The Shock of an Unplanned Pregnancy…
The story has been repeated a hundred different times in a hundred different ways: An unwed teenager learns she is pregnant. But, on this occasion, the stigma of being unmarried and with child looms especially heavy. The fact that she is engaged hardly deflects the eyes of accusation glaring at her . . . for her fiancé. knows that he is not the father.
Rather than eagerly anticipating his wedding day, his heart is heavy—his dreams are dashed. Thoughts whirl through his mind as he tries to consider his options: What is he to do with the one who was once the “love of his life”? And what will happen to the child she is carrying?
Neither person could have fathomed God’s plan regarding this pregnancy. Never could they have known the path their lives would take or the supernatural work God would accomplish through the child of His making. Yet this baby would be named Jesus . . . Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world!
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” -Matthew 1:21
Just as Mary found peace in the midst of her fearful, unplanned pregnancy, you too can have inner peace. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus, wants to be peace for you. Regardless of your fears and problems, you can have His inner peace when you have His inner presence . Jesus said,
“In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33
What Are All Your Options?
Your pregnancy may leave you feeling trapped, as though you have no good options. Actually, there is an option that will provide the best solution for you in the midst of your crisis. An informed decision now can save you much sorrow later . Ultimately, three options are available—abortion, parenting, and adoption.
Prayerfully consider each option before you decide so that your decision won’t leave you with a lifetime of regret.
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple [the foolish] keep going and suffer for it.” -Proverbs 27:12
Q: “In the midst of this unplanned pregnancy, will I ever have inner peace?”
With God, inner peace is always possible, even in the midst of your problems and fears. Just remember, no problem is too big for God to solve! As the Prince of Peace, Jesus wants to be peace for you. Regardless of your fears and problems, you can have His inner peace when you have His inner presence . Jesus said,
“In me you have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33
What Is God’s Heart?
- God is the author of life. (Deuteronomy 32:39)
- God opens and closes the womb. (Genesis 29:31) (1 Samuel 1:5)
- God ordains all pregnancies—regardless of the circumstances. (Isaiah 44:24)
- God creates every life. (Deuteronomy 32:6)
- God never formed a life without having plans for that life. (Jeremiah 29:11)
“The Greatest Destroyer of Peace and Love”
“I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?…
“By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. . . . Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.”
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Presidential Prayer Breakfast
Washington, DC, February 12, 1994
Arguments and Answers
Argument: “Abortion is not morally wrong.”
Answer: Since human life begins at conception, then abortion by choice becomes premeditated murder.
“You shall not murder.” -Exodus 20:13
Argument: “The fetus must reach a certain level of consciousness for it to be considered a person.”
Answer: If consciousness is used as criteria for personhood, then a man who is knocked unconscious or one who is in a coma must not be considered a person.
Argument: “A fetus should not be regarded as a baby.”
Answer: According to God, a fetus is not a “mass of tissue.” God’s Word does not distinguish between a “potential baby” and a “newborn baby.” In the Bible, the same Greek word brephos , which means “babe,” is used to describe . . .
— a fetus: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:41)
— babies: “People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them.” (Luke 18:15)
Q: “What is the first thing someone who is considering an abortion should do?”
When faced with the decision of whether to have an abortion, check what God says first. Many have never heard or read God’s Word to find out God’s heart for the unborn. It may be that those who favor abortion believe a lie because they have not been exposed to the truth. In the Bible God says,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” -Jeremiah 1:5
Q: “Is a developing human fetus a human being (a person)?”
Yes. A human being is defined as a member of the species homo sapiens. Each individual human being has its own genetic code (DNA) that is singularly unique and established at the time of conception. The DNA of a human fetus is distinct not only from animals, fowl, and fish, but also from the mother’s DNA.
“All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.” -1 Corinthians 15:39
Q: “How can a fetus that is incapable of sustaining life outside the womb be a viable person?”
To define viability as the ability to survive without assistance is dangerous because a person’s viability can be lost as a result of age, illness, or serious injury. A three-month-old girl cannot sustain life on her own. A sixty-year-old man on a respirator cannot sustain life on his own.
But do their situations mean that they are not viable persons?
No! Should they be candidates for destruction? No! Those who insist on a viability standard remove protection from those who need it the most.