Children...
Things We Throw Away?
by
Melody Green Sievright
“Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
Micah 6:7
Just when does an unborn baby become a “real person”? Science tells us that when the 23 chromosomes of the sperm unite with the ovum’s 23 chromosomes, a new 46 chromosome cell is formed. When this process (fertilization) is complete, a new human being exists. This cell is a complete genetic package programmed for development into a mature adult. Nothing will be added except time and nutrition. It’s been medically proven that the baby’s heart starts beating from 14-28 days after conception (usually before the mother even knows she’s pregnant), and by the 30th day almost every organ has started to form! He moves his arms and legs by six weeks and by 43 days his brain waves can be read. By eight weeks the baby has his very own fingerprints, he can urinate, make a strong fist, and he can feel pain. Each stage of development from fertilization to old age is merely a maturing of what is entirely there at the start.
The following are the most commonly used abortion techniques:
Dilation and Curettage (D & C): The cervix is dilated with a series of instruments to allow the insertion of a curette, or sharp scraping instrument, into the uterus. The developing child is then cut into pieces and scraped from the uterine wall. Bleeding is usually profuse. A nurse must then reassemble the parts to make sure the uterus is empty, otherwise infection will set in.
Suction Curettage (Vacuum Aspiration): The cervix is dilated as in a D & C, then a tube is inserted into the uterus and connected to a strong suction apparatus. The vacuum is so powerful that the baby is torn to bits and sucked into a jar.
Dilation and Evacuation (D & E): At 12 to 20 weeks, a seaweed-based substance is inserted into the cervix causing dilation. The next day forceps with sharp metal teeth are inserted and parts of the baby’s body are torn away and removed piece by piece. At this age the head is usually too large to be removed whole, and must be crushed and drained before taken out. D & Es are promoted by abortion advocates because, unlike other second trimester methods, they insure the baby’s death.
Hysterotomy or Caesarean Section: Used mainly in the last three months of pregnancy, the womb is entered by surgery through the wall of the abdomen. The tiny baby is removed and allowed to die by neglect or sometimes killed by a direct act.
“I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest such counsel, and in like manner, I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.”
This statement is part of the Hippocratic Oath which doctors have taken for centuries as a moral standard governing their work as physicians. In recent years, it has been changed to read, “I will do nothing that is illegal.” (This new oath would have been appropriate in Nazi Germany, where the doctors who helped to kill Jews were well within the limits of the law.)
It’s important to note that all three of these people, in spite of how distressed they were with what they were doing, did not stop. Why? The Bible explains it as a searing of the conscience—a hardening of the heart. It happens when you repeatedly refuse to listen to that small voice inside that keeps telling you “something isn’t right.” If you keep rationalizing and turning it off, one day you’ll wake up and guess what... it’s gone! Your first reaction may be to breathe a sigh of relief, but you should instead weep bitter tears of sorrow, because a part of your conscience, a part of your communication with God, has just died... and it may never come back again!
God makes it clear that these tiny packages of humanity are fully human. “Now the word of Jehovah came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) God knew Jeremiah when he was in his mother’s belly; God sanctified him and ordained him to be a prophet. If by an abortion, that baby had been killed, it would have been Jeremiah who was killed. Jeremiah’s mother would not have known his name, but God had already named him. His mother would not have known he was potentially a mighty prophet of God, but God had so planned it, and would have felt the loss.
The Bible tells us that John the Baptist was “filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:15 NASB) God sent His angel to Zacharias to tell him that his wife would bear a son, and even told him what his name was to be. He was told that “many will rejoice at his birth—for he will be great before Lord Jah.” (Luke 1:14-15) It seems like God knew John quite well and that He had a distinct purpose for his life on earth... a purpose for him and him alone to fulfill.
Last but certainly not least, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High... and His Kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:31-33 NASB) And so you see, God doesn’t wait until a baby moves or becomes completely ready for life outside his mother before He knows him, loves him, and recognizes him as a tiny human being... so we should too.
So where do we go from here? Nazi Germany enacted a law permitting the extermination of “useless” members of society. Now we have the same pattern emerging in which a whole category of people, unloved and unborn, are being callously slaughtered. What is the next category of humanity to be destroyed? Will it be the aged, the handicapped or the mentally retarded?
God defends the unborn, the innocent, the one who cannot speak for himself... that tiny individual who will never again be duplicated in all of human history!
Only God has the right to end an innocent’s life on earth. (Deut. 32:39) Only He has the right to open or close wombs. But man has taken matters into his own hands. Mothers with their selfish excuses and doctors with their sharp instruments are playing God! I caution them to think twice because God is not pleased. In fact, He is grieved to the depths of His heart by the mutilation of these beloved children! He says in His word, “Do not kill the innocent... for I will not acquit the guilty.” (Exodus 23:7) We cannot break God’s laws without suffering the consequences! We deceive ourselves if we think He does not see. “The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)
One of the most frequently heard excuses of the “pro-choice” groups is, “It would be unfair to bring another ‘unwanted child’ into the world.” Actually, there is no such thing. Once a baby is born it will never be unwanted because of the extreme shortage of newborn babies available for adoption. It is obviously not the child’s happiness and well-being that is of utmost concern here... but that of the parents.
If you are about to make the fatal mistake of ending a life given as a gift of God (Psalm 127:3), then I beg you to reconsider. Please don’t do something that you will regret for the rest of your life. Don’t destroy something that isn’t yours. That baby belongs to God, even though it may be in your womb. If you do not feel equipped to raise a baby at this time, I urge you to take another look at the situation... maybe there is a way... pray about it. If you still feel that this is an impossibility—then BE A GIVER OF LIFE, NOT A TAKER.
There are many families who have been waiting and desperately praying for years for the chance to adopt a child. Your child may be the answer to their prayers! Adoption is a reasonable and caring thing to do if you don’t feel you can keep your baby. If you are unable to raise your child yourself, then you have the chance to give the greatest possible gift of all—the gift of life! In fact, you can give it twice—once to your baby and then, if you so decide, again to a hopeful family somewhere. You can be a life-giver, or you can commit a crime that will remain on your conscience for the rest of your life! ABORTION IS MURDER—and no matter what anyone tells you, you will not “just forget about it.”
You may feel cornered... like things are hopeless, and I want you to know that I am in no way insensitive to your situation or think that your problems are trivial. I simply say that abortion is not the answer. God commands us not to murder (Exodus 20:13), and going against Him will only make matters much worse. Everyone you know may be telling you you’d be a fool to have this baby—but they won’t have to live with the guilt and pain of murder... you will. That baby is half yours no matter who the father is. The choice is yours. But don’t forget, you are responsible to God for your actions—and after reading this, you certainly are not ignorant of the facts. You will be held accountable for your decision... I earnestly pray that you make the right one. Even though I don’t know you, Jesus does, and we both love you (and your baby) very, very much!
Your friend, Melody
Nearly every major city has at least one helpline that provides positive assistance to anyone involved in a problem pregnancy. Just call “Information” and ask the operator for the nearest Christian Action Council, Crisis Pregnancy Center, Women Exploited By Abortion (WEBA), Bethany Christian Services, Save Our Babies (Southern U.S.), Crusade For Life (California), National Right to Life, or Birthright headquarters. They will be happy to assist you.
Other Prolife articles are available from
Last Days Ministries - Pro-Life
1 Irvin M. Cushner, M.D., M.P.H., testimony, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (The Hatch Hearings), 97th Congress, First Session, 1983, p. 158.
2 Scientific American, June 1981, p. 88; Jet, March 19, 1981, p. 6.
3 Newsweek, Jan 14, 1985, p. 24.
4 Newsweek, June 5, 1978, p. 39.
5 Handbook on Abortion, Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Wilke, Hayes Publishing Co., Cincinnati, OH, © 1979, pp. 89-97.
6 Voice for the Unborn, Fremont, CA, June-Aug, 1979. Also Handbook on Abortion.
7 Abortion in America, Gary Bergel with C. Everett Coop, M.D. Surgeon General of the U.S., p.II-4, P.O. Box 1289, Elyria, OH 44036.
8 Dr. Magda Denes, “Performing Abortions,” Commentary, Oct 1976, pp. 35,37.
9 Ibid.
10 The Murder of the Helpless Unborn…Abortion. By John Rice, D.D., Litt., D., Murfreesboro, TN, Sword of the Lord Publishers, p. 31.