. Does it shock you? Would it shock you to know that this position is arguably implied in a Bible passage? The Old Testament has rules for everything, because it records ways to keep mindful of God in all things. One rule addresses what should happen if a man injures a woman and causes a miscarriage. In the original Hebrew, the word used for the life the woman is carrying is the word for “child.” There is no distinguishing word for a fetus. Yet, the event is not treated as a crime requiring “an eye for an eye,” as the murder of an adult would. Instead, the wrongdoer must pay a fine to the parents, like a debt we would collect in civil court. Of course, other Bible passages have bearing too.

Some Christians are sure “thou shalt not kill” means all abortion is immoral. Other Christians are sure that Jesus’ desire for all to enjoy an abundant life means we must recognize a woman’s right to make decisions about her body. Feelings often carry more sway than Bible research. Almost everyone will excuse a woman who seeks abortion if impregnated by rape. Rape doesn’t change whether a fetus is or is not a human life, but it does change what we feel about the circumstance. Almost everyone will excuse abortion to save the mother’s life. We feel this is right, whether or not we have come up with a complete moral justification for how to choose one life over another.

With so many Christians touting opposite points of view, how is Christianity relevant? Jesus acclaimed peacemakers. His followers should help all with passionate feelings on the topic rally around common causes: giving potential parents the support they need to make birth a realistic choice; fighting child abuse, improving foster care, and more, so that birth leads to real life and not real horror. Jesus resisted condemnation. His followers should provide safe haven for those struggling with hard personal choices to reflect with prayer and support. These tasks, not moral proclamations, warrant priority. In a world with more than enough conflict, Christians owe society an alternative. The alternative Jesus proclaimed is stubborn insistence upon finding ways to embrace one another in love, a mission only achieved with God’s help.

The Rev. Canon Kathleen Kelly
Canon Evangelist
September, 2006