What Does the Bible Say About Abortion? - Dan McClellan
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Slavery
The Bible's depiction of slavery is complex and often misunderstood. highlights that biblical slavery differs from the race-based slavery of the American South, yet it still involves the ownership of humans as property 1. He notes that both the Old and New Testaments recognize this practice, with Jesus using slavery as a metaphor without condemning it 1. adds that translation choices significantly impact interpretations, such as whether biblical texts refer to miscarriage or premature birth 2.
The translation you choose has an awful lot to do with whether or not the Bible supports your position.
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Additionally, the Bible differentiates between Israelite and non-Israelite slaves, which some argue mirrors modern concepts of race-based slavery 3.
Abortion
The Bible does not explicitly mention abortion, leading to varied interpretations. explains that passages often cited to argue against abortion, like Jeremiah 1:5, focus on God's knowledge of gestation rather than a direct condemnation 4. He clarifies that the Hebrew Bible treats a fetus more as property than a full legal person, as seen in Exodus 21, where a miscarriage results in a fine rather than talionic justice 4.
The destruction of the fetus does not result in talionic justice. It's just a fine.
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notes that while the Bible discusses miscarriages and stillborn children, it lacks direct references to abortion practices 5.
Misinterpretations
Misinterpretations of the Bible often arise from the assumption of univocality, the belief that it speaks with one voice. argues this leads to reading personal biases into scripture, prioritizing passages that align with one's worldview 6. He points out that the Bible's inspiration is not as clear-cut as some believe, with noting that 2 Timothy 3:16 is often misused to claim divine inspiration for all scripture 7.
The presupposition of univocality...is distorting because...you have to impose some kind of unifying framework on it.
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Furthermore, examining original texts can reveal different interpretations, as seen in the translation of Hebrew terms in Exodus 21 8.