creation

Babies Begin at Conception, The Truth about Planned Parenthood

By Natalie Hardt | March 2025

The term ‘abortion rights’ is well received because it has been sold under the guise of ‘pro-choice’, it should actually be considered ‘pro-abortion’. Beginning with the feminist movement and the passing of Roe v. Wade, abortion has been considered a political issue claiming it would be rare; however, it has become a common method of birth control and primarily among minority groups with the majority being African American women. Abortion is the most atrocious crime a nation can commit, the countries with the highest number of abortions are the United States, India, and China. With Americans continuing to be divided on this subject, more than ever people are viewing abortion as a moral issue not a political one.

God is Truth

No one can deny the world is not right; for believers/followers of Jesus Christ, it is clear abortion is another result of a fallen world. Human reason shows us the world was not created randomly or by chance; therefore, the human ‘cell’ did not just happen due to a big bang, unless of course God was behind it. The cell and its ability to regenerate is the deliberate result of a sovereign God for nothing happens without His ordainment, including the egg fertilization regardless of means (incest and rape). This can be difficult to comprehend with the human finite mind. While humans cannot understand many things, there is a lot and enough we do know, God says “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) and have been mandated to continue in spreading the pattern of God’s image throughout the earth, to “be fruitful and multiple” (Gen 1:28). Beginning with Adam and Eve, God instructs them of their image bearing role, to have dominion and stewardship over the earth, “…fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature…” (Gen 2: 28 NIV). Genesis 1 and 2 record creation as “very good” 12 times, this sets the stage of man living out a purposeful and meaningful life that brings glory to God. Sin enters the world in Genesis 3 and now humans have a sinful nature, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12; Psalm 14, 53). That being said, humans still possess an innate ability to know right from wrong, it comes down to our will and choices. A woman knows deep down in her soul that abortion is killing a baby. When a woman has an abortion, she thinks her problem has gone away, this is not the case. She will experience self-destructive behaviors including guilt, depression, drug and alcohol addiction, promiscuity, suicidal thoughts, and fearful someone will find out her secret.

PSALM of King David
For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16)


America has been discarding God for decades and now has developed a culture of twisted truths where right is wrong and wrong is right. When Sin is not addressed, it spirals further into depravity, scripture says, “…just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness…” (Romans 1:28-29). American society has been filled with so many excuses at being their own ‘law’ with ‘this is my truth’ statements, this makes no sense for it is subjective and lacks an absolute standard. Throughout history and according to America’s Founding Fathers, the Bible was the standard, God is truth (John 4:16; 15:26; 16:13; Psalm 119:160, and more). How can we trust the Bible (refer to ‘Sinful Creatures in Need of a Good God’ and ‘Original Sin’ on this sight). America’s values and beliefs on abortion over the last 40 years has developed a society void of faith and family values. Family and the church need to speak louder than the world that advocates abhorrent values, abortion being one of them. We need a society that holds children as precious, blessing and a gift of God. Unlike America, Africa is one of many countries that is not abortion minded, they educate their children on the truth about abortion.

America’s stance has been that the early stages of a baby’s development is just a clump of cells, as opposed to the truth that: 5-8 weeks, the baby has a beating heart at 17 days, brain waves at 6 weeks, organs forming at 8 weeks, and responding to touch. It is at 9 weeks that she has fingerprints, genitals, toes and fingers formed. It is at 12-20 weeks that she can feel pain, kicks, grabs, sucks and cries in the womb.

Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is the most renown abortion center and most women are unaware of what they actually do. They assume their services are mostly STD testing and birth control, that cannot be further from the truth. They are surprised to learn that Planned Parenthood now provides hormone therapy (gender transitioning) to minors. Most of Planned Parenthood’s services and profits come from performing surgical and abortion pill (mifepristone) abortions. Many do not know the following procedures: abortion pill (5-10wks) $350-$600; suction D&C (5-14wks) $320-$600; dilation and evacuation (15-24wks) $500-$2000; and third trimester abortions (25wks-birth) $4000-$1500. Planned Parenthood receives federal funding and has most locations in lower income neighborhoods and primarily black neighborhoods, all planned by its founder Margaret Sanger. Margaret Sanger was a proponent of eugenics, she believed black women reproduced many babies and wanted to control the black population. She thought them inferior and unfit to procreate. Margaret Sanger had a connection to the Ku Klux Klan and spoke at the ‘Women’s Auxiliary’ rally in New Jersey to promote birth control. Adolf Hitler was actually influenced by Margaret Sanger’s eugenics views, and as we know tried to wipe out the Jewish people.

Abortion Statistics

The highest number of abortion is 1,032,100 in 2023. Women having abortions are not due to rape or incest which accounts for <.05%. Statistics show abortion as result of it would “dramatically change my life” at 74% (Finer, Frohwirth, Dauphinee, Singh, & Moore, 2005, pp. 113). In the 1970s and 1980s when fetal alcohol syndrome was recognized, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) was considered a medical reason suggesting ATOD acceptable in terminating pregnancies (Roberts, Avalos, Sinkford & Foster, 2012); with 1 out of 20 women claiming ATOD as the reason (Roberts, 2012). During this time, cautions surrounding alcohol consumption and its effects on pregnancy may have resulted in many women assuming something wrong with their baby after learning they were pregnant after having consumed alcohol (Roberts, 2012). Other and more recent data show “more than 1 in 8 U.S. women” living in poverty, and “76% of abortions occur[ing] among women at or below 200% of the federal poverty level” (Oberman, 2018, pp. 666). It is worthy to note an increase in contraception is likely responsible for the 13% decline of abortions from 2008 to 2011 (Jones & Jerman, 2017).

Historical Scholars and Theologians

What do theologians, scholars and philosophers Tertullian, Augustine, Plato and Aristotle say on the subject? First, Plato believed in controlling the population and eugenics (breeding for improvement to humans), and Aristotle believed that unhealthy children (deformities) shall be disposed (Czachorowski, 2018). Jerome and Augustine could not distinguish when the fetus went from “formatus” to “informatus”, the ensoulment of the embryo. Tertullian believed body and soul happened simultaneously at conception, while Aristotle believed 40 days after conception is when the soul indwelled the embryo for males and 90 days for females (Czacorowski, 2018). Tertullian held the seed as the potential person with the seed as “…a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in its seed” (Cazcorowski, 2014, pp. 569). Finally, Aquinas as cited in Czacorowski (2014) said “…the soul endowed with a mind was created by God at the moment of conception, and so at the moment of the first formation of the human embryo” (Czacorowski, 2014, pp. 569-570). Czacorowski (2014) goes on to note that while science cannot confirm the “sequential substantial changes” in the fetal stage, modern philosophy does subscribe to the natural sciences that the ovum, the first stage when sperm and egg come together, contains the genetic code” and “…directs the entire psycho-physical development of the human being” (Czacorowski, 2014, pp. 570).

God is Love, Love is Freedom, God is Freedom

God of the Bible is a God of freedom. He gives humans a will to choose, including the ability to love or reject Him. Rather than women running to Planned Parenthood, women can run to churches and other outreach organizations for help. There are ministries that walk with women before, during and after birth of their baby; including, SIDEWALKS4LIFE.COM; ABORT73.COM; ABORTIONDOC.ORG; LIVINGWATERS.COM; ABORTIONPROCEDURES.COM; TINYHANDSBOOK.COM; ABORTIONNO.ORG; HH76.ORG; and ABORTIONWORKER.COM. There are misconceptions about pro-life organizations, thinking they can somehow force a woman to have a baby or judge and shame her, this is not true. These organizations do not convince nor coerce but rather provide women with education on the life already growing within her and the God that has blessed her and loves her. No matter her choice, the church or pro-life ministry will continue to be there for her.


References
Collinson, S. W., (2005). Making Disciples and the Christian Faith. Evangelical Review of Theology, 29(3), 240–250. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=18750450&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Czachorowski, M., (2018). Abortion in The Universal Encyclopedia of Philosophy, volume 7. Studia Gilsoniana 7, no. 4: pages 567-578. Retrieved From http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.desklight-d3998022-9494-40a6-bb41-9232cc491178.

Finer LB, Frohwirth LF, Dauphinee LA, Singh S, & Moore AM. (2005). Reasons U.S. women have abortions: quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, 37(3), 110–118. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=106545873&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Jones, R. K., & Jerman, J., (2017). Abortion Incidence and Service Availability In the United States, 2014. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, 49(1), 17–27. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1363/psrh.12015.

McQuilkin, R., & Copan, P. (2014). An introduction to biblical ethics: Walking in the way of wisdom (3rd ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN-13: 9780830828180.

Mihindukulasuriya, P. (2014). How Jesus Inaugurated the Kingdom on the Cross: a Kingdom Perspective of the Atonement. Evangelical Review of Theology, 38(3), 196–213. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rlh&AN=96993783&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Oberman, M. (2018). Motherhood, Abortion and the Medicalization of Poverty. The Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics 46: 665-671. doi: 10.1177/1073110518804221.

Roberts S., Avalos, L., Sinkford, D., Foster, D., (2012). Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use as Reasons for Abortion. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press Vol 47, No. 6, pp. 640-648. doi:10.1093/alcalc/ags095.

Genesis Compared to Other Creation Stories

2025

Christian interpretation of Genesis 1 that acknowledges the Ancient Near Eastern context, and modern science

Trinity, God Triune

April 2025

The Bible narrative is an overarching story about creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration. The Bible is God’s word to the to guide how to live while anticipating the return of Jesus and the coming Kingdom.

Creation

At one time or another, humans have pondered, why are we here and who is our maker? the only place to get the truth to these questions is the bible (for more on the bible,https://jesusforum.net/2020/02/19/jesus-church/). In Genesis 1, we are introduced to the Trinity “Let us make mankind in our image…” (Genesis 1:26). Some might interpret this as there must be three gods, that is not correct. God is Triune, consisting of three persons that make up the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1 records “God said” ten times as He speaks creation into existence. God’s method of communication has always been His words, in the Old Testament, God spoke to His prophets to carry out His will, “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction” (Psalm 107:20); “…my word that goes out from my mouth…will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). In the New Testament, God’s method of communication is still His Word, this time through His Son of whom is the ‘logos’, reason and divine order. In Jesus’ humanity, He identifies with His creation, in His godliness he is sinless and able to conquer death. Apostle John put focus on this in his gospel and personified Jesus as the Word, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” drawing back to His divinity in Genesis 1. Jesus’ mission was to pave the way for man to be restored to God; therefore, He took on flesh to live among His creation, was born a Jew (formerly the Hebrews) His chosen people, and was given the name Immanuel which means “God with us’ in Hebrew. Before His death, we read in John 17 Jesus pray to the Father, “…Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now , Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began”. Jesus is the personification of the spoken ‘word’ (the Word) and ‘wisdom’ found at the cross where time and eternity meet and is the consciousness of that communication. Isaiah’s prophesy on this states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Commentary on this subject agrees “Jesus is the personification of wisdom as is described in Proverbs 5-8” (Stewart, 2018).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit’s role in the act of creation is first seen in verse 2 in Genesis 1 “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the water”. The Holy Spirit is active throughout the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit inseminates the virgin Mary, anoints Jesus at His baptism, and descends on the apostles in what is called Pentecost. Twice in the bible, we see all three persons of the Trinity present at the same time, creation and the baptism of Jesus. The Holy Spirits anoints Jesus, “Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove” (Mark 1:10) and the Father speaks, “and a voice came from heaven, you are my Son of whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Jesus was already divine at birth and did not need the Spirit of God to enter Him. The purpose of His baptism was to fulfill the prophesy in Isaiah, one verse being Isaiah 42:1 which speaks to the Servant being given the Spirit in a public display before beginning His ministry. Baptism represents a rebirth, dying to self and be born again. Jesus describes this to pharisee Nicodemus “…unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He clearly states the importance of the Holy Spirit, “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). Only when Jesus leaves, will the Holy Spirit come, Jesus also tells His disciples that when He goes back to the Father, the Spirit will come to be with them, “…I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for He will be in you and with you…” (John 14:16-17).

Sin

Divine intellect in the the mind, body and soul would have remained in the human soul if not for the fall corrupting the nature of man (Stillwaggon, 2014). The serpent used his wiles to trick Adam and Eve into disobedience to God resulting in evil and death entering the world (Genesis 3). The world will never be free of until the return of Jesus. According to John Calvin, all of creation is subject to God and thus according to God’s justice has been cursed (Lamoureux, 2009). Apostle Paul says in Romans “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:20-22). It is because of God’s grace, mercy, love, patience, and forgiveness that humanity has been given a path to redemption. The Law given to Moses so that humanity can know what sin is, this is referred to as works, which is impossible to maintain. it won’t be until coming Messiah that humanity can put their faith in Jesus Christ as opposed to works so that no one can boast (Romans).

Israelites

Thomas Aquinas “…argues that the existence and some attributes of God can be known by reason, whereas other things about God – for example, that God is triune – can be known only through special revelation” (Highfield, 2008, p. 105-106). The existence of God has been made known to humanity through general revelation and special revelation; the first refers to the physical beauty of earth and the universe that is all around us, everything we take in through the senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. God is Creator, recorded in Genesis “…God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” (Gen 1:1-2). Special revelation is God revealing Himself through various means including miracles, scripture, and the supernatural; for example, the Nation of Israel meets God in Exodus and becomes the only nation ever to be set-up as a theocracy. First century historian Josephus Flavius, as well as theologians (Aquinas, Barth) affirm the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph as real events that took place in humanity’s history. For instance, the Joseph story shows how the Jewish people go from Canaan to Egypt where they will live for 400 years as slaves until God frees them from Pharaoh. It is through Moses that God frees the Jewish people and teaches them to love and worship their God, Yahweh, the only one true God, as opposed to pagan gods they have come to know in Egypt. Israel, time and time again, allowed themselves to be influenced by the surrounding pagan nations that resulted in their idolatry (worshipping false gods) and sacrifices. This would later result in judgement that takes them into bondage under the Assyrians (722 BC) and later the Babylonians (586 BC). Jesus will accomplish where Israel fails.

The Church

After Jesus commissions His disciples to spread His church throughout the world to all the nations (Matt 28:16-20), the church will confront, challenge, and establish its set doctrine. As one can imagine, there were many heresies against the Christian community and attacks on the identity of Jesus. Arianism was one well known heresy that argued against the divinity of Jesus, it proclaimed Jesus as a created being making the Son not equal to God the Father. If this were the case, then Jesus’ death and resurrection would not be able to save humanity from eternal death. As with the Nation of Israel, the Church will become idolatrous and it will take centuries for it to find its way back. Beginning with Arianism, the church had to push back against this heresy during the Patristic Age (100-500AD) through to the early Middle Ages (Dark Ages). This required church leaders to come to the defense of Jesus as being the God-Man. These events have been recorded at the councils of the Nicene Creed in 325, Nicene/Constantinople Creed in 381, and Toledo in 589, and confirm Jesus as fully human and fully God; the same essence, coequal, and coeternal to the Father (homoousious). Systematic methodology came about during the centuries the church found itself explaining and defending God. It is a process by which to learn and know God and involves study and interpretation of scripture by gathering and organizing similar themes of information from various sources, such as scripture, nature, tradition, and experience (Highfield, 2008). Through this systematic methodology application, theologians confirm the Nicene Creed’s reaffirmation that God is Triune; and the homoousious of the three persons that make up the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – One God, three persons.

References
Henry, M. (2018). Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible. M. Henry (1662 – 1714). Retrieved from: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/matthew/12.html
Highfield, R. (2008). Great
is the Lord: Theology for the praise of God. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. Retrieved by: https://lc-ugrad3.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/externalLinks/externalLinks.html?operation=redirectToExternalLink&externalLink=http%3A%2F%2Fgcumedia.com%2Fdigital-resources%2Fwm-b-eerdmans-publishing-co%2F2008%2Fgreat-is-the-lord_theology-for-the-praise-of-god_ebook_1e.php
Lamoureux, D. O. (2016). Beyond the Cosmic Fall and Natural Evil. Perspectives On Science &
Christian Faith, 68(1), 44-59. Retrieved by: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113835293&site=eds-live&scope=site
Stewart, D. (2018). Why was Jesus Called the Word of God? (Logos). Blue Letter Bible. Retrieved from: https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_219.cfm
Stillwaggon, J. (2014). The Problem of Propagation: Original Sin as Inherited Discourse. Studies In
Philosophy & Education, 33(1), 61-73. doi:10.1007/s11217-013-9362-7. Retrieved by: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=93447361&site=eds-live&scope=site