Abortion
"For
Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's
womb."
Psalm
139:13
"Did
not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us
in the womb?"
Job
31:15
Katie,
a teenage girl, faces some difficult choices with her unwanted crisis
pregnancy.
When
Does Life Begin?
When
does life begin? Does it begin with conception, or at birth? Does life
begin with the first heart beat, at quickening, or when the human
fetus is capable of living outside the mother's womb? How does life
begin?
Life
begins when a human sperm and ovum, each containing 23 chromosomes,
unite to form a fertilized egg cell containing 46 chromosomes. This
single-cell contains all the DNA necessary to grow into an independent
human being. Through successive cell division, this new individual
forms. Once conception occurs, neither the mother nor the father
contributes any new cells to this unique individual.
The
tiny embryo is protected and nourished through the mother's body, but
it is distinct and separate from the mother. Although its life is
through the mother, it is not a part of the mother's body to be
removed like a tumor or a wart. By eight weeks, the embryo has
developed into a fetus which looks human, albeit extremely small and
unable to survive without the mother. True, the fetus cannot survive
without its mother's care, but neither can the newborn.
God
created all life. He made man in His image and made him superior to
all other forms of life. Each human being--including products of rape
and conception, as well as the disabled--is precious in the sight of
God. God created life at conception; therefore, God is the One to
choose when life should end. I believe in the sanctity of life for
all, and yes, I believe abortion is murder.
Despite
my strong convictions on abortion, I will never criticize or condemn a
woman who has had an abortion. No one should. Condemning a woman for
her choice only creates more problems and heartache. I will never
force another woman into a decision, but I will offer advice and
counsel as appropriate. I do believe there are alternatives to
abortion.
Most
individuals agree that abortion used solely as birth control or sex
selection is wrong, but what about difficult situations, such as rape
or incest? Should not those reasons alone warrant abortion on demand?
These are difficult situations with no easy answers. Abortion does not
solve the problem of rape or incest, and often makes the situation
worse for the victim. Only about 1 percent of abortions result from
rape or incest.
The
life of the mother is perhaps the most difficult situation of all. Who
is more important--the mother or the child? Asking it that way, I
would say the mother. It so hard to know what to do in a particular
situation, though I do not think I could willingly take the life of my
child. I know the grief I faced with my miscarriages; I do not believe
I could purposely end the life of my child in any situation.
Does
life exist in the womb? Yes. And it begins at conception. If no
fertilization occurred, no life could unfold in the form of God's
greatest creation: human beings.
Statistic
taken from "The Christian's Responsibility for Abortion" by
Randall J. Hekman (Judge, Juvenile Court, Kent County, Michigan)
