---
title: "The unborn bear the image of God, so abortion is murder — a different category than 'a hard choice'"
description: "The prohibition of murder and its penalty are grounded in the image of God (Gen. 9:6), which every human bears from the beginning — not conferred at birth, viability, or a heartbeat. Scripture consistently treats the unborn as persons: knit and known in the womb (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5), called a…"
type: "argument"
id: "arg-image-of-God"
category: "Scriptural"
mode: "Offensive"
source_url: "https://www.abhortion.org/arguments/arg-image-of-God.html"
---

# The unborn bear the image of God, so abortion is murder — a different category than 'a hard choice'

**Category:** Scriptural · **Mode:** Offensive · the positive case

## The argument

The prohibition of murder and its penalty are grounded in the image of God (Gen. 9:6), which every human bears from the beginning — not conferred at birth, viability, or a heartbeat. Scripture consistently treats the unborn as persons: knit and known in the womb (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5), called a 'baby' with the same word used of newborns (Luke 1:41-44), and protected by full 'life for life' justice when killed (Ex. 21:22-25). If the unborn is a human image-bearer, abortion is the killing of an innocent person, and the only faithful legal response is equal protection.

## Supporting points

- Genesis 9:6 grounds lethal justice for murder in the image of God, a universal (pre-Israel) command given to Noah.
- Exodus 21:22-25 applies the 'life for life' penalty to the death of a child in the womb.
- Luke 1:41-44 uses brephos ('baby') of the unborn John — the same word for the newborn Jesus (Luke 2:12).
- Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5, and Psalm 51:5 locate continuous personal identity before birth and from conception.

## Discussion questions

1. What single question decides whether abortion is murder — and does Scripture leave it unanswered?
2. If image-bearing is the ground of protection, when does a human begin to bear God's image?

## Source transcript

Drawn from Does the Pro-Life Movement Hate Justice? (T. Russell Hunter, 'Justice Alone') — The 'consistent' case: Gen 9:6 + Ex 20:13 + Ex 21:22-25 + Lev 20..

## References

- [When Human Life Begins — 'a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism'](https://acpeds.org/when-human-life-begins/) _(medical position statement)_
  American College of Pediatricians · ACPeds
  **Supports:** corroborates the biology of a distinct human organism from fertilization
- [The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology ('a zygote is the beginning of a new human being; human development begins at fertilization')](https://www.princeton.edu/~prolife/articles/embryoquotes.html) _(embryology textbook)_
  Keith L. Moore & T.V.N. Persaud (compiled) · Saunders/Elsevier
  **Supports:** standard embryology: a new human being begins at fertilization

## Related

**Related scriptures:**

- [Genesis 9:6](../scripture/genesis-9-6.md)
- [Exodus 21:22-25](../scripture/exodus-21-22-25.md)
- [Psalm 139:13-16](../scripture/psalm-139-13-16.md)
- [Luke 1:41-44](../scripture/luke-1-41-44.md)
- [Jeremiah 1:5](../scripture/jeremiah-1-5.md)

**Related arguments:**

- [The science of embryology says a new human being exists from fertilization](arg-embryology-conception.md)
- [“The unborn is not a baby or a person until birth (or until viability); personhood is…”](def-not-a-person-until-birth.md)
- [“The early embryo is merely a clump of cells or a 'potential' human, not an actual human…”](def-clump-of-cells.md)