The impenitent will perish eternally. For the Bible warns, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers not male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

2. The Bible teaches that human life is a gift of God (Acts 17:25, 28). Only God (Deuteronomy 32:39, Psalm 31:15, Psalm 90:3, Genesis 9:5-6) and his appointed representatives (i.e., the government - Romans 13:4) have the right to end life. Human life begins at conception (Psalm 51:5). Abortion is therefore the taking of a human life and is forbidden by the fifth commandment.

In 1979 the WELS adopted a resolution which says "our synod has historically testified against abortion, except when it is medically necessary to save the life of the mother." In pregnancies which encounter serious difficulties the normal course of action would be to do everything possible to save both lives. In very rare cases a doctor and a woman and her family might be confronted with a case in which they were convinced that there is compelling evidence that, at most, only one of the two lives can be saved. In such cases they would have to decide on a course of action which would enable them to save one of the two lives in jeopardy. Even in such cases a mother might choose the course which would pose greater risk to her than to her child in the hope of saving her child. She would have to make her decision based on the best advice she could get and on her own conviction.