I was recently asked by a reader to find some good Bible passages that are 'pro-life'. Paging through the Gospels and a few other books, I found many of the verses I've highlighted have a very pro-life slant. In fact, I soon realized that there are pro-life undertones running throughout the Bible! I guess it is true that 'God is Pro-Life'.
In reading the Bible, we must always realize that reading it, along with respecting the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, is one of the best ways we can come to know Jesus. The Bible was compiled by the early Catholic Church, and it is hard to understand certain passages without the Church's teaching authority (this is one of the reasons Jesus established the Catholic Church!).
Well, anyways, I thought I'd just show you some of my favorites:
Genesis 1:27-28: God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and femail he created them. God blessed them, saying to them: 'Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.'
My Commentary: Man is created in God's image. Man's life, therefore, is sacred. To destroy Man is to destroy something sacred. God frowns on this. Plus, God blessed Man with the gift of fertility, so we could subdue the whole earth! 'Population control' policies are surely opposed to the will of God on this one...
Exodus 20:13: You shall not kill.
My Commentary: This is the most simple, yet the most intriguing commandments. For, if we are to take this literally, we are obliged to never kill anyone or anything. But the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (p. 2258). From 2258-2330, the Catechism oulines more teaching concerning the fifth commandment - it's worth a look.
Matthew 18:6: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
My Commentary: After reading this passage, it is obvious that Jesus has a deep love for everyone, especially the 'littlest ones' -- i.e. children. Whoever causes one of these children to sin would be better off drowning in the sea! How much worse would the sin of killing one of these children be??? We must hope that people are not misinformed to think that the fetus inside a mother's womb is not a living human being -- one of God's children!
John 13:35: I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
My Commentary: Jesus told us to love one another. What love involves taking a life? People sometimes misguidedly think that euthenasia is 'mercy' killing, but it is not. Abortion is not a loving act - it is a wrongful act. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "One may never do evil so that good may result from it," (1789), meaning one cannot do sinful acts in order to acheive a perceived good. Concerning Euthenasia, "Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable" (2277). If we do not have love for one another, we are not Christians.
Final Comment: While reading through different parts of the Bible, I am amazed, time and again, at how every passage can have great meaning, especially when you take time to reflect on the passages (using footnotes in my Fireside Study Edition of the New American Bible helps me tremendously!). If you aren't already, I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read it from time to time - start with the Gospels and New Testament, then work your way around the Old Testament.