Abortion

I have read some of your articles on Abortion and found them some of the most offensive articles I have had the misfortune to read. Don’t misunderstand me, you have as much right to an opinion as I do, but I don't think you should publish yours, just like I don't publish mine.

How do you think women who have had abortions will feel having read your article? Especially the women who have had abortions after conceiving through rape? Or the women who were told their baby would be born with terrible disabilities?

As for the when a baby is considered a human life? New born babies don't become self aware until 4-6 weeks old (that's 4-6 weeks after birth).
Now if we consider the learnings of some of the Greek philosophers - who I believe pre-date that Jesus bloke - they realised that “I think, therefore I am”.

My wife had an abortion; it was a choice we made because we had both been made redundant at around the same time. Surely a big part of being a responsible parent is being able to feed and clothe your offspring?
We were going to struggle to feed and clothe ourselves, so there was no way we would have been able to bring a child in to that situation.
There are enough welfare families living in trailer parks raising 13 kids, because they’ve been told to have a choice is evil! Their mistake was believing the bile that people like you spew into the world.

As for creationism... You are fools destroying hundreds of years of scientific achievement by great scientists. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You are wilfully misrepresenting the world so that your children will grow up without a decent sense of inquiry nor an ability to think constructively.

I have read some of your articles on Abortion and found them some of the most offensive articles I have had the misfortune to read. Don’t misunderstand me, you have as much right to an opinion as I do, but I don't think you should publish yours, just like I don't publish mine.

I fail to understand the logic. What good is having an opinion if it can’t be published? Are there any other views that you would like to ban? You are free to publish your views—indeed, by sending this email you have chosen to do just that.

How do you think women who have had abortions will feel having read your article?

How do you think women feel who have been coerced into having abortions? How do women feel when they have not been counseled that abortion frequently leads to bleeding, infection, or damage to cervix or womb? How do women feel about the fact that post-abortion trauma is one of the fastest growing psychological conditions amongst women in the UK—where many women find themselves suffering from grief, regret, or anger? Make no mistake; to be pro-abortion is not to be pro-women. Half the babies aborted are female, and women undergoing abortions frequently suffer physical and psychological problems for years to come. Moreover, all the pro-life organizations that I know of in the UK work hard providing counsel and help for women, both prior to abortion—in the hope of saving both mother and child—and after abortion, without condemnation of the woman who has made the decision. I know the same attitude is true of US pro-life organizations.1

Especially the women who have had abortions after conceiving through rape?

This is an intentionally emotional argument. In fact, pregnancy after rape is extremely rare. But even in the cases where it does occur, it is no answer for the woman to be subjected to one of the most invasive and violent medical procedures. Users of the argument about abortion after rape rarely have any real concern for the woman—theirs is just a smokescreen to justify the existence of abortion. Read the moving words of Kathleen DeZeeuw.

I, having lived through rape, and also having raised a child “conceived in rape,” feel personally assaulted and insulted every time I hear that abortion should be legal because of rape and incest. I feel that we're being used by proabortionists to further the abortion issue, even though we've not been asked to tell our side.2

Or the women who were told their baby would be born with terrible disabilities?

Next time you meet up with someone disabled from birth, look them in the eyes and tell them that they should have been aborted. About nine out of ten British babies suffering from Down Syndrome are aborted.3 Such an attitude encourages society’s irrational fear of disability, as if the mother were giving birth to a “monster.” Such negative stereotypes of disability should have no place in today’s society, and certainly have no place in a biblical worldview, which sees all human life as being in the image of God. Anya Souza—a Down Syndrome sufferer—was allowed to address the 2003 International Down Syndrome Screening Conference in London. She said:

I can't get rid of my Down's syndrome, but you can't get rid of my happiness. You can't get rid of the happiness I give others either. It's doctors like you that want to test pregnant women and stop people like me being born. Together with my family and friends I have fought to prevent my separation from normal society. I have fought for my rights... I may have Down's syndrome but I am a person first. 4

As for the when a baby is considered a human life? New born babies don't become self aware until 4-6 weeks old (that's 4-6 weeks after birth). Now if we consider the learnings of some of the Greek philosophers - who I believe pre-date that Jesus bloke - they realised that “I think, therefore I am”.

This paragraph illustrates your lack of knowledge on the subject. Presumably your definition—not accepted by medical experts—would allow doctors to terminate the life of a newborn baby under four weeks old. Or is it six weeks old? Your timescale is vague. If you decide on six weeks, how will you know you got it right? In fact, your contention is false. Unborn babies can be shown to be aware of their environment long before birth. It can be shown that they react to light, and feel pain. Your lack of understanding is soundly illustrated by your contention that “I think, therefore I am” was a philosophy of the ancient Greeks, before Jesus. The phrase is actually an English translation from the Latin (not Greek) “Cogito, ergo sum,” from Discourse on Method by the French philosopher René Descartes, written in 1637—that’s about 16 centuries after Jesus. Of course, the Bible has much to say on the humanity of the unborn child in the Old Testament (now that’s before the birth of Jesus). For example, the psalmist says:

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret [a euphemism for the womb], And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth [another euphemism for the womb]. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

My wife had an abortion; it was a choice we made because we had both been made redundant at around the same time. Surely a big part of being a responsible parent is being able to feed and clothe your offspring? We were going to struggle to feed and clothe ourselves, so there was no way we would have been able to bring a child in to that situation.

I am truly sorry that your decision was brought about by your suffering. To me, this underlines the need for pro-life groups to be strong in their compassion. When I was chair of a pro-life charity, our fundraising was to supply food, clothes, baby equipment and accommodation for those who were abortion-minded because of their economic situation. And in many cases, this situation could be cause for the win-win situation of adoption. In many places around the world, there are infertile couples (and others) on waiting lists for babies.

There are enough welfare families living in trailer parks raising 13 kids, because they’ve been told to have a choice is evil!

With the greatest of respect, this is hyperbole. The mistakes of others are not there to justify our mistakes. Indeed, while your financial difficulties were real, they were not the fault of your unborn baby. In what sense does the death of a baby alleviate suffering? You may not like my comments, but I truly believe you have suffered, and urge you and your wife to seek counseling. The pro-life organizations listed in reference 1 are not there to rake over your past or cause pain. They are there to help.

Their mistake was believing the bile that people like you spew into the world.

Bile is spewed because of physical sickness. I do confess that the methods used to destroy unborn babies in their mothers’ wombs do indeed cause me to feel physically sick.

As for creationism... You are fools destroying hundreds of years of scientific achievement by great scientists. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You are wilfully misrepresenting the world so that your children will grow up without a decent sense of inquiry nor an ability to think constructively.

Now we do indeed see your heart in the matter. The hundreds of years of scientific achievement were carried out by great scientists, who, for the most part, believed the Bible to be true; scientists such as Newton, Hershel, Linnaeus, Dalton, Maxwell, Kelvin, Faraday, Boyle, Pascal, Davy and many, many more.5 And how do you expect children to grow up with a sense of inquiry if they are simply required to believe evolution to be true, despite contrary evidence? It is this site and our speakers who encourage children to think for themselves, liberating them from the oppression of indoctrination. Pride is a sin, but far from being ashamed, I gladly associate myself with the work of my colleagues around the world, who are bringing people back to a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Bible from the very first verse.

Paul Taylor, AiG–UK