We all have our preferences and that's cool. But don't confuse preferences and facts. I heard another person defend a reason for abortion by claiming it was no less immoral than the death penalty. What a sad topic, but I'd rather comment than be silent. Let's be clear:
- Abortion is a choice to end the life of an innocent person, which is the definition of murder, regardless of circumstance, therefore is categorically (always) immoral.
- Capital punishment (also known as the death penalty) is a choice to end the life of a person convicted guilty of a capital crime, so is not necessarily murder, therefore is not categorically immoral.
The difference is based on God's unchanging word.
- Our loving God, in order to promote justice and preserve societal stability and safety, commanded the death penalty (not just for a specific case but as a standard) over a dozen times in the first five books of the Bible alone (from Noah to Moses) (link). It cannot be categorically immoral then because God decides morals, not man. If we administer capital punishment for a reason God did not specify, or worse, for punishing someone for obeying one of God's commands, (or possibly worst, because they have a different political ideology than us) then our choices and behaviors are immoral. If you oppose capital punishment then oppose it because you don't trust those who'd carry it out, don't claim it's categorically immoral. Capital punishment can be morally earned, and at no point is anything God commanded (including the death penalty) categorically wrong.
- Our loving God, in order to promote justice and preserve societal stability and safety, commanded we not intentionally shed innocent blood over a dozen times in the Bible (link). Human blood is never more innocent than while in the mother's womb, regardless of how the baby got there. In the rare scenario where there's a life-threatening pregnancy complication then the baby can be removed with the intent to preserve both lives. No one can earn an abortion. It is categorically wrong to do what God commands us not to do.
If you believe in God, especially the God of the Bible, then please don't dishonor Him by bastardizing His commands by comparing abortion and the death penalty.
Just because capital crime is not categorically immoral doesn't mean we should be looking for ways to legally kill each other. I'm advocating that we take God's word seriously, and what God commanded is important. Even if Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins, then what God declared a capital crime is by definition a sin, and Jesus never excused our sin (John 8:11). Rather He raised the bar (Matthew 5:21-22). For more on this theme, here's another blog I wrote. For a Biblical perspective on abortion, here's an article I wrote.