Abortion

1. Abortion • One out of every three pregnancies end in abortion. That is about 1.6 million per year. • About 50 million abortions (more then the population of Canada) since 1973. 95% of these abortions were for “birth control” purposes—not rape or protection of mom’s life. • This is more than the current population of Canada

2. Abortion • Dr. Richard Land points out, “We lose more babies through abortion every year than the total fatalities in all of the wars in which we have ever participated, commencing with the French and Indian War and including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I, and Gulf War II.”

3. Abortion • 64.4% of abortive mothers have never been married. • 9.4% of abortive mothers are divorced. •  37.4% of abortive mothers claim to be Protestant. • 18% of abortive mothers claim to be “born again/Evangelical Christians.”

4. Abortion • In 1973, US Supreme Court ruled in Roe vs. Wade that a woman’s right to privacy overrules the states’ ability to regulate abortion. In doing this the court refused to define when life began—and stated that if it were ever proven that a fetus has “personhood” then the case for abortion would fall. • Hence, the case for pro-choice hinges on the fact that an unborn child is not fully human.

5. Types of Abortion • SuctionThe abortionist first paralyzes the cervix (womb opening).  He then inserts a hollow plastic tube with a knife-like tip into the uterus.  The tube is connected to a powerful pump with a suction force 29 times more powerful than a home vacuum cleaner.  The procedure tears the baby's body into pieces and the hose frequently jerks as pieces of the baby become lodged.  The placenta is then cut from the inner wall of the uterus and the scraps are sucked out into a bottle.

6. Types of Abortion • Dilatation & Curettage (D&C)Uncommon today and used during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.  This is similar to the suction procedure except that the abortionist inserts a curette, a loop-shaped steel knife up into the uterus.  He then cuts the placenta and baby into pieces and scrapes them out into a basin.  Bleeding is usually profuse.

7. D and C Abortion

8. Types of Abortion • Dilatation & Evacuation (D&E)Performed during the second trimester (4-6 months) of pregnancy.  This method has largely replaced saline and chemical abortions, which too frequently resulted in live births, a complication from the abortionist’s perspective!  A pliers-like instrument is needed because the baby’s bones are calcified, as is the skull.  There is no anesthetic for the baby. The abortionist inserts the instrument into the uterus, seizes a leg or other part of the body and, with a twisting motion, tears it from the baby’s body.   This is repeated again and again.  The spine must be snapped, and the skull crushed to remove them.  The nurse’s job is to reassemble the body parts to be sure that all are removed.

9. D and E Abortion

10. Types of Abortion • Partial Birth Abortion: Also used for advanced pregnancies.  The cervix is dilated to allow passage of a ring forceps.  A foot or lower leg is located and pulled into the vagina.   The baby is extracted in breech fashion until the head is just inside the cervix. The baby’s legs hang outside the woman’s body.  With the baby face-down, scissors are plunged into the baby’s head at the nape of the neck and spread open to enlarge the wound

11. Partial Birth Abortion

12. Types of Abortion • RU-486A drug that produces an abortion taken after the mother misses her period.   Its effect is to block the use of an essential hormonal nutrient by the newly-implanted baby, who then dies, and drops off.  Note that RU-486 is not a contraceptive because it does not prevent fertilization or implantation.  It is used only after the mother has missed her period and the baby is at least two to three weeks old, with a beating heart (the fetal heart begins to beat when the woman is four days late for her period).  It is no longer effective after six or eight weeks

13. Types of Abortion • Salt Poisoninga.k.a. "Candy Apple Babies:"Most often used after the first trimester (first three months).  The abortionist injects a strong salt solution directly into the amniotic sac (fluid surrounding the baby).  The baby breathes and swallows it, is poisoned, struggles, and sometimes convulses. It takes over an hour to kill the baby.  The mother delivers the dead baby in a day or two (sometimes alive!).  Why "candy apple" babies?   The corrosive effect of the salt solution often burns and strips away the outer layer of the baby’s skin.  This exposes the raw, red, glazed-looking subcutaneous layer of tissue.   The baby’s head sometimes looks like a candy apple.  Some have also likened this method to the effect of napalm on innocent war victims.  This technique was originally developed in the concentration camps in Nazi Germany.

14. Saline Abortion

15. Biblical arguments • Biblical arguments for fetus being subhuman • Genesis 2:7-Adam was given life when “breath” was put in him. • Job 34:14-15-If God withdrew his spirit and “breath” all mankind would perish. • Isaiah 57:16—“the breath of man that I have created”. • Matthew 26:24 “better for Judas to have not been born”. Why not “conceived”?

16. Other arguments • Other arguments for fetus being subhuman • self-consciousness—a baby is not human until it possesses self-consiousness • physical dependence—the baby is an extension of the mother’s body. Since it is a part of her body and reproductive system—she has the right to abort it. • Safety of the mother—illegal abortion is dangerous • Abuse and neglect—helps prevent child abuse • Deformity—no child should have to live deformed • Privacy—woman’s right of privacy over her body is Supreme • Rape—in cases of rape, a baby should be aborted

17. Biblical arguments against abortion • Ps. 139 vs. 13-15 Unborn are intimately known by God. • Ps 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. • 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. • 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. • Jeremiah 1:5 God called the unborn for service

18. More biblical arguments • Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. • Is. 49:1 • Isa 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. • Gen. 25:22-23—Jacob , Judg. 13:2-7—Samson , Gal. 1:15—Paul • Ps. 51:5 (sin is attributed to the unborn) • Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

19. More arguments • Luke 1:41-44 (same greek word for baby inside or outside the womb) • Lu 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: • 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. • 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? • 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. • Ex. 21:22-25 (baby before birth has same rights as after birth) • Ex 21:22 ¶ If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. • 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, • 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, • 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

20. Medical arguments against abortion • At conception embryo is genetically different from mother (23 chromosomes from each parent. (DNA from embryo cannot be distinguished from an adult) All that is added is food, water, and oxygen. • Sex of the child is determined at conception • Definition of death— -heartbeat—18th day of “life” heartbeat can be distinguished -brain-wave—detected about 40 days after conception • 4) Countless biologists and doctors have established conception as beginning of life.

21. Legal arguments • Supreme court refused to “define” life “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to an answer.” -burden of proof should be with the life-taker, not life giver -burden of proof in law lies with the prosecution • Declaration of Geneva “I will maintain the utmost respect for human life, from the moment of conception.” • U.N. Declaration of the Rights of the Child “The child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”. • Hippocratic Oath

22. Philosophical arguments • Slippery slope—opened the door for when does a human become a person • Dr. Francis Crick “a child should be considered legally born after two days so it could be examined to see whether it was an acceptable member of society. • Ashley Montagu “newborn baby is not human until it has been shaped by society. • Joseph Fletcher “set minimum IQ of 40 to be truly human” • If the fetus isn’t alive, then is it dead?—there is not a way to describe it’s state if it isn’t alive • Premature babies—many were delivered as early as 20 weeks and lived. If this is considered alive and a person, why is a 20 week old fetus not a

23. More arguements • All arguments for abortion can apply to infants and elderly. • Abortion has been declared wrong by many societies and moralists • Code of Hammurabi • Mosaic law • Tiglath-pileser (persian law) • Hippocrates (put it in his oath) • discrimination based on size, age, location, or functional ability is morally wrong—this should apply to abortion as well

24. Difficulties from the Christian view • mother’s life at stake (tubal pregnancy) • birth control—doesn’t allow fertilized egg to attach to womb • ½ of conceptions abort themselves (don’t attach to wall)—why don’t we try to protect them?