News that the Marie Stopes abortion clinic is to open for business in Great Victoria Street, Belfast, next week came as a surprise to most people in Northern Ireland today.

It also precipitated an avalanche of opinion on both sides of the argument - for and against this proposed opening.

(Currently, a poll run by the Belfast Telegraph suggests opinion is almost evenly divided on this issue, with 53% opposed to the opening of the 'Marie Stopes Abortion Clinic').  

A Facebook Group, set up this afternoon to oppose the opening of this Clinic, has already attracted 1200 "likes." (Another group in support of the new clinic is only marginally 'ahead' in its number of "likes").  Significantly, many members of the latter group have 'turned up' in the former one in order to argue, agitate and abuse.  Nothing new there, then!

Important to us is .....

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Many Scripture passages teach us not to deliberately kill innocent human beings (cf. Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 6:16,17; Revelation 21:8; 22:15; Matthew 15:19,20; and Romans 13:8-10).

In addition, please consider these specific passages.

• Psalm 106:37,38: Israel was polluted with blood because the people shed the innocent blood of their “sons and daughters.”

But unborn babies are “sons and daughters.” What then is the condition of our land when over 25 million “sons and daughters” have been legally killed?

• Matthew 2:16: Herod is considered wicked because he slew the male children in Bethlehem.

Luke 2:12,16 calls such children “babes.”

But Luke 1:41,44 also calls unborn children “babes,” so how can it be acceptable to kill them?

• Hosea 13:16; 2 Kings 8:12: When children or infants are dashed to pieces, it is a great tragedy to any nation. Yet unborn babies are children or infants, and in our nation they are dashed to pieces by the millions!

• Acts 7:19; Exodus 1:16-18: Pharaoh commanded that Israelite “sons” or “men children” be killed as soon as they were born.

But these same terms are used for unborn babies. Would it have been acceptable for Pharaoh to have had abortions performed to kill the babies? Is it any less wicked if people today do it?

In the light of these Scriptures that unequivocally establish the biblical and moral perspective on this issue, we completely oppose the opening of this slaughterhouse for the unborn.  To find it located in the centre of our capital city is indescribably appalling.