Does the Bible Really Say Nothing About Abortion or Homosexuality? A Biblical Examination
In recent public discussions, Texas state representative James Talarico has claimed that the Bible makes no mention of abortion or homosexuality. Such statements often spread quickly, yet they raise an important question: is this claim actually true when the Scriptures are carefully examined?
The Bible may not always use modern political terminology, but it speaks clearly about the value of human life, God’s knowledge of us even before birth, and the moral boundaries He established for human relationships. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, Scripture consistently addresses these themes in ways that reveal God’s design for life, family, and holiness.
In this study, we will examine what the Bible actually says about life in the womb and sexual morality. Rather than relying on modern claims or interpretations, we will turn directly to the Scriptures themselves to see whether these issues are truly absent from the Bible—or whether they have been clearly addressed all along.
Life in the Womb – God’s Knowledge Before Birth
📖 Psalm 139:13–16 – “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
🔎 Long before modern debates about abortion existed, Scripture described life in the womb as something personally known and formed by God. David does not speak of an unborn child as a meaningless collection of cells, but as a life intentionally created and seen by the Creator even before birth. The passage presents the womb as a place where God is actively shaping a human life according to His design.
📖 Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.”
🔎 God tells Jeremiah that his life and calling were known even before he was born. This reveals an important biblical principle: the unborn child is not invisible to God. From the perspective of Scripture, life in the womb already exists within the knowledge and purpose of the Creator.
🔹 The Bible consistently speaks of unborn children as known by God.
🔹 Human life is described as intentionally formed in the womb.
🔹 The value of life begins before birth, not merely after it.
📖 Luke 1:41–44 – “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb… For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”
🔎 Even in the New Testament, the unborn John the Baptist is described as a living child responding with joy in the womb. Scripture repeatedly treats unborn children not as disposable life but as living human beings within God’s awareness and care.
💡 When the Bible speaks about life in the womb, it consistently describes it as human life known and valued by God.
Child Sacrifice and the Nations God Judged
📖 Leviticus 18:21 – “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.”
🔎 Among the surrounding pagan nations, one of the most horrific practices was the sacrifice of children to false gods such as Molech. These rituals involved offering infants or young children as burnt sacrifices. God explicitly condemned this practice and warned Israel never to participate in such acts. The command reveals how seriously God views the protection of innocent life.
📖 Deuteronomy 12:31 – “For even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.”
🔎 The nations inhabiting Canaan—including the Amorites—had become deeply corrupted by practices that included the destruction of their own children in religious rituals. Scripture explains that such practices were among the reasons God judged those nations and removed them from the land.
📖 Genesis 15:16 – “For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”
🔎 When God spoke to Abraham centuries earlier, He revealed that the Amorites would eventually face judgment once their wickedness reached its full measure. Over time, practices such as child sacrifice became part of that growing corruption. The judgment that later came upon those nations was not arbitrary—it followed generations of increasingly destructive behavior.
🔹 God repeatedly condemned the killing of children as a grave sin.
🔹 Pagan societies normalized the sacrifice of innocent life.
🔹 Divine judgment followed when such practices became entrenched.
📖 Jeremiah 19:4–5 – “Because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents… they have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings.”
🔎 Through the prophets, God again denounced the shedding of innocent blood and the sacrifice of children. These actions were described as abominations—acts so contrary to God’s nature that they provoked His righteous judgment.
💡 Throughout Scripture, the destruction of innocent children is portrayed not as a personal choice but as a grave moral evil that God strongly condemns.
The New Testament Affirms the Value of Life
📖 Matthew 19:14 – “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
🔎 Jesus repeatedly demonstrated a deep concern for children, welcoming them, blessing them, and using them as examples of humility and faith. In a culture where children were often viewed as insignificant, Christ elevated their value and dignity. His words reveal that even the smallest and most vulnerable lives hold great importance in the kingdom of God.
📖 Luke 18:15–16 – “And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them… But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.”
🔎 The Gospel writers specifically mention that even infants were brought to Jesus. Rather than dismissing them, He welcomed them. This reinforces the consistent biblical view that children—born and unborn alike—are precious in God’s sight.
🔹 Jesus welcomed and blessed children rather than treating them as insignificant.
🔹 The Gospels emphasize the value and dignity of the youngest lives.
🔹 Christ’s teachings reinforce the protection of the vulnerable.
📖 Exodus 20:13 – “Thou shalt not kill.”
🔎 The commandment against taking innocent life did not begin at Sinai—it reflects a moral principle rooted in God’s character from the beginning. Long before the law was written on stone, the account of Cain and Abel revealed God’s condemnation of murder and the sacred value of human life. The commandments given to Israel simply reaffirmed these eternal principles, which the teachings of Jesus and the apostles continued to uphold as expressions of God’s unchanging righteousness.
📖 Romans 13:9–10 – “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill… Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
🔎 Paul confirms that the moral principles given in the commandments remain expressions of love toward others. Protecting life, respecting others, and living in holiness are not merely legal requirements—they are reflections of genuine love rooted in God’s character.
💡 From the Law to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, the Bible consistently affirms the value of human life and the responsibility to protect it.
Does the Bible Really Say Nothing About Homosexuality?
Some modern claims suggest that the Bible never addresses homosexual behavior or that the passages traditionally understood this way have been misunderstood. However, when Scripture is examined from beginning to end, a consistent pattern emerges. From creation to the teachings of Christ and the apostles, the Bible repeatedly affirms God’s design for human relationships and sexual morality.
God’s Design in Creation
📖 Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
🔎 The biblical understanding of sexuality begins with creation itself. Humanity was intentionally created as male and female, reflecting complementary roles within God’s design. This distinction was not cultural or temporary but part of the created order.
📖 Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
🔎 Marriage is presented as a covenant union between a man and a woman. This pattern established in Genesis becomes the foundation that later biblical teaching repeatedly returns to.
🔹 God created humanity as male and female.
🔹 Marriage was established as the union of a man and a woman.
🔹 Sexuality was designed to function within that covenant relationship.
💡 The biblical framework for sexuality begins not with prohibition but with God’s intentional design in creation.
The Law Given to Israel
📖 Leviticus 18:22 – “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
📖 Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman… they shall surely be put to death.”
🔎 Within the laws given to Israel, God addressed many forms of sexual immorality and clearly prohibited same-sex relations. These instructions were part of a broader call for Israel to live differently from the surrounding nations, whose practices often included behaviors that Scripture considered morally corrupt.
🔹 God called Israel to moral distinctiveness from surrounding cultures.
🔹 Sexual conduct was included in the broader call to holiness.
🔹 These commands reflected the same creation pattern established in Genesis.
💡 The law did not invent a new moral standard—it reinforced the design already established at creation.
Jesus Reaffirms the Creation Pattern
📖 Matthew 19:4–6 – “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female… For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife.”
🔎 When questioned about marriage and relationships, Jesus did not redefine God’s design. Instead, He pointed directly back to the creation account in Genesis. By affirming the union of male and female as the foundation for marriage, Christ reaffirmed the same pattern established at the beginning.
🔹 Jesus grounded His teaching in the Genesis creation account.
🔹 Christ upheld the male–female union as God’s design for marriage.
🔹 The teachings of Jesus reinforced rather than replaced earlier Scripture.
💡 Jesus consistently directed people back to God’s original design rather than reshaping it according to cultural pressures.
Paul’s Teachings in the New Testament
📖 Romans 1:26–27 – “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections… men with men working that which is unseemly.”
🔎 Paul describes how humanity’s rejection of God can lead to behaviors that depart from the natural order established in creation. His argument again returns to the idea of abandoning the design God established between men and women.
📖 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 – “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?… neither fornicators… nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.”
🔎 In this passage Paul lists behaviors inconsistent with the life of the kingdom of God. His words show that sexual morality remained an important part of Christian teaching in the early church.
The Linguistic Connection: Arsenokoitai
One of the strongest scholarly connections between the Old and New Testaments appears in Paul’s use of the Greek word arsenokoitai.
🔹 The word is formed from two Greek terms:
-
arsen – meaning male
-
koite – meaning bed or sexual relations
🔎 This exact combination closely mirrors the wording used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which prohibit a man lying with another man as with a woman.
📖 Leviticus 18:22 (Septuagint) – “meta arsenos ou koimēthēsē koitēn gynaikos”
(“with a male you shall not lie as with a woman”)
🔎 Many scholars believe Paul intentionally formed the word arsenokoitai directly from these phrases in Leviticus, linking the New Testament teaching to the earlier biblical command. In other words, Paul’s language echos the same prohibition found in the Old Testament.
💡 The linguistic evidence shows that Paul was not introducing a new concept but reinforcing the same moral teaching already present in Scripture.
Transformation Through the Gospel
📖 1 Corinthians 6:11 – “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
🔎 Paul concludes not with condemnation but with hope. Many believers in the early church had previously lived in various forms of sin, yet through Christ their lives had been transformed. The message of the gospel is that repentance and renewal are available to all who turn to Him.
💡 The Bible’s message is not simply about identifying sin—it is about offering redemption and transformation through Christ.
Why These Claims Continue to Spread Today
In recent years, claims that the Bible says nothing about abortion or homosexuality have become increasingly common in public discussion. These statements often spread quickly because they appeal to modern cultural views or because many people are unfamiliar with the biblical text itself.
📖 2 Timothy 4:3–4 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth.”
🔎 Paul warned that there would be times when people would prefer teachings that align with their desires rather than those that challenge them. When cultural values shift, there is often pressure to reinterpret or dismiss passages of Scripture that seem uncomfortable.
📖 Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
🔎 Scripture also warns about a moral reversal where truth becomes controversial and falsehood is presented as virtue. In such times, believers are called to return to the Word of God rather than relying on cultural interpretations of morality.
🔹 Cultural trends often influence how people read Scripture.
🔹 Many modern claims rely on partial readings or selective interpretation.
🔹 The best response is not argument but careful study of the Bible itself.
💡 When Scripture is read in its full context—from Genesis through the teachings of Christ and the apostles—the Bible’s message about life, morality, and repentance becomes clear.
Final Reflection – Returning to Scripture
📖 Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble… in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
🔎 The Bereans were praised because they did not accept claims blindly. Instead, they examined the Scriptures carefully to see whether what they were hearing was true. In an age where many voices speak about the Bible, the responsibility of every reader is the same: return to the Word of God and examine it honestly.
📖 John 8:31–32 – “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
🔎 The purpose of Scripture is not simply to win arguments or expose error. Its purpose is to lead people into truth and freedom through Christ. When we approach God’s Word with humility, it has the power to correct misunderstanding, convict the heart, and guide us toward a life aligned with God’s design.
📌 Am I willing to examine Scripture carefully rather than relying on popular claims?
📌 Have I allowed cultural opinions to shape my beliefs more than God’s Word?
📌 Do I approach difficult biblical teachings with humility or resistance?
📌 Am I seeking truth sincerely, even when it challenges my assumptions?
💡 The question is not whether modern voices claim the Bible says nothing about these issues. The real question is whether we are willing to open the Scriptures ourselves and see what God has already revealed.
📖 Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void.”
✝️ When we return to Scripture with humble hearts, God’s truth has the power to guide, correct, and transform us.
