When you woke up this morning, you probably took a look at yourself in the mirror. While this could be a ghastly experience for some of us, I dare say that you did not peer at your reflection and ponder whether or not you are truly a "person". Some things we just take for granted as true. What makes you a person?
When Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority opinion for the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, he left an interesting loophole that is still being debated today. He stated that "(If the) suggestion of personhood [of the preborn] is established, the [abortion rights] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment." You see, it was very challenging for all pro-abortion parties involved to invent some sort of Constitutional right to abortion. Their strategy was to claim that prosecuting someone for having or performing an abortion was a violation of that person's right of due process as preserved in the 14th amendment. A "right to privacy" was newly established. Now, we could discuss all day the fallacies of such an argument; namely that there are thousands of laws restricting private acts already on the books. For example, some men like to privately prey on women or privately produce child pornography, but this is restricted by law. Is abortion merely nothing more than a private decision with which the government should not interfere?
I'm a libertarian at heart. I passionately believe in personal liberty and limited government, but as someone once said, "Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose!" Reason just screams out that ending the life of a child does not fall under the category of a lawfully protected privacy. The 1973 Supreme Court knew this, so their only way to manipulate the law was to declare the fetus a non-person. One has to wonder what could motivate a grown-up to declare war on an innocent baby. Though Justice Blackmun spent his remaining court tenure and retirement defending his position, his wording in the written opinion reveals something about the moral dilemma he and the other 6 majority justices had to face.....IF personhood is ever established, then clearly abortion IS murder.
There is a movement now, which I wholeheartedly support, to add Human Life Amendments to state constitutions, as well as one to our U.S. Consitution. These amendments would officially establish "personhood" for the unborn. Then, according to Justice Blackmun's own words, the case for legal abortion would immediately collapse.
I pray this comes to pass, and I praise God for the people who are behind it. I myself have signed petitions, written lawmakers, distributed information, and done all I can to see this happen. What upsets me, is the mere fact that this is even an issue. There was abundant evidence presented at the Roe trial that clearly showed fetal development and personhood. We positively know that a baby, though snuggled away (safely?) in his mother's womb, has his own DNA and blood type. He has a heartbeat and brain waves. Unlike a tumor or piece of tissue, the unborn child responds to stimulation, kicks and squirms, hiccups, and even sucks his thumb! Unborn babies can be diagnosed, treated, and operated on while still in the womb. We have a federal law which recognizes a "child in utero" as a legal victim (Laci and Connor's Law).
Legally, scientifically, medically, and can I say, obviously....every single shred of evidence points to personhood! There is no debate. It's almost as ridiculous as having to pass a law stating that the sky is blue or the grass is green. It reminds me of the 13th elevator floor. Superstitious people don't want to live on it, so hotel owners just call it "14", even though it rises 13 floors from the basement. Is reality changed by the new name? Certainly not, and neither does the unborn child become a non-person because the Supreme Court stated so in an opinion.
Applying the fickle standard of "wantedness" to life may have begun with abortion, but as many predicted, it hasn't stopped there. What about the aged, the incurably ill, the insane? What seemed unthinkable only a few decades ago, is now happening. The simple Christian virtue of caring for the fatherless and the weak, has changed into nursing homes and forced starvation of the infirmed such as Terri Schiavo. What began with the likes of Dr. Jack Kevorkian as the "right to die", is now morphing into the "duty to die" for those who are old, sick, or unproductive. As Dr. Leon Kass said, "We are already witnessing the erosion of our idea of man as something splendid or divine, as a creature with freedom and dignity. And clearly, if we come to see ourselves as meat, then meat we shall become."
Life as a piece of meat means that we are nothing more than a clump of cells on an evolutionary journey, competing for survival with cruel forces of nature. This is exact opposite of being a created, human, divine image-bearer. When we begin to cull our unborn humans because they are inconvenient or too expensive, then naturally the next step will be to cull out already born humans for the same reasons. And the obvious question is, "Who decides who gets culled?" You might think you're pretty clever and handy, but what does your neighbor think about you? And what does your government think about you? Do you cause a kink in the chain of society?
In this brave new world, the definition of wantedness will change from judge to judge as it is deemed to benefit the overall good of society. So what can we do? Well, my adivce is simple. Stop aging. Stay healthy. Act smart. Be productive. Look attractive. Avoid accidents and illnesses. Don't think too hard.
The situation might look grim, but I am reminded of the words of a great Christian heroine, Corrie ten Boom, a true defender of life:
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.If you look within, you'll be depressed.But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."
For the babies,Tara Stringer and the LMO Staff
1 comment:
I always anticipate your newsletter. You always cause me to think. I am so thankful for the work you do through the LMO center and more importantly that you are my friend. I hope this years bottle drive is the best yet!
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