The Assumption of Sin: Abortion, the Constitution, and the Bible
In America’s culture wars, few issues are as divisive—or as deeply misunderstood—as abortion. For decades, religious fundamentalists have framed abortion not just as a moral issue but as a battle between good and evil, between God’s law and a secular world gone astray. But that framing is built on a crucial and often-overlooked flaw:
neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Bible explicitly prohibits abortion.
That isn’t a liberal talking point. It’s a fact. And when a movement builds its political platform on an assumption rather than a clear directive, we owe it to ourselves—and to our republic—to call that out.
Fundamentalism and Selective Interpretation
Christian political movements have urged America to “return to its Christian roots,” calling for laws that ban abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, school curriculum (creationism as science), and more. These movements often draw on personal conviction. But the truth is,
the Bible does not say what they think it says.
In fact, it never once calls abortion murder. The closest relevant passage, Exodus 21:22–25, distinguishes between injury to a pregnant woman and injury resulting in miscarriage. Causing a miscarriage incurs a fine—not the death penalty—while killing the woman warrants "life for life." That distinction alone undermines the idea that the Bible views a fetus as a full legal person (American Bible Society, 2009).
Other verses cited by anti-abortion activists, like Psalm 139, are poetic, not prescriptive. They express awe at creation but don’t carry legal weight. As biblical scholars have repeatedly pointed out, there is no direct prohibition of abortion in the Old or New Testament (Oxford Biblical Studies Online, n.d.).
Even within Christianity, perspectives have varied. The Catholic Church did not formally declare abortion a mortal sin until the late 19th century (Reeves, 2022). Jewish tradition, which heavily influences Old Testament teachings, generally holds that life begins at birth—not conception.
So the claim that the Bible mandates a total abortion ban is not scriptural truth. It’s
interpretation layered with centuries of assumption.
The Constitution: Secular by Design
What about the Constitution? That document, too, is
silent on abortion. It mentions no God, no Christianity, and certainly no divine law. The Founders were deliberate in keeping religion out of government. The First Amendment enshrines religious freedom—not religious rule (National Constitution Center, n.d.).
Thomas Jefferson famously wrote:
“It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” (Jefferson, 1782)
That quote reflects the American ideal: believe what you wish, but don’t impose it through law. That’s why legislating theology is fundamentally un-American.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) overturned Roe v. Wade based on states’ rights—not any claim about when life begins or divine mandates. It was a legal ruling, not a religious one (U.S. Supreme Court, 2022).
Faith vs. Freedom
You are free to believe that life begins at conception. You are free to believe that abortion is morally wrong. But you are not entitled to force that belief on others through laws rooted in religion. That’s not liberty—that’s theocracy.
And yet, that’s the direction some political factions are pushing. Bans on abortion. Book restrictions. Anti-LGBTQ+ laws. These efforts are not about preserving freedom—they’re about enforcing
one narrow worldview.
Religious liberty means more than the right to worship. It means the right to dissent. To question. To choose differently.
If the Bible doesn’t prohibit abortion—and the Constitution doesn’t either—then the anti-abortion legal crusade is not based on scripture or law. It is based on
personal belief masquerading as moral certainty.
The Real Moral Question
The irony? In trying to impose religious morality on others, fundamentalists may be missing the bigger moral point. Coercion is not conviction. Enforcement is not faith. For a nation built on liberty, that is the real sin.
References
American Bible Society. (2009). The Holy Bible: New International Version. Zondervan.
Guttmacher Institute. (2023). Abortion in the United States: A Reference Guide.
https://www.guttmacher.org/united-states/abortion
Jefferson, T. (1782). Notes on the State of Virginia.
National Constitution Center. (n.d.). The Constitution of the United States.
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution
Oxford Biblical Studies Online. (n.d.). Abortion in the Bible.
https://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/
Reeves, M. (2022). Biblical Silence and the Abortion Debate: A Historical Review. Journal of Religious Ethics, 50(3), 487–505.
U.S. Supreme Court. (2022). Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 597 U.S. ___ (2022).
