Thinking of an Abortion? Think Again!
In parts of the world where abortion is illegal, botched abortions cause about 8 to 11 percent of all maternal deaths, or about 30,000 each year. [Source: The Atlantic] Consequently, Health Care Professionals, Women’s Rights Activists, and Politicians are campaigning for the decriminalization of abortion and expansion of the circumstances in which a woman can obtain the procedure. Circumstances include but are not limited to rape, incest, fetal abnormalities, and economic reasons. I’m a Pro-Lifer and I disapprove of abortion. However, I am not writing this to challenge your decision in case you have decided to get an abortion. I am writing to plead with you to rethink your decision, and I have four very good reasons why you should.
Life is Life regardless of Form
An embryo is not a living, breathing being is the oldest argument used for justifying abortion by people who defend it. They argue an embryo is not a person but a cluster of cells. Hence abortion is not murder. On the other hand, people who don’t approve of abortion argue otherwise. While the answer is not as simple as “yes” or “no” I believe I can answer the question in the simplest way possible. I want you to picture a seed of a bean in your mind.
A seed of a bean is not a beanstalk. Still, it has the potential to become a beanstalk because it contains life in another form. Likewise, an embryo has the potential to become a baby because it contains life in another form. In the form of a cluster of cells, in this case. It indicates life is life regardless of form. That factor is the reason why I believe abortion is murder. It’s the first reason why you must rethink your decision.
One thing those so-called, Health Care Professionals, Women’s Rights Activists, and Politicians demanding decriminalization of abortion aren’t telling you is that abortion has a psychological toll. Niki Minaj once made these remarks about the abortion she had as a teenager. “I am in favour of pro-choice. However, that decision to have an abortion has haunted me all my life!” Of course, there’s therapy but prevention is better than the cure.
Human Potential is Amazing
Many years ago, a woman considering an abortion changed her mind after becoming a Christian. She gave birth to a baby boy and raised him with the help of her parents. The father of the boy wasn’t around. She is Pattie Mallette the mother of Justin Bieber! The doctors told another woman to terminate her baby to be born because he will be born blind. She refused and gave birth to a son. Today the world knows that boy as Andrea Bocelli!
Are you still not convinced? Here’s another example. Another woman found out her unborn baby will be born with “Tetra-amelia Syndrome” (a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs.) She refused to take the easy way out and a baby boy was born. That boy is Nick Vujicic, founder of Life without Limbs, the world-renowned speaker and New York Times best-selling author.
How do you know you are not carrying a Stephen Hawking, an Oprah Winfrey, a Mark Zuckerberg, or the inventor of the cure for cancer or HIV? What if Najat Belkacem’s mother had aborted her on grounds of poverty? True, not every baby will become celebrities or creative geniuses, but they become police officers, surgeons, you name it. Human potential is amazing and it’s the second reason why you must rethink your decision.
Abortion Law can be Abused
Abortion is inherently evil but not everyone, demanding its decriminalization. They just ignorantly believe that the end justifies the means. Of course, there are occasions where an abortion might be the best solution. Perhaps the only solution, if the pregnancy puts the mother’s life in grave danger. However, every human law has loopholes and can be manipulated. It’s the third reason why you must rethink your decision.
Pro-choice advocates often scapegoat isolated incidents caused by medical mishaps to justify abortion. On May 28th, 2018, the Irish Times blamed Ireland’s abortion laws for the death of Savita Halappanavar. However, according to the correspondent herself, it was a medical misadventure that occurred when the doctors failed to recognize MsHalappanavar had a miscarriage already. Not solely because the doctors refused an abortion.
Then abortion laws can be and have been abused for conducting illegal operations. There is growing evidence that abortion clinics in the US profit illegally from the sale of fetal tissue and organs. A series of video footage taped over the course of several years, released by The Centre for Medical Progress in 2015 shows conversations between Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and CMP, which posed as a fetal tissue procurement company.
You are stronger than you Know
Steve Jobs, the Founder of Apple Inc. has said this about his birth mother in his biography, “I wanted to meet [her] mostly to see if she was OK and to thank her because I’m glad I didn’t end up as an abortion,” Jobs said. “She was 23 and she went through a lot to have me.” [Source: Live Action] Today the iPhone, the iPad, the MacBook Air and Pro, the iMac, and the iMac Pro have revolutionized the way we work among many other things.
It’s all because one woman realized she is stronger than she knew. She had the courage and the patience to bring her baby boy to this world and give him away for adoption instead of termination. If you are a woman, you are stronger than you know. Maybe you are carrying the child of your rapist in your womb. You probably conceived because you were forced into an incest sexual relationship. Maybe it was just the casual sex.
Whatever it is I want to challenge you to realize your inner strength. No matter how unpleasant life will be, you are strong enough to bring that child to this world and give him for adoption. Casual sex is a topic for another time, but be strong and say no to sex outside the marriage. You are strong not just emotionally but also physically. Childbirth can break the collar bone, the upper arm bone, the thigh bone, and even cause skull fractures. [Source: National Library of Medicine] You just don’t know how strong you are until you put your strength to the test.It’s the last reason why you must rethink your decision.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, I want to challenge all the men, both the young and the old, if you are not willing to be responsible for the child you fathered you are not fitting to be a man. If you got someone pregnant outside marriage, it’s time to stop blaming the contraceptives and “man up” yourself. Remember, Fornication and adultery are forgivable but denying responsibility is simply unforgivable. Real men always shoulder responsibility for their actions.
I also have a message for Legislators, Women’s Rights Activists, and everyone else campaigning for the decriminalization of abortion. Focus on reforming the laws governing sexual abuse of women. Not the laws governing abortion. Illegal abortion is “a problem” but it is not “the problem”. For Medical Professionals, I must say focus on expanding the medical facilities that help to save lives instead of focusing on expanding the circumstances under which you can destroy lives.
Finally, in my last point I said, if you are a woman, you are stronger than you know. I believe you can agree with me on that even if you chose to disagree with me on everything else. Therefore, I would like to close this post by sharing “Strength of a Woman” by Shaggy as a tribute to all the women and mothers around the world. Listen to this song not just with your ears but also with your heart.
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As accusations of child abuse emerge with alarming regularity across the country, Sri Lanka is experiencing a nationwide crisis of CONTINUE READING
In Sri Lanka, sex is considered taboo. Mainly because our definition of sex is narrow and limited to sexual intercourse. CONTINUE READING