As I wrote that status, there was so much more I wanted to say. So much more information I wanted to share so that maybe someone who does not fully understand "what the big deal is" could see that, logically, abortion cannot be justified as anything other than killing a defenseless baby. Here is what I wrote along with a link to an article written by an abortion survivor that I'll link below:
The Gosnell trial has broken my heart while at the same time stirring up so much anger in me toward those who attempt to justify their stance that an unborn baby is not "living" or "human" and therefore has no rights. Preemies born at 25 weeks are loved, prayed for, and given amazing care in the NICU, yet a mother who decides she no longer wants her child in her 3rd trimester (or up to the point of birth in Victoria, Australia), can choose to kill a baby who, if born in a hospital the same day, would, in normal circumstances, survive. I, just like each of my mommy friends, have felt life inside of me. Each week, we have compared our unborn babies' size to fruits and poured over all the details of how our precious child is developing. Hearing James' heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I was able to see his heart pumping in an ultrasound when he was 7 weeks along. Life begins at conception and your "choice" occurs prior to that. Your child has their own body systems separate from yours. Their own blood type. Their own unique fingerprints and DNA. These facts make it undeniable to me that, no child who is conceived is an accident. God creates each child uniquely and has a purpose for his or her life. "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord" - Ps 127:3
I'd like to expand on some of the points in the paragraph above:
"those who attempt to justify their stance that an unborn baby is not "living" or "human" and therefore has no rights"
The same science that many pro-choicers use to justify their denial of God in creation and in the world around us (while still not being able to nail down a 'first cause', I might add) is hushed away when the issue of abortion is the topic of the day. It matters not that when sperm and egg unite, your baby (zygote) has a full set of 46 chromosomes, or that this baby's heart starts beating at 6 weeks gestation which is 4 weeks after conception. So for many of us, by the time you know for sure that you're pregnant, your baby's heart is pumping blood. I'm not sure about you, but that seems like a sign of life to me!
"Preemies born at 25 weeks are loved, prayed for, and given amazing care in the NICU, yet a mother who decides she no longer wants her child in her 3rd trimester (or up to the point of birth in Victoria, Australia), can choose to kill a baby who, if born in a hospital the same day, would, in normal circumstances, survive."
I know mothers whose babies were born prematurely. Their babies were loved and prayed for during their stays in the NICU. I know nurses who have spent years of their lives caring for preemies in the NICU. We have amazing medical facilities, medical professionals, medicines and procedures devoted solely to the intensive care and recovery of children born many weeks early. What is the difference between those babies and babies who are aborted at the same gestational age? Nothing! Why is it that some children are not given the same opportunity to survive that others are. These babies are being literally thrown away while other are hooked to life-saving machines and having extensive surgeries. The only difference is that one mother has decided to fight for her baby's life while the other has decided that her life/lifestyle is most important and that her baby's life is of such little worth that it can be thrown in the trash.
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| James at 20 weeks gestation |
Life begins at conception and your "choice" occurs prior to that.
When I first suspected I was pregnant with James, I took a pregnancy test. I actually ended up taking 5 in all and they were all negative. Of course my next step was to go to WebMD and try to figure out what was up and why I was having the symptoms I was having. After thoroughly scaring myself, I made an OB appointment and made sure my husband would be present so we could find out which of my WebMD self-diagnoses were correct. I went through the standard initial questions and urine sample and went back to the waiting room. Much to my surprise, the CNA came and asked me to step into the doorway of the waiting room (within earshot of my husband and another couple who were also waiting) and said words I will never forget. "Did you know you were pregnant?" I looked at my husband in disbelief and stammered "No" with a shocked smile on my face. What she said next made me stop in my tracks. "Oh! Did you wanna be?" I don't know exactly what came out of my mouth, but what went through my mind was "That is not a legitimate question." Thankfully, I quickly regained my previous shock and glee and with tears rolling down my face, Evan and I sat together and took in our new reality. To us, this was a new, and somewhat unexpected turn in our lives. We had immediately been given the most important responsibility we could be blessed with. There was no turning back. And that's the point. Once you know there is life inside of you, there should be no question as to what you will do. Your choice happened at least 4 weeks before that moment. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, actually I'm not, please feel free to be offended, but if you didn't want a baby, weren't "ready", had goals that could be derailed by having a child, already had more children than you could handle, etc., don't have sex! I'm serious. It's not that difficult. Ladies and gentlemen, abstinence is the only contraceptive that works 100% of the time. Plus, God truly blesses those who choose to obey His Word and wait until marriage. If you choose to have sex before you're "ready" to have a baby, be a responsible adult/teenager and keep your baby. If keeping your baby after he or she is born is not possible or not best for your child, please consider putting them into a loving home with a family who longs to have a child and who will bring them up in a solid, stable home. Families like this wait years to be able to have a child to adopt. I am so overwhelmed at the bravery and selflessness of mothers who have their baby and allow a family to adopt him or her to give them a better life. It is a beautiful, wonderful thing.
I, just like each of my mommy friends, have felt life inside of me. Each week, we have compared our unborn babies' size to fruits and poured over all the details of how our precious child is developing. Hearing James' heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I was able to see his heart pumping in an ultrasound when he was 7 weeks along.
My son's kicks were so strong in my second trimester and only got more and more vigorous as the weeks went on. He was definitely living while he was in my belly. I have videos of my pregnant belly moving around like a water bed to prove it! There was no doubt in my mind throughout my entire pregnancy that my baby was a human. We picked out names early and called him by it as soon as we knew he was a boy. He was never just a fetus. He was James.
Your child has their own body systems separate from yours. Their own blood type. Their own unique fingerprints and DNA. These facts make it undeniable to me that, no child who is conceived is an accident. God creates each child uniquely and has a purpose for his or her life.
It's true! A child has their DNA intact before the mother knows she is pregnant. DNA which determines every tiny detail about this tiny person. Their gender, eye color, and nose shape is all coded and determined before the mother has a positive pregnancy test. This is a person. A person with a separate body from their mother. It's amazing! Their blood is completely separate from their mothers. This baby's tiny heart pumps its own blood! This baby's body is not a part of the mother's body. They are separate entities connected by an umbilical cord. God intentionally created this little person with the precision and detail that a craftsman creates a masterpiece. He has a plan for him or her. In Jeremiah 1:5, God explains to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." How powerful is that? No matter whether or not your parents intended to conceive you, YOU WERE FORMED BY GOD HIMSELF! You were not an accident. This has been a powerful truth for me to understand. No baby is an accident. God is forming each child in his mother's womb for a purpose.
In closing, I'd like to say that I feel that Abortionists like Gosnell, many times, prey on scared, uninformed women who do not know the facts about what they are about to do. Many of these women feel that their lives will be ruined if they choose to have a baby that was unplanned. Can I please say that a baby will not ruin your life. Your attitude and reaction to whatever trials you face in life will determine where your life goes. Bitterness and resentment, no matter what the cause, will ruin your life. Please don't blame an innocent child. The joy and love a child brings far outweighs that physical and emotional strain of motherhood.
I personally, applaud all mothers who have chosen adoption for their child over abortion as well as hard-working mothers who have kept their babies and are fighting to make a good life for their child. You are truly strong women. Friends, we must share the information we have with the world around us. We must support and encourage women who need our help and we must make our world a place in which abortion is not an option.
Check out these links:
Life United - Videos, information and resources:
http://www.lifeunited.org/
Mayo clinic on a baby's development week by week:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-care/PR00112
Abortion statistics:
http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces/family_planning_abortions.html
