Abortion – A Rational Look at an Emotion Issue

Tomorrow marks the 38th anniversary of the Roe v Wade ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States. As most know, this was the landmark ruling that defined a woman’s right to abortion in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. This ruling opened the flood gate of abortion on demand and fueled one of the most volatile and enduring controversies in the history of our country.


It is safe to say that Christians have been somewhat less than unified in their position on this ruling and its implications. Some liberal Christian denominations have favored the ruling, while the Roman Catholic Church has been consistently and vocally opposed to it. For the evangelical, the one who adheres to the authority of the Bible, the issue is not open for discussion. If that statement seems to be too dogmatic, too presumptuous, or too absolutist, then the one who objects needs to read Abortion – A Rational Look at an Emotion Issue by Dr. R.C. Sproul. The 20th anniversary edition has been revised and reprinted by Reformation Trust.

In his forward, Dr. George Grant notes:

In the two decades since this landmark book was first published, four different presidents have occupied the White House, seven justices have come and gone on the Supreme Court, and eleven sessions of Congress have held sway in the Capitol … Through it all, the divisiveness of the abortion issue has remained constant. The many and varied political turns of events during the past twenty years have done nothing to ameliorate it—much less, to resolve it. If anything, the divide over abortion has become more pronounced, more acrimonious, and more entrenched. While political gridlock on nearly any and every other issue ultimately has been overcome, no rapprochement on the issue of abortion is anywhere in sight.

In his usual fashion, Dr. Sproul approaches this issue from the perspective of logic, history, theology and Biblical exposition. After reading the book, I am persuaded that one could be convinced to re-examine his or her views relative to the pro-abortion position based upon the logical arguments alone. In other words, this is not an issue that requires commitment to evangelical faith to know the truth. Of course, as one of the leaders in the evangelical movement, Sproul is careful to cite Biblical evidence for the pro-life position. Nonetheless, the arguments from logic and natural law are convincing in themselves.

What is absent from Dr. Sproul’s work is the vitriol that often flows from advocates of the pro-life position. Sproul does not demonize the opposition. Certainly, this is an issue that arouses passionate debate. In Sproul’s case, there is not more heat than light. Both are in sufficient quantity.

I understand that Reformation Press will send a copy of this book to every member of the new Congress. I pray that many will read it. I am sure that some will. I am sure that some will throw it away. If read objectively, the book has the potential to change a lot of the thinking on Capitol Hill

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reformation Press as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."