'You shall not murder' (Exodus 20:13 The Holy Bible New International Version)

Within the Christian Church there is generally a keen desire to follow and apply the teachings of the Bible. However this in not easy and a number of alternative readings of Scripture have lead to a variety of viewpoints concerning the moral implications of abortion. Generally the Church is united in its condemnation of abortion. Most Christians believe abortion violates the sixth command which prohibits murderous acts. However there is a keen debate concerning the moment a human embryo/foetus becomes fully human (i.e. when, according to Christian teaching, it has both body and soul). The Catholic Church teaches that ensoulment takes place at the moment of conception and this has been a key reason for their refusal to condone abortion (although Thomas Aquinas taught th

There are some Christians who believe the Bible says nothing about abortions. In one sense this is true. There is no direct teaching that says 'You shall/shall not allow a woman to have an abortion' despite the fact that abortions did happen in biblical times (there was a high infant mortality rate).

From the moment of conception, 46 chromosomes with 30,000 genes combined to determine all your physical characteristics; sex, facial features, body type, colour of eyes and skin.

One criticism labeled against the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion (and contraception) is that it encourages an irresponsible attitude towards having children and does not take in to account the ability of women (and men) to fully care for them. Quality of life is important for both the future child as well as the parent(s). It should also be noted that Christians who argue in favor of the woman's right to terminate her pregnancy do so with a heavy heart. They, along with the women involved, do not take abortion lightly.

Christians who seek to argue against abortion on the basis of Scripture (the Bible) use a number of verses that seem to teach that God knows and plans the life of a person before they are born. In the Psalms David wrote:

The Prophet Jeremiah spoke similar words: 'The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you' (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV). Even Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that God had a plan for the baby (Jesus) she was going to have ('He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High' (Luke 1:32 NIV)) and John 'leapt in the womb' when Mary came to visit Elizabeth (his mother - Luke 1:41). From this it is argued that God knows each human and has a plan for each of us that is shaped and formed in the mind of God even before we are born. Human life begin

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