This month Sen. Doug Mastriano
and Rep. Stephanie Boro wicz of Pennsylvania unveiled a “Heartbeat Bill,” which
would prohibit abortion if a fetus’ heartbeat is detected. In light of that,
I’m sharing an opinion piece I wrote that was published in Harrisburg’s Patriot News and online PennLive on
Valentine’s Day, 2019. Two people told me I had one word wrong in the article.
See if you can find that word. I’ll share it at the end of the piece.
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I’ve cuddled many newborn
babies—my own and others—so I can’t help but feel outrage at the recent passage
of a New York state law that allows abortion up to the time of birth. Other
states are considering following suit.
The Declaration of Independence
states that all people are “created equal” and born with God-given rights
including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But now fully formed
babies—tiny, helpless people—are denied those rights.
Charles
Dickens wrote “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . .” In
many ways we live in the best of times. Medical technology produces miracles.
Forty-four years ago, my only daughter died at birth. Although she weighed five
pounds, her lungs were not fully developed. Had Christy Marie been born today,
she would probably have survived and thrived.
But it
is also the worst of times because we allow babies with fully developed lungs
to be killed for the sake of convenience. People appear to be more concerned
about animals. I watched James Lankford (R – Oklahoma) address this issue in a
video. He spoke of protestors at a facility that used animals for research
chanting “Animals’ lives are their right, we have just begun to fight.”
A
Facebook “cartoon” shows a dog looking down at a baby asking, “Aren’t there any
laws to protect you?” Evidently not. Lawmakers today seem more concerned about
animals than children.
Some
justify abortion because a baby’s organs can be used for research. But at what
cost? The life of a child. Something is wrong with a society that allows the
slaughter of innocents. Each person is uniquely created by God, but we have
lost respect for life. Long and hard fights have gained respect for people of
different colors, for people with disabilities, for people of different faiths.
Now Christians are put down for fighting for the lives of babies.
The Bible
is considered irrelevant in a society that makes its own rules. We have lost
our sense of right and wrong. There is no authority; people want tolerance. But
when you tear down fences meant to protect society, that becomes intolerable.
Chaos reigns. Each man or woman does what is right in his or her own eyes. A whole
biblical book was written about a time like that. It’s called Judges. And judgment
might fall on America for this crass disregard for human life.
We have
lost our sense of wonder. The miracle of the seasons. The miracle of plant
growth. The miracle of birth. When you contemplate such miracles, you stand in
awe. We feed, clothe and care for cute little babies. We applaud their first
words and record their first steps. It’s all so wondrous. But now millions of
babies never experience such milestones.
I am not
wise enough nor credentialed enough to know how these recent laws might be
reversed. I am simply a woman, mother of two married sons, grandmother of five
with a daughter waiting in heaven. But I do know right from wrong. And I pray
those in authority will recognize the tragic consequences of enacting such
laws.
A pastor
I once worked with liked to say, “Good people, given enough time, will do the
right thing.” He is now a resident of New York. May his maxim prove true.
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The word people noticed was “might” in the sentence “And
judgment might fall on America for
this crass disregard of human life. Those who contacted me said the word should
be “will.”
Feel free to share this post. Also if you agree, contact
your state senators/representatives to support the heartbeat bill. You can
submit a form through The PA Family Institute: https://pafamily.org/rejectHR5/?eType=EmailConfirmation&eId=32616c51-8b07-4989-9a63-f10d3d1e447e
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