Is 'My Body, My Choice' Biblical?

For years, pro-abortionists have argued, "My Body, My Choice." The premise behind such an argument is that a person has total sovereignty over his or her body. Nobody else has any claim. Based on this belief, no person or government can force another to do things or prevent things that involve the body. If this warrant is valid, then no person but the mother should say what happens to the mother's body. But the argument fails to apply to the baby; thus, suggesting the mother has sovereignty over the baby's body too, deciding whether the baby lives or dies. And recently, the same warrant has been invoked in the COVID immunization mandate arguments. But is the warrant valid? More importantly, is the warrant biblical?    

Before moving to the question, we must understand the premise of a warrant.  

According to Annette Rottenberg, the warrant is "an assumption, a belief we take for granted, or a general principle" (Structure of Argument, 1994, 114). She continues, "All our claims, both formal and informal, are grounded in warrants or assumptions that the audience must share with us if our claims are to prove acceptable" (114). The warrant--expressed or unexpressed--serves as the bridge between the claim and the various support or evidence. 

For example, suppose Sally does not want to get the COVID vaccine (the support). In that case, she can claim that the government does not have the authority to mandate a COVID vaccine (the claim), but the claim is accepted based on the warrant that it's Sally's body and, therefore, Sally's choice. But what if the necessary warrant was instead: My Body, Lottery Choice? In this case, it wouldn't matter what Sally wanted because a random lottery would decide who would be vaccinated. The support would be irrelevant to the claim based on a different warrant.  

In addition, the same warrant can be used to bridge supports to many claims. The "my body, my choice" warrant is being used to make claims about both abortion and COVID mandates. But there's more. Welfare or unemployment check recipients could also use the warrant to reject mandatory drug testing. "You can't tell me what I can or can't do to my body with drugs. My body, my choice!"   

But we haven't questioned the warrant. What does the Bible say? (The warrant here is that the Bible is true, authoritative, and the Word of God.) Is a Christian (or anyone for that matter) utterly sovereign over her or his body?  

1 Corinthians 3:23 says, "you belong to Christ." Romans 8:8-11 argues the same, indicating that those who are dead to sin and alive in Christ belong to Christ. James 4:13-17 rebukes the readers for thinking they can make a single decision about life outside of God's sovereignty. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "You are not your own, for you were bought at a price." Therefore, the Bible shows us that God has sovereignty over our bodies, and he makes the choices for our bodies. Case in point: God has repeatedly indicated that our bodies should not have sex outside of marriage, and doing otherwise is in violation of God's instruction.   

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 7:4 says, "A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, the husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does" (CSB). The idea here is that the marriage vows to become one flesh and give one another to each other also means each person has a say and provides the choice over the body of the spouse.  

Christians are also instructed to submit to governments in every case that does not violate God's mandates. Romans 13:1-4 says, 

"Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God's servant, the avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong" (CSB). 

Obviously, there is a time and place to stand against a corrupt government and trust God with the results. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tossed into a blazing furnace for not worshiping a statue of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3). In that case, submission to the earthy king would be sinful against God. Darius threw Daniel into a den of lions for praying to God (Daniel 6). Peter and John refused an order to stop preaching the gospel (Acts 4). Stephen refused to recant before the High Priest (Acts 7). But there is also a time and place to submit to the government. This post is not arguing for either, but pointing out that God uses his sovereignty over man to place sovereign authority in governments over people.  

The Bible shows us that we are not as sovereign over our bodies as we want to think. But also, don't take this to be a claim about abortion or vaccine rights. It's not. Instead, see that it's time Christians stop appealing to the warrant, "My body, my choice," and instead seek a different bridge from support to claim. This warrant is not as true as we might think in our own eyes, and Christians should stop proclaiming it.