Athalia and the Spirit of Abortion

When Donald Trump attended the Right-to-Life march (the first president to attend in person), the spotlight on the abortion issue grew brighter than it had been in recent years.  That, along with the 2020 election cycle hot topics, prompted me to do some in-depth thinking about the right of the unborn to live.  I first went to the Scriptures to refresh my mind about life, death and the prohibition against murder.  Queen Athalia immediately came mind because she ordered all heirs to the throne to be killed, both male and female, thus clearing the path for her ascendency to power.  She had children murdered who could potentially ruin her desire to her personal freedom and enjoyment of life.  Here are the relevant scriptures that give this account:

“Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.  And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.” 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 (NKJV)

While Athalia’s unconscionable act involved infanticide, not abortion per se, the intended result was the same.  Pro-choice, a.k.a. abortionists may dispute this comparison, saying that expectant mothers who end their pregnancy today do so for medical or health-related reasons, not to gain access to the throne of a kingdom.  They would be wrong.  In fact, the top four reasons most often cited for either early or late term abortion are: 1) 74% said that the baby would change their life too much; 2) 73% said that babies were too expensive; 3) 48% didn’t want to raise the child alone; 4) 32% did not want another child.  Less than 1% said they did it due to rape or incest.  https://clinicquotes.com.  Granted, pro-abortionists believe that aborting a pregnancy should be permitted for any reason, even those given above.  When confronted, however, they usually resort to medical reasons to justify their act.  I find this disingenuous on its face.  But, my intention here is not to argue with pro-choice rationale.  I would rather explore the moral and scriptural reasons for the sacredness of life and why it should be protected. 

Prior to conception, no one would dispute that a woman has—or should have—total control over her body.  At the moment of conception, however, the fertilized egg becomes an individual, self-contained entity.  This unborn baby, although it may only consist of a few cells, is distinct from his or her mother and father.  Legally, morally, ontologically, philosophically and practically, given the progression of biological human life, it cannot be seen any other way. The baby is a separate, human being, with all attendant rights and privileges.  The fact that it is not yet born and cannot express its will or wishes does not reduce it to an impersonal clump of cells like a cyst or tumor.  If it did, then adult with the status of total dependency, profound mental disability or living in a vegetative state would also be subject to some form of euthanasia or execution. 

Another aspect of reproduction must be fleshed out here, namely that the mother needs someone to be the father of the child.  She cannot act alone. Two persons must participate to produce a third person.  Homo sapiens are not asexual.  There is a small group of vertebrates that do reproduce asexually as their normal method of reproduction.  This includes a few specific species of whiptail lizards, Sonoran Desert minnows, and brine shrimp. Other vertebrates that have been found to reproduce asexually, but in very rare or unique situations, are turkeys, sharks, Komodo dragons, boa constrictors, and Burmese pythons.  www.actforlibraries.org.  Since human beings do not reproduce asexually, a male and a female must mate to produce offspring.  That means that the female, although she may carry the embryo in her body, cannot claim sole ownership of the nascent infant.  Moreover, even if she and her male partner conclude that they intend to abort, they cannot morally make that decision concerning the life of the third party, the baby. 

Since a fertilized egg, by definition, exists as a human being, the only way pro-abortion adherents can challenge the status of the pre-born human is to re-define the embryo as something other than a human being.  Scientists use terms like fetus, zygote, gametes, agglutination or blastocyst to refer to an unborn baby.  Pro-abortionist further cloud the issue by using the least offensive terms possible.  Daniel Allott of the Washington Examiner writes, “Whatever else abortion may be about, it fundamentally involves the taking of a human life, brutally with scalpel, forceps, scissors or vacuum. Yet, abortion has always been clouded in euphemism.

“A fetus isn’t an unborn baby, its advocates claim; rather, it is the “product of conception.” The killing of a fetus or unborn child isn’t even called an abortion (a euphemism to begin with); instead, it is grouped in with notions of “the right to choose,” “reproductive rights” “reproductive health” or just “women’s health care.” Killing a baby after she emerges from her mother’s womb isn’t infanticide, it’s “snipping,” as infamous (and now imprisoned) abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell put it.

“Nowadays, the abortion-rights crowd isn’t even comfortable using the word “abortion.” Review any speech President Obama has given on the subject and you’ll be hard-pressed to find him uttering the word, much less describing the procedure.”  -Washington Examiner, August 8, 2015. 

Manipulative terminology steers readers and audiences away from the brutal and inhumane act of abortion to more pleasant and innocuous images.  Less offensive language mainstreams abortion so that even elementary aged children can discuss the subject as though it was another chapter in their life sciences textbook.  We need to remind ourselves that Adolf Hitler cloaked the butchering and gassing of six million Jews in the soft wording of the “final solution.”  Josef Stalin referred to genocide as eliminating “socially harmful elements.” Regardless of how proponents of abortion define their acts, the only honest way to describe abortion is killing babies.

But the true spirit of Athalia emerges from its dark and murderous cave in selective killing.  In America, the predominant incidence of abortion occurs among African-Americans. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2019/02/48594/.  In China, “the country ended its famous one-child policy in October, 2015, stating that married couples could have a second child. The one-child policy drew criticism around the world, in particular because parents often selected to have male children, resulting in a population-wide gender imbalance which is expected to persist for decades.”  Chaz Kelsh, Journalist’s Resource, December 7, 2015.  The fact that the policy even existed points out the evil nature of the practice. 

America’s colossal mistake is thinking that abortion stems from a simple disagreement in biology, reproductive sciences, legal disputes or even economic circumstances.  These issues may be argued back and forth, but at the end of the day, we have made no headway in advancing or defeating the practice.  Few social issues have polarized the population any more than this one.  Pro-choice and pro-life marches, abortion clinics bombed, pro-life politicians and associations attacked, and all the hotly debated contentions aside, nothing has settled the question.  Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, people have basically retreated into their intransigent positions and remained unmoved. 

Abortion speaks of a sinister and evil spirit that will never be defeated on legal, economic or philosophical grounds.  After nearly a half century of nasty and vicious polemics, I seriously doubt that a legislative or judicial solution will suddenly dawn on us.  Abortion, as do all heinous crimes like murder, rape and genocide, thrives in a dark spiritual realm.  It is even as Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)  Once the “thief” infects a people, it cannot be excised by logic, shame, or persuasive argument.  The only way anyone can be free from the power of the thief is to submit to the power that is higher than the thief! 

Christians must not be ambivalent about abortion.  It is wrong, period.  To say or believe otherwise is to open our heart’s door to an evil spirit.  While we may not be able to stop it in the actual world, we must not accommodate it or coexist with it in the spiritual world.  Let us speak to this mountain in prayer and fasting.   “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27 (KJV)

Athalia did reign for a season, but eventually she met her doom and justice was served.  “Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the LORD.  When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, ‘Treason! Treason!’ And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, ‘Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.’ For the priest had said, ‘Do not kill her in the house of the LORD.’
So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.” 2 Chronicles 23:12-15 (NKJV)

Abortion may not be slain by the church, but the secular forces of this world may indeed rise up against her and kill her in her own habitat.  Who knows how it will end?  We can surely agree, however, that prayer will have its effect and God will have His way!