When Does An Unborn Baby Become A Person?

Dr. Couch, I know a Jewish woman who says, by Jewish thinking, the child does not become a "person" until it comes out of the womb. Do you know what they teach?

ANSWER:  The liberal Jews are tainted by the world and would hold to the "out of the womb view" because that is a convenient idea to justify abortion. I have a great orthodox Jewish library and what they teach on Psalm 139 is what we would hold to. The Rabbis teach:

   God knows us through and through, because He controlled our existence and development from the womb (v. 13). Verse 13 reads: "For you have made my reins (all the internal organs); You have knitted me together in my mother's womb."

   Verse 15 is important. "My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret (in the darkness of the womb)." Verse 16, the Rabbis write,  refers to the embryo, its development from the start. In the doctrine of predestination, they say, God has a book in which is recorded each person from the embryonic stage, the number of days which would be lived. In God's book all of our parts are written, "when as yet there were none of them" (v. 16b). Among those days is included our lives from the embryo stage until we come to birth.

   Since the Lord was so involved in our creation in the womb, how foolish and sinful to say that we can then destroy the child that He is working on just before he comes out of the mother's womb!

   Thanks for asking.
   Dr. Mal Couch

Proverbs 24:10-12 and Abortion

Dr. Couch, I have heard people use Proverbs 24:10-12 as referring to abortion. Is this true? ANSWER:  The passage is not about abortion directly but the principle in these verses would certainly fit. Verse 10 reads: "If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited." Or, if you do not respond to issues when things are tough, then your strength, your inner resolve, is weak. Verse 11 seems to add to the thought: If you see injustice and evil taking place in which people are dying (children are being aborted), and you do not respond, or "Hold them back," then you are guilty in letting them go to slaughter.    Verse 12 says there will be a price to pay. "If you say, 'See, we did not know this.' Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?"    I believe the issue of abortion is part of what will bring a judgment against the Western world, and of course America. Our nation will be held accountable. Expect a judgment soon concerning this issue and concerning homosexuality!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch