BABY-KILLING

ABORTION

by

John Roberts (2006)

" But whoso shall offend one of these little ones,

which believe in me, it were better for him that

a millstone were hanged about his neck and that

he were drowned in the depth of the sea."*

*Matthew, Chapter 18, verse 6.

I am one of those strange people who delight in the sight of a little baby, perhaps four or five months of age, looking around at this strange new world. It is a picture of innocent wonderment. At this age, babies are responding to the promptings and smiles of their parents, who generally derive much happiness from the day-to-day progress, revealed by the coy smiles and little cooings of their baby. This is their reward for the devotion which they pay to the little one.

When the first cell divides, following the fertilization of a human embryo, the process commences which eventually leads, in the majority of cases, to the birth of a child. If I understand aright: after a few weeks in the womb, the foetus is beginning to reveal characteristics which show that it is forming a human body. If all goes well, it soon begins to move about in the womb and the child's heart beat is detectable. After four or five months, the mother-to-be is thrilled to notice that the child is moving freely and beginning to kick and exercise itself, as far as it can. But, we are told by those, in authority, that at this stage, this is not a human-being. This thing, which is causing such strange changes in the mother's body, is still not recognizable, in a legal sense, as an individual, entitled to the rights and privileges normally afforded by society to a child from the moment of birth

.

It is well known, that up to five-months or so in the womb, foetuses are commonly aborted in legal operations, performed by qualified medical personnel. This is considered to be a matter that comes within the control of the mother-to-be. It is for her to decide, whether or not, she wishes to carry the child to its birth. She is to be the arbiter of life or death in the case of this child in her womb. If she decides to abort the child, she will be aided and abetted, in this killing, by the skilled medical staff at the clinic. As a fully-grown human being, she is entitled to every consideration, to ensure that her life is not endangered. But the life and rights of the growing child are to be disregarded.

A foetus of three or so months, is in no position to argue its own case. It remains a silent witness to its own murder. Yes, friends, deliberately induced abortion is, undoubtedly, murder. It is plucked out of the womb and thrown into the garbage or incinerated. Those involved in this practice will affirm that, in many instances, the child is healthy and fully formed: quite clearly a little individual: its sex well determined. Sometimes, when removed, it shows certain signs of life, until its inevitable end. How, then, can this not be said to be a human-being?

How callous the attitude of abortionists to the situation of these tiny babies. Are they unable to envisage the continuing growth of the little thing? In a few short months, if allowed to remain secure in the womb, it would be born and revealed to its parents and the world, as an object of beauty and adoration, in spite of the momentary woes and the material difficulties which it brings with it.

How many millions of little souls are projected into the spirit-world, each year, as a result of these ill-judged activities. They are sacrifices, made at the altar of human selfishness and ignorance. One could not criticize a decision made on medical grounds, which might indicate grave danger to the mother's health or the likelihood of a child being born into the world, suffering from some serious physical defect. In such cases, an early abortion seems necessary and I would certainly have no argument against such proceedings.

There are many people alive today, or who have lived full and often happy lives, who would not have survived into infancy, had their own parents been able to take advantage of the abortion facilities, available to the present generation. They would undoubtedly have been aborted at the earliest opportunity, as in Western Societies, children have not always been welcome. In spite of the affluence of the West, selfishness and ignorance combine to persuade potential parents to deny their role in bringing children into the world. They will still enjoy their sex life, however, and if the wife should be so unfortunate as to fall pregnant, she can go off to the abortionist. Get rid of it! Discard a precious life!

The disturbing feature of this sordid practice is that it is the medical profession, sworn to uphold and protect human life, which is guilty of the greatest crime: guilty of mass-murder. Yet, what is Society doing about it? Of course, absolutely nothing! In the USA, many hysterical opponents of abortion have resorted to serious violence to make their objections known. This has not changed anything. The slaughter of babies continues.

How can we educate both the medical authorities and ordinary people, regarding the sanctity of human life? I believe sincerely in this principle and, particularly so, in the case of the innocent and the helpless. ,The human spirit is created at the moment of conception and it is from this very moment that, that mysterious power, directs the development and growth of this single, fertilized cell, into a living, growing and cogitating human being. Nobody has access to this knowledge: no-one can plumb the depths of this continuous miracle. No-matter what the extent of the growth of human knowledge, regarding genetic processes, and this, in itself, is miraculous. It merely reveals to men the depth of their own ignorance. No man is in a position to claim that this living foetus does not become a human being, until it reaches a particular stage of development. This is merely a device to avoid facing the fact: that to kill a living foetus is to murder a baby. For the child is a baby, notwithstanding the fact that it may only be three or four inches long: notwithstanding the fact that it is sleeping and unable to communicate with the outside world.

Perhaps one day this message may take root in the hearts and minds of those, who are in a position to do something to limit and control the number of abortions which take place in our world. We need to limit population growth. That can only be done by an intelligent use of birth-control devices, which are available to most advanced peoples. We cannot morally do so by the use of the scalpel of the baby-killer. This method is cowardly, callous, inhuman and wicked in the extreme.

My view of a woman, who is pregnant, is that she is the custodian of her developing foetus. She had no active part in the process of its creation, other than to engage in sexual intercourse with a man, whether he be her husband or otherwise. She certainly does not possess the right or power of life and death over the little one and no responsible society should be prepared to endow her with such a legal right. The decision should not be hers, unless the circumstances are exceptional.

Those of you who work in baby-killing clinics, must surely be aware of the extreme sordidness of the activity in which you are daily engaged. As intelligent people, you should understand that what you do, unless warranted for urgent medical reasons, is contrary to the moral law and also to the Divine Law. Your conscience will operate to inform you of this fact.

There comes a time in all our lives, usually at the end, when we have to face the product of our own individual activity in this world. If we can honestly affirm that, in spite of shortcomings and the inevitable failings of this life, we have done our best to leave the world a better place, then all is well. We can look forward to a new life in the “world of spirit”, in which we may, perhaps, continue to be of use. If, however, our recollection is of a life spent in the relentless accumulation of material wealth: if we have preyed upon our fellows, in spite of our calling to nobler action and in defiance of our better instincts, then the outlook will, necessarily be bleak. If we have spent much of our time in the destruction of innocent life, without cause, I do not think that our introduction into the world of spirit will be a happy one.

This, of course, is no part of an argument against abortion. However, it might be to your moral and spiritual advantage, the next occasion on which you are called upon to eradicate a life, if you give some consideration to the gravity of the action which you propose to undertake.

Every living soul on this Earth at the present time and who has ever lived in the past, commenced life as a single cell. For whatever reason, we survived the difficult and hazardous months in the womb, to enjoy the privilege of living and growing-up as human beings. We possess the gift of life: that most precious and indefinable quality. We all are able to look and listen: to observe and ponder these wondrous mysteries. Why or how this should be, we cannot know, nor can we begin to conceive the source of this knowledge. Nor, indeed, do we know just when we will be called to depart hence. We have no say in the matter.

That we have been created to experience life, is evident from our very existence. Let us determine that we shall be slow, indeed, to deny another soul the potential experience of living in this world. Nor do we know just what we are destroying: another Michelangelo or a Mozart in embryo? Another Francis of Assisi?

Ah! What a weighty responsibility we have incurred!

John Roberts, 29th August l998.

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