Is God Pro-Life?

By: Vicki Courtney

Did you know that almost half of American women (43 percent) will have an abortion sometime in their lifetime? Abortion was made legal in 1973, and in the three decades that have followed, more than forty-four million abortions have been performed. Let me put that into perspective for you. Had those forty-four million unborn babies been carried to term, they could fill two states the size of Texas. In one year alone, more children died from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War combined. What must God be thinking about the casual way we discard our preborn? Psalm 139 leaves no question that God values human life from the moment a child is conceived.



“For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know [this] very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all [my] days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.”

(Psalm 139:13-16)


Ninety-three percent of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient). Essentially, what this boils down to is that those who have abortions are not willing to sacrifice nine months of “inconvenience” in order to allow their own child an entire lifetime. There is no shortage of couples who desperately want children and cannot have them.

When I was your age, I believed that abortion must be acceptable because it was legal. I was taught that the fetus is nothing more than a mass or blob of unrecognizable tissue. Many of my friends and I bought this lie when we were your age. We were not taught the truth about fetus development in the womb. And sadly, many from my generation and the generations that followed went on to have abortions. Do not be mistaken; abortion is not a quick-fix solution to an inconvenient problem. If teen girls could see the number of adult women who have cried on my shoulder over the guilt they still carry from a past abortion, they would know it is anything but a quick fix. Carrying a child is one of the greatest miracles from God. It is impossible for a woman to terminate a pregnancy and not experience emotional consequences at some pint. Many of these consequences surface years later when the reality of what they have done begins to sink in.

Because abortion has become so common in our society, I want you to know the truth regarding fetal development should you or one of your friends ever face the reality of an unplanned pregnancy.

FACTS ABOUT FETAL DEVELOPMENT (keep in mind that week 6 is about two weeks after a missed period)

Week 6 The embryo is about one-fifth of an inch in length. A primitive heart is beating. Head, mouth, liver and intestines begin to take shape.

Week 10 The embryo is now about one inch in length. Facial features, limbs, hands, feet, fingers, and toes become apparent. The nervous system is responsive, and many of the internal organs begin to function.

Week 14 The fetus is now three inches long and weighs almost an ounce. The muscles begin to develop and sex organs form. Eyelids, fingernails, and toenails also form. The child’s spontaneous movements can be observed.

Week 18 The fetus is now about five inches long. The child blinks, grasps, and moves her mouth. Hair grows on the head and body.

Week 22 The fetus now weighs approximately one-half pound and spans about ten inches from head to tow. Sweat glands develop, and the external skin has turned from transparent to opaque.

Week 26 The fetus can now inhale, exhale, and even cry. Eyes have completely formed, and the tongue has developed taste buds. Under intensive medical care the fetus has over a 50 percent chance of surviving outside the womb.

Week 30 The fetus is usually capable of living outside the womb and would be considered premature at birth.

Week 40 This marks the end of the normal gestational period. The child is now ready to live outside of the mother’s womb.

Most abortions are not performed until nine weeks of the pregnancy. Even RU 486 chemical abortions can’t be done until after six weeks. By that time the baby has identifiable arms and legs (day forty-five) and displays measurable brain waves (about forty days). During the seventh through tenth weeks, fingers and genitals appear, and the child’s face is recognizably human.

Given this information, it’s amazing that 55 percent of teens view abortion as “morally acceptable.” My guess is that they have never been told the truth. Will. You help me tell them? Your efforts could help save a life.

B&H Publishing Group grants permission to use this excerpt as originally printed in the book TeenVirtue c. 2005.
Click here to purchase TeenVirtue: http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?isbn=0805430563