The following is a book review for a new book by R.C. Sproul titled, “Abortion: a rational look at an emotional issue. Copyright information: © 2010 by R.C. Sproul, Published by Reformation Trust Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I receive compensation for a fair review in the form of a copy of the book reviewed. The opinions stated below are my own.
It’s been 20 years since the first edition of this book was published. It has been updated to reflect recent politics and thoughts on the subject. I never read the first edition and am honored to be asked to review it for Reformation Trust Publishing. Abortion is an intensely emotional, highly debated issue in our country. Dr. Sproul has written a fair, reasoned, and biblical response to the arguments for abortion. He is a trained philosopher and theologian and in this book he thoroughly discusses both sides of the topic using biblical texts, laws of logic and natural and civil law. He includes important historical information showing the development of the pro-abortion and pro-choice views.
For someone who is not quite sure of what they believe concerning this controversy, this is an excellent book to read. He addresses each argument in support of abortion in a considerate manner. Dr. Sproul argues that the debate about abortion can essentially be boiled down to one question: “When does life begin?” He believes that the majority of people, once they are convinced that life begins at conception, will in turn see abortion as wrong. His arguments are mostly directed not to militant pro-abortionists but those who call themselves pro-choice-those who say “I wouldn’t get an abortion myself but I wouldn’t want to restrict someone else’s freedom in getting one.” The ethical arguments directed toward those persons are logical and thorough.
An excerpt from the book:
“The fear of divine judgment governs my actions regarding
abortion. As a theologian, I am firmly convinced that God hates
abortion and will judge it thoroughly. I also recognize that not
everyone shares my view of God’s opinions and intentions.
If there is a God, and if we are convinced that the evidence
for His existence is compelling, then without question we are
accountable to Him for our actions. Before we choose to participate
in abortion, we must give serious consideration to what
God’s views in the matter might be. To ignore this is to ignore
the call of conscience and to place ourselves in a perilous position.
If an act against conscience is an act against God, then we
can easily see how dangerous such an action is.
This book is addressed primarily to those who are not sure
about the ethics of abortion. If you remain uncertain, I urge you
again not to engage in abortion unless you are absolutely certain
for clear and sound reasons (which I’m not aware of) that
abortion is an ethically justifiable action. The simple adage of
common wisdom applies to you: “When in doubt, don’t.” (p. 72)
The book includes a compassionate chapter on repentance and forgiveness for those who suffer from the guilt of a previous abortion. There is also a well thought out chapter on specific ways those who are pro-life can effect change in our country. The Appendixes provide interesting scientific information on the beginning of life as well as a list of pro-life resources.
As one who was born after the Roe v. Wade decision, I have never known a time when the abortion debate was not going strong. Having been involved in pro-life rallies and marches and volunteered in a crisis pregnancy center, I have been involved in the debate myself. I really appreciate Dr. Sproul’s use of logic and biblical scholarship to explain the reasons that abortion on demand is wrong and should be illegal. I believe this book is an excellent resource to use when discussing the issue with those who consider themselves pro-choice or are undecided about where they stand on abortion.
