Evangelical Views
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One Evangelical author, Clifford Bajema, has argued that since there are scriptural passages that use the word "man" (or the proper name of a particular man) to refer to the unborn child it follows that the fetus is an image-bearer from conception. In Bajema's view, the special status of human beings as image-bearers does not depend on capabilities such as intelligence. It is rather a gift bestowed by God. He concludes that nearly all abortion is morally impermissible.

Another Evangelical writer, Robert Wennberg, takes a different view. He believes that the individual gradually takes on the image of God after birth as he or she acquires certain natural traits and, on the basis of these natural traits, becomes capable of personal acts, responding to God, and taking responsibility before God. Only individuals who can or do develop these natural and spiritual qualities bear the image because only they can participate in God's purposes. This means, for example, that a fetus with only a brain stem is not an actual or a potential image bearer. Bajema, on the other hand, holds that such a fetus does bear the image of God.

Bajema concludes that to abort the embryo (an image bearer) is murder. Wennberg takes a more complicated position. He allows that both image bearers and potential image bearers have a right to life, but he also believes that the strength of that right increases during pregnancy and cannot be assumed to be the same as the right of an adult person. We will see later that Wennberg also believes that the rights of the mother must be considered.

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