In our hubris, human beings often like to think of ourselves as "above" those who came before us. We like to claim we're "more evolved" than our "primitive" ancestors, that certain practices we find barbaric are "medieval", and that those who disagree with our "progressive" beliefs are "on the wrong side of history".
Of course, Christians are not immune to this. We often look back at Adam and Eve and think we would have done better, or on the Jews in the wilderness and wonder how, with God right there as a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night, they dared to rebel? Yet, even with the fullness of God's revelations that weren't available to either, we go on repeating their sins.
Perhaps most ironic is that the Radical Left are the absolute champions of this "progressive" attitude, believing themselves to be worlds above everyone else, even claiming dissenters are "science deniers", are themselves behind the times. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than on the issue of abortion.
Scientifically speaking, we have known that life begins at conception for decades now. This has been readily acknowledged in biology textbooks and medical journals since the 60s, before abortion even became a widely defended and practiced phenomenon. Yet, to this day, abortionists continue to insist that a fetus is not a living human being, but rather, "a clump of cells".
Is it any wonder, given how far behind science abortionists are, that they would also support such ancient and barbaric practices as child sacrifice? Typically, when we look back on ancient societies, we also look down on them. What do we think of the Spartans, who would leave their weaker babies out in the wilderness for animals to prey on? How do we see the Canaanites, who would heat up altars, place their children on top of it, and use drums to drown out the screams as those children's flesh melts into the altar? Primitive, barbaric savages.
But abortion is just the removal of a clump of cells, right? Forget the fact, with our ultrasound technology, we now have the ability to watch a child scream as it dies. Never mind the readily available photos of aborted fetuses that were so clearly human, only a literal psychopath could look at it without disgust. Ignore the fact that abortion is so sickening, you can make an abortionist pro-life in under 60 seconds just by showing them a detailed animation of what happens. Basically, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
The whole "clump of cells" argument carries with it a tacit admission. Abortion thrives on ignorance, not because we, in our scientific era, have an excuse for that ignorance, but because any other argument requires a seared conscience, i.e. the kind that says "I know it's wrong, but I support it anyway", or the kind of psychopathy that would allow you to keep human body parts in your fridge, right next to the lunch meat.
Thus, the fact that abortion can only be sustained with this level of ignorance tells us that abortionists are either ignorant beyond excuse, or that they do know abortion is wrong, but support it anyway.
The tragic fact is that both are a possibility. Evil has always been sustained in those two ways. On the one hand, in the Garden, Eve was deceived. Adam, by contrast, was not, yet he still followed in the sin that brought death into our world. The bad news is, both kinds of sin bring eternal consequences with them. This is especially troubling for the latter category, for as Jesus said, "And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:47-48).
But the good news is we serve a merciful God. As Isaiah tells us, "Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6).
Abortion is one of many sins for which Christ made propitiation on the cross. Having no sin of His own, Jesus received the full wrath of God, allowing the guilty to be clear of all charges. The one and only condition is faith. All who confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in their heart God raised Him from the dead, will be saved. Abortion can be forgiven. Thus, the real progress is towards God's grace. In His eternal Kingdom, there is no death. But the rebels, who continue in their impenitence, will receive the second death. Effectively, repent of abortion, lest God abort you.