Exodus 21:22-25: The Bible Weighs in On Fetuses

Those who have religious objections to abortion believe the practice violates the law of God. Abortion is murder, plain and simple.

But what does The Bible have to say about this? Does scripture weigh in on whether fetuses are equivalent to born people?

The Bible and Abortion

Actually, it does. According to the Old Testament, Exodus 21:22-25, if a woman is killed in the course of a brawl between two people, the one who killed her must be killed. If she is pregnant, and the brawl injures her and causes her to miscarry, the guilty party must pay a fine.

The life of a fetus, in other words, is not equal to the the life of a born person.

Like many Biblical rules meant to guide the actions of ancient Hebrews, this seems rooted in common sense. The idea that the life of a days- or weeks-old embryo is worth the same as a living, cognizant human—loved, treasured and vital to society—and that an adult woman should perhaps even sacrifice her life to protect this embryo—is more than just nonsensical. It is immoral, and offensive. And would have been considered so by the people of the Bible.

At the very least, this biblical passage underscores the fact that there is no consensus—moral, political, scientific, religious, even scriptural—on the issue of abortion. From a social and legal standpoint, this is why there is no justification for an outright ban.