Biblical Framework for Life: Ownership

I am continuing to lay a biblical framework for the pro-life position.  Last time I dealt with personhood and how the Bible clearly demonstrates that personhood does begin inside the womb.  I am, at the moment, just making a theological argument and will look at other aspects of this debate later on.

One argument often made by the pro-choice side – “it’s the mother’s body so it is her choice.”  This presupposes that she has “ownership” of herself and the baby that she is carrying inside the womb.  This argument is often made when the father of the child tries to intervene.  However, is she really the owner?

Genesis 1:27 says that it is God who is involved in the creative process, “so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

This is dealing with creation in the beginning.  Generally speaking when somebody creates… a piece of art, an invention, or whatever – that implies ownership.  From this passage we can see that God has claim not over just individual persons but humankind overall.

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture, (Psalm 100:3, ESV)

It isn’t just he got the human race started and then left the picture, but he stays involved.  He made us… we are His… we are His people… we are sheep of His pasture.  He has ownership.  Not only that but Ezekiel 18:4 says, “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die,” (ESV).

Both parent, in this case the father and the child, the son, belongs to God.  Parental claims of ownership do not trump God’s.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand, (Isaiah 64:8, ESV).

The only thing that a man and woman can claim is that they provide the sperm and the egg, but who gave them that ability?  God did!  The mother doesn’t craft the baby in the womb… God does.  Not only did God make us while we are in the womb, but He is continually making us.  This is especially true of those who are Christ followers in the process of sanctification (which is an entirely different post topic).

And one last scripture to look at related to this…

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV).

Our bodies are not our own?  Back to the original pro-choice argument… it is the woman’s choice, it is her body.  Looking at scripture that argument rings hollow.  God is Creator and Owner of all people, they belong to Him, not others.

The next post we’ll look at who has prerogative over life and death according to scripture.

Originally posted on 1/28/2008 at Caffeinated Thoughts.