The following is from a pamphlet published by Pastors For Life and written by
Richard Cash
For over twenty years the pro-life movement has focused almost entirely on surgical abortion. Recently, however, that has begun to change. The publicity surrounding RU-486 has caused many of us to think more carefully about other forms of abortions that are chemically induced at earlier stages of pregnancy.
The term chemical abortion, as used here, means the killing, of the unborn child anytime after Fertilization, by means other than a surgical procedure.
Some might question the importance of this issue, since we are talking about a human life in the earliest stages of development, before it even remotely resembles the unborn child that is killed by surgical abortion at 6-8 weeks.
In reply, we cannot state too strongly that abortion kills a human being, and the scriptures do not make any distinction between a life that is a few moments old and a life that is a few months old.
Let us keep in mind that the Incarnation took place at the point of conception, the very beginning of a human life. A lot of so-called birth control methods would have caused the chemical abortion of Jesus Christ. Chemically induced abortion is a serious matter. It is deeply rooted in social acceptability. It deserves the most thoughtful concern by those who are pro-life.
Many pastors hope that the issue of chemical abortion will not have to be addressed. That is wishful thinking. The issue will be raised, the question is, do we have the courage, sensitivity, and integrity to say what God has to say about it?
Pastors For Life believes that using any form of so-called birth control that kills or has the potential to kill the unborn child after fertilization is sinful.
This includes the l.U.D., Depo-Provera, Norplant, and other chemical combinations being used. To the best of our knowledge, this also includes all forms of the birth control pill currently being sold.
These pills have three mechanisms of action: 1) they attempt to suppress ovulation, 2) they thicken the woman's cervical mucus so that sperm have difficulty moving up the reproductive tract, and 3) they induce changes in the uterine lining so that if conception does occur, implantation is prevented, thus inducing an abortion.
The first two actions of the pill are contraceptive nature. The third mechanism of action, however, is abortifacient, that is, it kills someone.
The third mechanism comes into play whenever the pill fails to prevent ovulation, which is between 2 - 10% of the time. In those cases, if the egg is fertilized, which occurs approximately 25% of the time, it will almost certainly be prevented from implanting in the uterine wall, resulting in an abortion. Sadly enough, a woman will not even realize their child has been killed.
At this point, many people will argue that taking the pill is all right, because the woman is not taking the pill with the intention of causing an abortion, but rather with the intention of preventing conception. We understand that women may have this mindset when they take the pill, and pastors, physicians, and pharmacists may have this mindset when they suggest, prescribe, or sell the pill.
The fact is, however, the pill has three well established mechanisms of physical action, one of which does intend to cause an abortion. This creates a contradiction in intentions between the woman and the pill, which can be solved only by the woman refusing to take a pill which has the proven potential to do something she doesn't want it to do. Therefore, there is no use in arguing about the intention of the user, because the intention of the pill overrides the intention of the user.
Morally speaking, taking the pill has similarities to playing Russian roulette. Participants in that "game" usually do not intend to shoot themselves. Their intention is irrelevant, however, if the odds come up against them, which will almost certainly happen if the game is played long enough.
Over time, a woman using birth control pills runs the definite and intentional risk of killing one or more of her children as a result. Therefore, it is morally unacceptable to be on the pill while engaging in sexual intercourse.
Obviously, many women taking birth control pills are not aware that they work in several ways, one of which is abortifacient. Why the ignorance?
Well obviously, pharmaceutical companies are not going to highlight the abortifacient aspect of the pill. They are aware of it and they admit to it, but for marketing purposes, they have no interest in publicizing this.
Many physicians and pharmacists have an understanding (vague at times) about the abortifacient aspect of the pill. Unfortunately, most are either unconcerned or else they are unwilling to explore the implications about what they know. Perhaps they don't want to deal with the issue because they have long been prescribing and selling the pills.
Pastors often don't know, but even when they are made aware, they are reluctant to address the subject. For some reason, the pill and other abortifacients are seen as too personal a topic for pastors to address, and so they stick with the topic of surgical abortions, which is much easier to preach against.
The silence is literally killing us. Estimates of chemically induced abortions in the United States range from a low of 5 million a year to a high of 9 million a year. Even the low estimate means that chemical abortions outnumber surgical abortions over 3 to 1!
Overleaf, a chart showing the range of chemically induced abortions, based on the number of users and the high and low range of the abortion causing mechanism.
Christians, many of them unknowingly, are aborting their children by chemical means, and very few people are willing to talk about it. As the prophet Hosea said, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)." God forgive us.
Pastors For Life believes pastors must address the issue of chemically induced abortions. In conjunction with Christian physicians and pharmacists, pastors must begin educating their congregations.
Yes, it will be painful and controversial.
Yes, people will be hurt and some of them will go away mad.
Pastors For Life believes one of the reasons God has allowed surgical abortion to go on so long in our country is because of the Church's failure to address the sin of chemical abortion. It will be difficult to take the speck of surgical abortion out of the world's eye when we have the log of chemical abortion in our own eye.
We are thankful that there is a group, Pharmacists For Life International, that is dedicated to telling the truth about chemical abortion. The specific information discussed here has come from them.
We realize that some people will disagree with the information presented here about birth control pills. There is much scientific research to support our position. We have spoken directly with Bogomir M. Kuhar, Pharm.D., founder of Pharmacists For Life International, and he challenges those with dissenting opinions to present scientific studies showing that birth control pills do not work in the way described here.
Pastors For Life believes we must address the issue of chemical abortion as well as surgical abortion, beginning in the church. This is not an issue of trying to make people feel guilty or of being more-pro-life-than thou. It is at heart an issue about what is the truth in this matter, and how we will account to God for it. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." by Richard Cash
This pamphlet may be reproduced in its entirety for non commercial distribution without prior written permission from Pastors for Life.
LOW HIGH
The Pill 588,000 3,250,000
1. U. D. 1,117,000 1,117,000
Depo-Provera 1,200,000 1,200,000
Norplant 2,250,000 2,925,000
TOTAL 5,155,000 9,092,000