Many Americans likely think that abortion is a modern issue over which Christians are rather evenly divided. With A Love for Life, Dennis Di Mauro overturns this notion by demonstrating that Christianity has historically taken a very strong pro-life stance with regard to abortion. As a doctoral student in church history, Secretary of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and President of Northern Virginia Lutherans for Life, the author is well-qualified to write this book.
Many will be surprised to discover that abortion is nothing new. Ancient peoples knew very well how to destroy the life of a human being while still in the womb. Ancient doctors had chemicals or drugs that could be given a woman to end the life of a pre-birth baby. Di Mauro shows that the earliest Christians maintained the deep reverence for the sanctity of human life as articulated in the Old Testament and, as a result, prohibited the use of such life-destroying drugs. The biblical authors believed that God was personally involved in the shaping of life in the womb, and that even before birth, God had specific plans and purposes for those little human beings made in his image.
This consistent love for pre-born human life was maintained throughout the patristic, medieval, and Reformation periods. Indeed, it was only in the middle of the 20th century that pro-choice Christian groups emerged. Based on the historical evidence cited in earlier chapters, Di Mauro makes the case that such groups have made a strong break with the historic pro-life position of the Christian church. He shows that Christians today are not as evenly divided over abortion as many may think by providing data which indicates that over 70% of Christians worship in pro-life denominations or churches. Di Mauro rounds out the book by calling pro-choice Christian groups and denominations back to the historic pro-life position of the Christian faith. This is an all-important book that will hopefully aid the church in strengthening its biblical and historical pro-life position.