I recently posted the above video on my Facebook account. One of my oldest and dearest friends offered her viewpoint of the video and I think that the conversation which will result can be one of controversy and a challenge to both of our ways of thinking (let me add that Rebecca and I both have a huge amount of respect for one another and I'm excited about what else she has to say). SO, this is where I ask for your input. I'll copy and paste the beginning of our thoughts and you can fill in the rest.
PLEASE, be respectful. I know this issue is big and we've all minded our Ps and Qs when I've brought it up before; so I would appreciate the same attitude this time around. Instead of entering your thoughts on abortion without a moment's hesitation, I recommend that you DO hesitate, watch the video (it's in two parts), listen to this amazing woman and then, after you've searched your heart, let me know how you feel. Love you, readers!!
Rebecca: "I hate abortion. I hate it. However, I would rather see a baby die in the womb than be raised by the state, or by a family that beats and molests them. Make no mistake, these babies are not wanted by their parents. As horrible as that is to think about, I do appreciate the element of mercy in abortion that spares these poor babies from enduring a life of rejection and hardship. Judge me if you will, but I believe that. I am not sure what the answer is to the abortion epidemic. It's ugly and murderous. I love my kids, but I would rather kill them myself than put them in the wrong hands where they will suffer forever because they are unwanted."
Sarah: "Thanks for your input, Rebecca! I love it when you comment on my stuff with your challenging viewpoints. Really, I do. I totally understand where you're coming from and I can see why you would feel that way. Actually, at first I was like, "Rebecca makes an amazing point and I have nothing to say back." But then, after I brushed my teeth (which is a prime time for me to think, btw) I began to remember all of the things that God did in the life of that amazing woman. And I also thought of all the things He does for anyone who endures suffering and pain. Of course, it is an automatic reaction for us to want to avoid pain and suffering in any degree and to protect any child from a lifetime of hardship. But, if Jesus promised us anything He promised us that we would be hated, that life will SUCK sometimes, that pain goes hand in hand with breathing, that suffering cannot be avoided AND that He is with us through every second of every minute of every hour of every day, teaching and comforting and making everything work for our good. Pain is not lost on Him. He knows suffering more than any of us could imagine. So, would it be better to snuff out a life because the chances of pain and a hard life are a reality? Or do we trust Jesus and His ways and His LOVE and His ability to rescue any child from the grips of Satan? Do we justify abortion and say, “At least they won’t know pain.” or be the hands and feet of Jesus as we reach out with unconditional love to those who have both been victims of abortion (I’m not just talking about the baby, here) and are born into this world of sin and despair? After all, babies born to the most responsible and loving parents will and could still endure their days in the shadow of pain, abandonment, and affliction. Should they have been aborted? No. No. No. No. There is no easy answer to this abortion epidemic. Obviously, the only answer is Jesus. But, we must be realistic, not everyone will accept His gift of salvation. Instead, I believe with my whole heart that we need to remain firm in our convictions and hold close to the Bible when it says that murder is wrong. Then, in the face of a fallen world, we need to trust Jesus and know that He holds each life in His tender, compassionate and loving hands. And He is asking that a life be allowed to exist so that He can be glorified in that life redeemed."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
♥ LIFE. life. life. life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
I completely agree that some people should die rather then raise the precious gifts of children.
However killing those children before they have a chance to make their difference known should not be an option. So many people who have made a difference for pure good in this world were raised by horrifically despicable people, and yet if those people had been murdered in the womb and never came to be, they would never have changed what they did.
I know a few friends of mine that come from such horrible backgrounds, and by God's grace and their own gumption they triumphed over that beginning and are beautiful people.
No human being has the right to decide whether an innocent should live or die.
As humans we are created in the image of God himself, we are special. And as special creations, unlike any other heartbeat on earth, we have a beautiful prerogative; Intelligent LIFE!
The thing is, as soon as we get started deciding we have the right to mercy-kill, we start down a horrible road of murder in the womb (abortion), murder in the first few minutes of birth, murder of an older person, a sick person (euthanasia), a mentally or physically different person.... the list can go on.
For if we say that one way of murder, i.e. abortion, is fine and allowed to be legalized then how do we draw the line there? One could argue that genocide could in some way be legalized as well.
And in actuality abortion has become a genocide. The genocide of unborn people.
The babies murdered by abortion have been discriminated against by people who don't value the babies lives more then their own agenda. Sound like the WWII holocaust?
Mass murder is wrong.
I would NEVER be able to have an abortion....never.
But I do think its a choice every woman should be able to make.
After seeing what some people do to babies, I cant help but ask, if they didnt want them, then why not just abort them....then again, why not prevent the pregnancy in the first place.
I know this topic was brought up before, but I'm not sure this has added anything additional to the argument.
After watching the video, I still believe that a woman needs to have the right to abort a fetus. Period.
I would agree with Rebecca, in that I'd rather keep the child from having any sort of horrible life. The pregnancy would be my problem--not someone else's to take care of.
Sure... some great folks have come from those parents who were downright abusive. But then again, there were that many more folks who slumped into a deep depression, committed suicide, turned into abusers themselves, or just led absolute normal lives. I think it's unfair to place this basis solely on Jesus Christ and faith.
As for not preventing the pregnancy in the first place (aside from rape issues), I'd love to see how many people out there are remaining abstinent until marriage (and are having sex for the sole purposes of procreating... no pleasure involved here... probably slim few!).
When faced with certain situations, sometimes the unknown doesn't hold weight.
I've been in this situation... and I've readily chosen abortion. When you aren't ready... you aren't ready. Since it's my body and my resulting spawn, I'd like to have the right to govern my own body.
Well said, Sky! I absolutely agree with what you wrote- I was going to formulate a comment of my own, but you took the words out of my mouth.
This part especially:
"The thing is, as soon as we get started deciding we have the right to mercy-kill, we start down a horrible road of murder in the womb (abortion), murder in the first few minutes of birth, murder of an older person, a sick person (euthanasia), a mentally or physically different person.... the list can go on."
It is a horrific, slippery slope. How arrogant of us to think we have the right to say who gets a chance to live and who dies.
Echoing what Gianna said in the video- yes, it may be the mother's body, but where are the baby's rights??
I find it interesting that those who support "choice" do not think of the unborn child's choices...also it is very interesting that we deceive ourselves by calling it a "fetus" instead of what it truly is....HUMAN DNA....from the point of conception the DNA is HUMAN and has UNIQUE patterns that make it different from anyone else...the CHILD could be the next Mozart, Einstein, Rosa Parks etc. all who faced adversity but overcame and made history...made a difference.... just food for thought, and scientifically you can't dispute that the cells hold HUMAN DNA....just sayin'
~j~
This topic is very near and dear to my heart. I am an RN and I work at a crisis pregnancy center. I have spent a lot of time and energy researching abortion, fetal development, and post abortion syndrome. I know that when you are faced with an unplanned pregnancy you have to make a choice and that choice is not easy. No matter what you choose your life will be forever changed. You think that if you choose abortion, it is the easy way out. You won't have to go through pregnancy, you won't have to take care of a child. Those things are true, but your life will change nonetheless. You cannot take away the fact that you carried a life within you. Often at first all you will feel is relief that you have taken care of the "problem." Sometimes people experience emotional problems (such as depression, guilt, nightmares, relationship problems) as soon as they go through with the procedure and sometimes it takes years for your emotions to catch up with you.
Or maybe you choose to carry the pregnancy to term and parent your child. Your life will certainly get harder! You will be up at all hours of the night. You will change hundreds of dirty diapers and have to learn to put someone else's needs above your own. But you will also experience joy and love that you cannot experience any other way.
Or maybe you make the incredibly hard choice of adoption. Most pregnant women will not even consider this option. It would be too hard to carry a baby and then give him/her to someone else to raise. But if you do make this choice, it almost always turns out to be a positive experience for the child, for the adoptive family, and for you in the end. You do not have to parent a child when you are not ready, yet neither do you have to end a life.
I have been in a room with women who have been faced with this choice, and I know how difficult it can be. Often you are being pressured from those you love to make a certain decision and you don't want to let them down. You feel that all of your choices are bad choices and you just don't want to have to think about it anymore.
B
ut I want you to know as well just what you are carrying. Not only is it human DNA as mentioned above, it is living human DNA. A baby's heart beats by 5 weeks, 5 days after your last period (LMP) (only 3 weeks 5 days after conception). By 6 weeks LMP you can see that heartbeat on an ultrasound screen. By 8 weeks the baby is moving his/her arms and legs. By 11 weeks he/she is jumping up and down. Also by 11 weeks, every structure is in place in the baby's nervous system to enable that child to feel pain. By 14 weeks you can start to see facial features. By 16 weeks the baby's sex can often be determined. By 24 weeks, often a baby can be saved if they are born.
Yet even though it is obvious that this is a life, in America a woman still has a right to make a choice to end that life. It is said that it is your body and you should have the right to make decisions regarding your own body. I agree with that statement, but the problem is that it is not a part of your body. Yes, it is in your body, but it is a different entity altogether. That child has it's own completely seperate blood supply. His/her blood type may even be different from yours. His heart beats at a different rhythm than your own. Yes, at the beginning he does depend on you to live and grow, but given a short amount of time, he will live completely on his own not attached to his mother at all.
So if you are faced with this dilema, please take the time to learn the facts and really think about the decision you have to make. Once the decision is made to abort, you cannot ever go back. Though you did not intend to get pregnant, you still did make a choice that allowed that pregnancy to happen. And the result of that choice is a human life.
Post a Comment