THREE ISSUES CONFRONTING US TODAY: ABORTION

Missionary David C. Bennett D. Min.

Ephesians 5:16 says "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." The days in which we live are not much different from those of days Paul, Noah, and Lot. God’s Word tells us the days of Noah and Lot were wicked days filled with materialism and sexual immorality. In Paul’s day there was also an anti-Jewish sentiment as seen from Acts 18:2 which says "And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them."

The moral issues confronting Bible preaching churches today are many but only three will be the subject of this paper. These three issues are: abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia. Homosexuality and euthanasia will be discussed in separate papers.

In our local paper, The Dubbo Daily Liberal for 17 June, 2004 the story was printed entitled MAN JAILED FOR 10 YEARS AFTER ATTACK TO ABORT HIS UNBORN SON. I wrote the following letter to the editor.

This man’s sentence was due to his crime for "maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Ms Flick." The only references to the unborn by the judge were that the woman had received a "very unusual form of injury" and the loss of the unborn was a ‘tragic demise of the foetus.’" So to the judge the unborn child was simply an "injury" and a "foetus".

The young lady was six months pregnant when this terrible act was committed. It is interesting that in NSW abortions are available up to 18-20 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy and in some cases even later. An abortionist said in a speech at Monash University on "Ethical Issues in Pre-Natal Diagnosis and the Termination of Pregnancy", 30th August 1994 that "… abortion is an integral part of family planning. Theoretically this means abortion at any stage of gestation. Therefore I favour the availability of abortion beyond 20 weeks."

The unborn was referred to six times in the article as a "child" and twice as a "baby". The question is "When did this unborn become a ‘baby’ or a ‘child’?" According to the article the unborn even had the name "Jonathan". Was this unborn only a human being at twenty weeks and one day, at conception, or was this unborn just the product of "a one night stand" and would not truly be a human being until the first breath taken outside the womb?

Was this a crime only against one person, the young woman, or was this a crime against two people with one of them dying? It depends on when a human being begins? It is important to note that it is not just life that begins at conception but a human being! The male sperm has life and the female egg has life but at fertilization there is "a new, genetically unique, newly existing, individual, whole living human being (a single-cell embryonic human zygote)." Dr. Dianne Irving in the February, 1999 International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.

That which is conceived in a woman is unique for when women fall pregnant they do not expect to give birth to a dog, a frog, or a chicken but a human being. Why? Because medical and non-medical people know each species produces after "their kind."

This was a sad case of violence not only against the woman but also against the unborn whose inability to defend its-self led to its death. Sadly in this state of NSW alone there are forty thousand legal homicides each year. This is a business for which we taxpayers pay a portion through Medicare.

The present government and the opposition do not believe this "industry" is an issue but when 100,000 Australians are legally murdered every year it should be!

Sincerely,

The one thing that will keep young girls and other women from having unwanted pregnancies is abstinence. Yes, you heard me correctly, abstinence. If you do not agree with me you are not alone. The Greens party promotes abortions by condemning abstinence. 2 June 2004 this article was on the Greens website: GREENS CALL ON HOWARD TO RULE OUT DANGEROUS 'ABSTINENCE' BASED SEX EDUCATION.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, has called on John Howard and Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, to rule out any moves toward US style abstinence based sex education.

"The Government is gearing up to provide ‘values’ education in schools. The Greens are concerned that they will once again follow the US administration down a conservative path and introduce abstinence sex education as part of this values programme," Senator Nettle said.

"With John Howard re-establishing his friendship with George W Bush this week The Greens are concerned that he may bring home the US President’s enthusiasm for an abstinence based sex education programme.

"The detail of the ‘values’ education programme announced in the budget has not yet been revealed. But we do know that a ‘just say no’ approach to drugs is part of it. The Greens are concerned that a conservative approach to sex education might be next.

"The Greens urge the government not to tamper with the sex education in our schools and jeopardise the health of Australian teenagers.

The US is at the top of the UN’s list of teenage pregnancies with 53 births per 1000 teenagers, whereas countries with open sex education and easy access to contraception in Scandinavia and northern Europe do much better. Finland has a rate of 8 per 1000, Denmark 7 and The Netherlands 5. Australia’s rate is 18 births per 1000 teenagers.

"Abstinence based sex education is a disaster in the US, and any attempt to introduce it to our public schools will be vigorously opposed.

"This government seems increasingly keen to make the next election a battle over conservative values; same sex marriage, abortion, drug prohibition and 'values' in schools. The Greens will remain in the front line of opposition against these backward policies."

It is hard to believe what I read in that last paragraph. This Greens Party may be saying something’s you agree with on a few issues but this last paragraph puts them in a field that I would not desire to go. For one thing ask your self "Do we need conservative values?" Yes we do. The liberty to live like an animal hasn’t helped society much. Can society continue to exist if same sex marriages are accepted as normal?

Abstinence would, I guarantee if followed, would drop the percentage of unwanted pregnancies and therefore homicide of the unborn. Sadly though abortion is almost a non-issue among politicians and even Bible believing preaching churches here in Australia. However, it is an issue with God. Exodus 20:13 are the very words of God where He says "Thou shalt not kill." Strong’s Concordance says this word "kill" is "to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder:--put to death, kill, (man-)slay(-er), murder(-er)."

The abortionist is a murderer! As a human the unborn child is also made in the image of God as Genesis 1:27 says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

In ALL LIFE MATTERS March – May 2002 we read on page 8 "In an interview on the 7.30 Report on 27th October 1994 Dr David Grundmann, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Australia, stated that this procedure was his "preferred method" of abortion and provided this description: "The technique that we use ensures that the foetuses are removed intact and soft tissues of the foetus protect the cervical canal and that does involve what we call cranial decompression. But it’s essentially a breeched delivery where the foetus is delivered feet first and then when the head of the foetus is brought down to the bottom of the cervical, into the top of the cervical canal, it is decompressed with a puncturing instrument, so that it fits then through the cervical opening." In his discussion at Monash University in August 1994 Grundmann listed the advantages of D & X and included "No chance of delivering a live foetus". However, he failed to add that the baby is well and truly alive until the skull is unceremoniously punctured and then crushed."

David Grundmann at a one day conference at Monash University on "Ethical Issues in Pre-Natal Diagnosis and the Termination of Pregnancy", 30th August 1994 said "It is my belief that abortion is an integral part of family planning. Theoretically this means abortion at any stage of gestation. Therefore I favour the availability of abortion beyond 20 weeks."

Extract of article by Anna Patty, Health Reporter (The Daily Telegraph, 25/10/01) "Women most commonly ask for a late termination because they have discovered the foetus has an abnormality such as Down Syndrome, spina bifida, dwarfism or other physiological defects."

The following is from (The Age, 7/7/00) Frances Allen, Kew VIC

"I also find it distressing because, although I do not suffer dwarfism, I have Turner ’s syndrome, which also causes short stature. I am not as short as people suffering from dwarfism but I am shorter than my school friends. I am 17 but about the height of a 13-year-old. I can’t believe that someone who can lead a normal, happy, healthy life could be aborted because of how they look. When I was diagnosed with Turner’s Syndrome a few years ago, I was given a book about it to read. I was absolutely shocked to read that a great number of pregnancies were aborted if found to have Turner’s Syndrome. As I was 14 when I found out, I know that I am completely normal – apart from the fact that I am extremely short. I was shocked to think that I could have been aborted. The baby that was aborted could have led a normal, happy life, and if the parents didn’t want it there would have been plenty of people willing to adopt it and bring it up as theirs. Foetuses should not be aborted due to their appearance. This baby did not have a life-threatening disease or problem – its only problem was short stature. Once born it could have led a happy, healthy life. I can’t believe that someone could have their child aborted just because of how it looked."

Here are some statistics from the NSW Right to Life are:

· There are 100,000 abortions in Australia each year.

· There are 800 abortions each week in NSW - approximately 40,000 annually.

· There are 250,000 live births each year in Australia, which means that there are 2 aborted babies for every 5 born.

· Worldwide, there are about 60-70 million abortions being carried out.

· The average age of an aborted baby is 8 weeks.

· There were only 40 adoptions in NSW in 1997.

· Abortion is a multi-million dollar industry subsidised by the Australian taxpayer.

· The top five abortionists in NSW earn $1.5 million per year from Medicare alone.

· In Australia we now have a low birth rate (zero population growth), a high abortion rate and an aging population.

· 98% of abortions are for convenience (these reasons do not include medical purposes, rape or foetal deformities).

· In South Australia only 1% of abortions are claimed for medical grounds.

· Many women who have had abortions suffer from a condition known as Post-abortion syndrome.

· In Swedish studies (where there is a long history of legal abortion and thus less social pressure to guilt), a quarter of women who had abortions had severe guilt feelings (emptiness, longing, troubled by sight of children, insomnia, breakdowns, etc.)

· In Japanese studies, 3 out of 4 women felt 'anguish' over what they had done.

"Since 1977 in excess of 60,000 abortions per year rising to a high of 100,000 in 1998, a total in excess of 1,000,000 unborn children killed."

The Right to Life web site gives the following statistics of the causes of death in Australia. Abortion 41%, Cancer 13%, Heart disease 16%, vehicle accidents 1.7%, suicide 0.9%, homicide 0.15%, pregnancy and child birth 0.01%, and infant death 1.3%.

One of the signs of the last days is this unnatural abhorrence of a mother for her unborn child. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 1 that "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." when women would be "Without natural affection" toward their children. The natural emotion is to love one’s child born or still in the womb. Abortion is nothing more than the legal murdering of the unborn. A Federal election is coming soon and abortion is an election issue! Unfortunately none of the political parties see it as such.

Now, all of this was not said to put down any woman who has had an abortion. However, the matter must be dealt with. The Bible says in 1 John 1: 8 & 9 that "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The apostle said in 1Ti 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." If God will save a man who considered himself the chief of sinners he will do the same for you. Right now tell God you know you are a sinner and that you believe Jesus Christ died to pay for your sins and you turn from your sins and turn to Him right now as your Saviour. If you do that He will save you.