Does the Bible say Abortion is a minor sin?

Question

“If men harm a woman with child so that here fruit depart her…they should pay a fine as determined by a judge.” This seems to say abortion is a minor sin in God's eyes.
The next verse says, “…if more mischief follows, (kills the woman)eye for an eye tooth” for tooth.
Exodus 21:22 KJV
Doesn´t this mean abortion is a minor sin?

Answer 1

Maybe. But if that's the case, then it's a sin God has condoned.

"...their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up." -- Hosea 13:16

Answer 2

No. I think you might say that assisting in abortion is a minor sin based on that verse, but it says nothing of the punishment for the woman. I do not want to get political, and I am not making a claim for or against the legality of abortion, but I think that abortion is truly murder of an unborn child. It can be hard to tell what exactly is meant in ancient scripture, which is why I am glad I believe in a modern prophet to clarify and direct us through the changing world.

Answer 3

Your version (KJV) reads as so: Exodus 21:22-23 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,"

New American Standard Bible
Exodus 21:22-23 "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,"
***I like the King James Version, but sometimes I have to look at other versions to get a better understanding. My next best choice is the New American Standard. It was written after the KJV-with original manuscripts that had been found since the KJV was written. And I personally do word studies on certain words so that I am sure of what the verse is saying.
So after reading in another version, you can see more clearly what the verse means. It is not about abortion, but about premature birth that was caused by carelessness. There is no death as of yet. The further injury could be talking about the mother's death or the baby's death, but most likely the baby. We just don't know that. That person would be paying for his carelessness and not for a meditated act of violence (murder).
(Like others have mentioned, we are not under this law anymore, but under grace. Still, these laws give us a glimpse into the heart of God because they teach us what He values and considers important.)

NOW-your main question is about abortion being a minor sin? All sins are equal in God's eyes because they separate us from Him. The only difference between one sin and the other is the physical, emotional, societal consequences that result. Murder gets you jailtime, but abortion doesn't. Cheating on taxes can get you a fine, while committing adultery only gets you a divorce and a child support payment. I can see how this might make someone think that these sins are different. But that is only because our society has placed a "value" on each one. But God does not.

The issue is not whether having an abortion, committing murder, stealing, committing adultery, etc., will keep us from Heaven. One does not go to hell for having an abortion while another goes to hell for stealing. We go to hell because we have not accepted the sacrifice that Jesus provided for us on the cross. NOT ACCEPTING Christ is what keeps us from Heaven. We all have sinned-you in your way and me in mine.

***It is getting harder and harder for people to study the Word these days because of all of the different Bible versions. Which one is right? Everyone has an argument. Here's an idea. Put them next to each other and compare them.
www.biblegateway.com has a Concordance where you can look up a verse in MANY versions. Click through each one to get an idea of what they mean. They will not be so different that you will decide that the whole Bible is a lie. You will see how the language has changed but that the meaning holds true because it is the Word of God.
**If you would like to know how to study the Bible for yourself, EMAIL ME and I will help.
***It is good that you ask, but you will get A LOT of wrong or misleading answers on this kind of forum.

2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

Answer 4

First of all, there is NO minor sin. Sin is sin rather it is killing someone or committing adultery.

Pro Life (Christians and others) is called that because we consider the fetus a living person the instant they were conceived. By committing abortion you would be killing a living thing.

I commend you for your question. You obviously have read the Bible or at least parts of it and ask good solid questions. Keep it up.

God bless you

Answer 5

Exodus 21:22 is under the old testament law. This law is no longer REQUIRED to be followed. Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for sins and so no, abortion is still wrong in God's eyes. Oh and there is no "minor" sin in God's eyes.

Answer 6

In God's eyes sin is sin. There are some Churches that believe in venial and mortal sins, big and not so big, but the Bible really doesn't back that up. We also need to remember that Christ came and fulfilled the law. We live under new laws, being in the New Testament age.

Answer 7

You misread that scripture. It says first that Her husband would determine the money owed and the judges would approve of the money asked for. This is NOT talking about abortion as it clearly says if men are fighting and hurt a pregnant women...then...not if someone out of convenience purposefully kills the life within them. All sin separates us from God. There is no sinometer that says one sin is greater than the other.

Answer 8

Just remember when Jesus said those that have not sinned cast the first stone to the that woman in the Bible that did sexual sins. Everyone has sins but there is one major sin the unforgetable sin that you would not be forgiven with. That means you reject the Holy Spirit of the Lord.

Answer 9

No: "...a proper understanding of the passage shows reference is not to a miscarriage, but to a premature birth, and that the 'injury' referred to, which is to be compensated for like all other injuries, applies to the child as well as to his mother. This means that, 'far from justifying permissive abortion, in fact grants the unborn child a status in the eyes of the law equal to the mother's.'"

Source:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-abortioninthebible.html

See also:
http://abort73.com/HTML/I-J-1-bible.html
http://www.epm.org/articles/aborbibl.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-bibleandabortion.html
http://www.crusadeforlife.org/prolife_scriptures.htm

For more information on abortion, visit http://Abort73.com

For a free online post-abortion program, visit http://www.healinghearts.org

Answer 10

This "question" is quite dishonest. The verse above describes the monetary damages imposed if the child is born prematurely but ALIVE. The very next verse explains that if the embryo or fetus is "aborted" and DIES, the penalty is death.

(Exodus 21:23-25) But if a fatal accident should occur, then you must give soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, branding for branding, wound for wound, blow for blow.