Every Abortion Stops a Beating Heart (Abortion in Nigeria)

Every Abortion Stops a Beating Heart


Every Abortion Stops a Beating Heart © 2010 C. Jean Garland and Patrick Idoko. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the author and the publisher except for brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

ISBN: Published by Africa Christian Textbooks (ACTS) ACTS Bookshop, International HQ, TCNN, PMB 2020, Bukuru 930008, Plateau State, Nigeria. GSM: 0803-589-5328; E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.africachristiantextbooks.com ACTS Branches: ▪ 14 Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja Under Bridge Bus Stop, Lagos ▪ Shop No. 143, Umar Bahago Block, “A” Courtyard, Garki International Market, Abuja, FCT ▪ No. 55, Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. ▪ Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), ▪ ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos (JETS), PO Box 5398, Zaria Road, Jos, Plateau State. ▪ West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS), 36 Olukunle Akinola Street, Ipaja, Lagos. Tel: 0802-367-0628 ▪ Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS), PMB 4008, Ogbomoso. Tel: 0803-536-8021 ▪ ECWA Theological Seminary Kagoro, PMB 35, Kagoro, Kaduna State. ▪ Northern Nigeria Bible College, Saminaka, Kaduna State ▪ Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST), Kenya. E-mail: [email protected]

CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

4

“IT HAS NOT GOT A SOUL YET”

9

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE OF ABORTION

11

A BIG MISTAKE

15

CHAPTER TWO: ABORTION IN AFRICA AND NIGERIA

19

Abortion in Africa

19

What is the law on abortion in Nigeria?

21

Racism and abortion

23

HE EMPTIES HIS BUCKET OF BABIES IN THE DRAIN

27

CHAPTER THREE: THE PRACTICE OF ABORTION IN NIGERIA

28

How much does an abortion cost?

29

Who carries out the abortions in Nigeria?

29

What reasons do women and girls in Nigeria give when seeking abortions?

31

What are the methods of abortion?

32

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER MY ABORTION?

33

“I AM PREGNANT AND SCARED”

37

CHAPTER FOUR: PRO-LIFE OR PRO-ABORTION?

39

“WE DID NOT TELL THEM IT WAS A BABY!”

51


“I GUESS YOU GOT IT ALL!”

52

“THEN I KNEW WHAT I HAD DONE!”

53

CHAPTER FIVE: THE LESSONS OF HISTORY

54

The Native Americans

54

The slave trade

55

The mass murders by the Nazis

56

Rwanda

58

Christian voices against abortion

59

Muslim voices against abortion

61

Feminist voices for and against abortion

62

Atheist voices against abortion

63

The Hippocratic oath

63

CHAPTER SIX: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ABORTION?

64

Wanted or unwanted?

64

Confusing language

65

Old Testament teaching about life in the womb

69

The New Testament teaching about life in the womb

73

God alone claims absolute sovereignty over life and death

82

The early church’s teaching on abortion

83

The Children (a poem)

85

CHAPTER SEVEN: IS THE UNBORN BABY IN THE WOMB REALLY A HUMAN BEING?

88

The miracle of conception and milestones of early life in the womb

89 2

Contents

“IT WAS TOO LATE”

101

CHAPTER EIGHT: DOES ABORTION HAVE RISKS?

102

CHAPTER NINE: THE MENTAL EFFECTS OF ABORTION AND GOD’S CURE 106 AINA

114

“WE WANT TO GET MARRIED IN CHURCH”

115

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE CHURCH AND ABORTION

116

Easy to understand the pressure for abortion

116

Hating the sin but loving the sinner

118

What should be the Christian response to abortion?

119

Speak Out

119

Care

120

Educate

121

Pray

123

Pregnancy testing before marriage

123

Adoption, not abortion

131

CHAPTER TWELVE: ABORTION AND THE FUTURE DEVALUING OF HUMAN LIFE

137

Test tube babies (in vitro fertilization)

138

Infanticide

140

Euthanasia

141

Conclusion

144

APPENDIX NIGERIAN LAW AND ABORTION

146

NOTES

148 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jean Garland’s acknowledgements I thank God for giving me life and that my mother did not abort me. I thank God that he allowed me to be the mother to four new lives. One of those lives, my first pregnancy, ended in a miscarriage. One that sad day in August 1978, I knew I had not just lost a blob of cells, but a baby who was greatly wanted, but a baby who for some reason God did not allow to grow to full maturity. My husband and I mourned that loss. After qualifying as a nurse in 1974, I worked in a gynaecology ward in Northern Ireland and then in the United States of America. Many times women were admitted to hospital with bleeding in pregnancy. Most of these women were distressed at the possibility of losing their baby due to miscarriage. When I saw the contents of their wombs emptied into a bed pan, I could see without a doubt that though most were in the first 4 months of pregnancy they had lost a baby. Those perfectly formed little ones lying in a cold bed pan were very clearly a tiny boy or a tiny girl. They had all their little limbs and features. These unwanted miscarriages led to the deaths of babies. I thank God for another motivating experience in my life. When I was in my twenties, a close friend of mine had an abortion. She was pregnant, at university, and very scared to tell her

Acknowledgments

strict Christian parents about her pregnancy. She secretly had an abortion. A few years later she married, but after the birth of her first baby had a severe mental illness that the psychiatrist said was linked to the guilt of having the abortion. Her friends and family were very distressed for her. The illness of my close friend affected my life so intensely that I have always felt a burden to speak out about abortion and be involved in trying to find other choices for women and girls facing difficult situations. If given other options, women and girls often do not choose abortion. Over the years, I have realised that the strongest supporters of abortion are those who see it as an essential part of a “woman’s right.” In Northern Ireland, for seven years before moving to Africa in 1987, I often debated the ethics of abortion with those who strongly supported free and easy abortion. Often these campaigners claimed that every woman has a total right to control the functions of her own body. They argued that she has the right to stop herself becoming pregnant, and if that fails, she has an equal right to stop herself from giving birth. They vehemently claimed that a foetus (developing baby) in the womb is only a part of the woman’s body and that no one can challenge her right to get rid of “it” if she so chooses. Those kinds of voices are becoming louder in Africa too, often through Western non-Christian organizations promoting their own agenda and providing funding with it. I believe that as Christians we need to speak equally loudly if we are to succeed in protecting the unborn child.

5


I thank God for the encouragement of my husband Dr. Sid Garland to write this book. He has given me constant encouragement to commit to paper what I have learned. More than anyone, he inspired in me the confidence I needed to start and finish this book. Without him this project would never have been completed. He is my advisor, colleague, encourager and best friend. I thank God for him. I also thank God for the wisdom, experience and Christian conviction of Dr. Patrick Idoko, a husband, a father and a practising obstetrician and gynaecologist in Jos, Nigeria. He has added much to this book as he has told of his own life and work experience. Patrick and I are grateful to Dr. Mike Blyth, an SIM missionary paediatrician who has served at ECWA Evangel Hospital, Jos, for many years. We thank Mike for his advice and also his editing and formatting skills. His knowledge, faith, enthusiasm, and heart of compassion are reflected in the text. Mike and his wife Barbara have fostered more “unwanted” babies than anyone else I know and have been a sterling example in Nigeria of how to provide positive alternatives to abortion. Living in Nigeria since 1987, I have yet to hear a full sermon teaching the Biblical view of abortion. I have only once heard a Nigerian pastor briefly mention abortion in one sermon. That same pastor told me later that almost all of the people who came for counselling after that sermon came because they were finding it difficult to live with the guilt of abortion. I hope this book will provide material so that pastors can teach their 6

Acknowledgments

people about God’s view of abortion. I pray that this material will be read and acted on across Nigeria and Africa.

Patrick Idoko’s acknowledgements The first time I seriously confronted the ethics of abortion was as a medical student during a series of lectures on medical ethics. We had a debate on the morality of abortion and I was quite impressed by the argument of the pro-abortion group even though I considered myself as anti-abortion. My antiabortion stance was not based on any solid scientific argument but on the teaching of the church. Most churches in Nigeria are anti-abortion. My personal experience, however, is that abortion is a very common practice among church people. There seems to be a dearth of sound scientific and theological answers to the pro-choice argument in Nigeria. I hope that pastors and indeed all Christians will find this a useful resource material. Later on, I was privileged to do some studies on Biblical ethics facilitated by Dr. Tom Thacher. This gave me the opportunity to explore more closely the moral issues involved in abortion. During my post-graduate research work on Nigerian abortion laws, Dr. Thacher provided me with helpful insights and resources. I am very grateful to him for his guidance all through the years and for giving me the courage to swim against the tide of popular opinion. As a gynaecologist, I am frequently confronted with the problem of unwanted pregnancy and the demands for abortion. 7


I have also had to deal with the complications of unsafe abortion. Some of these experiences are shared in this book. Even though the stories shared in this book are true, great care has been taken to protect the privacy of those involved by changing names and other means of identification. I thank those who gave me permission to use their stories in this book. I am grateful to Jean Garland and her husband Sid Garland, who sold me the idea of partnering with them to produce this book. Finally, my gratitude goes to my wife and best friend Dr. Bukky Idoko. She does a splendid job of managing a home with two pre-school children and residency training in paediatrics. Thank you for filling in for me on countless occasions and for believing in me.

On the next page and throughout the book there are stories that illustrate the realities and issues of abortion. These stories are all true, known to one or the other author, although the names and circumstances have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals. Teachers and discussion leaders may find the stories particularly useful as a way to start people thinking about the issues and to consider various angles and problems.

8

“It Has Not Got A Soul Yet” Ring! Ring! My thoughts were elsewhere when I realised my cell phone was ringing. “Hello, Sir,” I answered, recognising the familiar number. The caller was a well-known and respected pastor. I had been the doctor who delivered his second child. “Hello, doctor, how are you?” came back the confident voice. “I am fine, thank you,” I replied. “How are madam and the family?” “We are fine, doctor, but I need your help. My wife has not seen her menstrual period in the last two months. We did a pregnancy test and it is positive. Can you help us to remove it?” The casualness with which he asked the question shocked me. He wanted me to abort their baby. My mind searched for a suitable reply. “Oh! I am sorry about that,” I said. “But, why don’t you keep the baby?” “Doctor, you know our new baby is only six months old. We are not ready for another one already,” the man replied. Without sounding aghast I said, “I am not comfortable with terminating pregnancies.” “That’s fine,” The pastor replied. “But can you recommend any of your colleagues who can do a good job for us?”


“I am sorry, pastor. My conscience does not allow me to end a life or to aid anyone in any way to do so,” I replied with conviction. His reaction was hostile and the words came fast and strong. “Doctor, don’t preach at me,” came the irritated voice. “I am the pastor and I know better. The pregnancy is not yet up to three months so it does not have a soul or a spirit yet. There is nothing wrong in removing it. If you doctors refuse to help us, you are encouraging quacks to thrive. This is a great disservice to the community.” Click – the phone went dead. I sat and ran his words and my reactions over in my mind. The caller was a popular pastor in one of the towns in northern Nigeria. He is a gifted orator and charismatic leader with a large following of young adults. For me, it is not a surprise that many of his congregation come looking for abortions when their spiritual leader is not leading them in biblical truth.

10

CHAPTER ONE

:

INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE OF ABORTION This book is written to arouse and strengthen your joyful and thankful reverence for the gift of human life from conception to eternity. The beginning of human life is an astonishing and glorious thing. There is nothing else like it. Only humans come into being, day after day, created in the image of God and to live forever—with God or separated from God. There is no evidence that animals live forever. The only beings in the universe who keep on coming into existence and then live forever in the image of God are man and woman. Abortion is an ancient practice all over the world. It is a familiar practice in Africa. In many traditional African cultures, the ending of unwanted pregnancies has been an accepted practice. Induced abortion—causing a pregnancy to end—has long been practiced around the world as a way of birth control, but it is still a very sensitive topic. It raises many strong feelings. A person’s feelings and opinions about abortion depend on his or her ideas about religion, politics, the meaning of life, and the nature of right and wrong. Abortion is the most controversial and publicized topic in health care. Everywhere it is the subject of debate and legal cases. Abortion is legal in some circumstances in almost every country in the world. In many countries, including


Nigeria and much of Africa, abortion is not legal except in extreme circumstances. Even in those countries, however, it is still commonly practiced. Abortion has often been the subject of heartfelt arguments by those who favour it and those who do not. But many people, even pastors, have accepted abortion without even thinking about whether it is right or wrong. They have never even considered whether ending a new human life is right or is an abomination before God. Even some committed Christians think abortion is a necessary evil to avoid shame to the family and to hide the evidence of immorality.

Abortion or miscarriage? In this book, we are talking about the deliberate ending of pregnancy in a way that ensures that the embryo or foetus does not survive. We are speaking of what takes place when a woman or girl purposely kills, or allows someone else to kill, an unborn baby growing in her womb. This can be at any time between conception and birth. In some local Nigerian languages, it can be literally translated as “spoiling the belly” or “taking it off.” The womb (uterus) is the “belly.” People

sometimes

confuse

the

words

“abortion”

and

“miscarriage.” A miscarriage is what happens when a growing baby comes out of the womb before it is ready to be born, or dies inside the womb and then comes out later. In miscarriage no one is trying to kill the baby. Miscarriage is frequent in the first three months of pregnancy. Most often, the cause is unknown. 12

A big mistake

Sometimes medical doctors do use the words “spontaneous abortion” to refer to miscarriage, but in this book we use abortion to mean taking deliberate action to end the pregnancy and kill the unborn baby. The difference between abortion and miscarriage is like the difference between being pushed under a bus and falling under a bus. In both cases someone dies, but the first is a deliberate killing while the second is an unfortunate accident. Abortion is deliberate killing. Miscarriage is an unfortunate accident bringing sadness to the mother and often the father.

An issue for our generation Abortion is not just a question for an interesting debate. It is a vital matter for our generation. The way we respond, as individuals, as families, and as a society, says much about how we view and respect all human life. The baby in the womb is hidden from our view and the weakest and most defenceless of all human life. If we lose respect for the baby in the womb, we will gradually lose respect for all human life. If the baby in the womb is disposable, then does that mean that the young child who is causing

us

stress

is

also

disposable? What about the elderly 13


people who can no longer be “useful” in the family? Are they also disposable? Some outside groups are “generously” giving more and more money to the abortion lobby in Nigeria and Africa. The money is being used to promote a culture of death in our society. The argument is that if you become pregnant then abortion should be available to “solve” the problem. As one Nigerian writes, Just as in the past [the Western world] gave us gin and guns and took our youths into slavery, now they offer us money and condoms to compromise our future generations. We must prove smarter than our forefathers and resist their present overtures.” 1

Accepting abortion will have terrible effects on all of us. Nigeria and Africa must not go down the road that the Western nations have already travelled. In some of those countries, life that is not “productive” or without a certain “quality” is pushed towards the rubbish pit and disposed of. This can happen to the unborn, the newly born, the disabled and the elderly. And this disposal is called “compassion.”

14

A big mistake

A Big Mistake Nancy was at boarding school in the city. Her mother, father and extended family lived far away in the southern part of their state. They were very proud that Nancy got admission to this top class boarding school and often talked to their friends about how hard she was studying. Her parents had worked hard on the farm to help pay for her school fees. An uncle had helped pay for the books and uniform. At school, Nancy had a good friend called Lami. They did everything together. They ate together, studied together and walked together arm-in-arm between classes. They were always laughing together. During one of the school holidays, when there was not enough time or money to travel home, Nancy stayed with her uncle in Jos. She was invited to a party in Theresa’s house. Nancy felt honoured to be popular enough to be invited as a friend of Theresa, as Theresa was known to be from a rich family. The party was fun. There was dancing and great music and many attractive, well-dressed and “cool” people were there. One of the very attractive young men, James, asked Nancy if he could get her a drink. She was flattered and said yes expecting him to return with a Coke. When James returned, he was carrying a glass of white wine. Nancy had never drunk wine before. She was confused and embarrassed, but she did not want to appear different from the others at the party, so she accepted the drink. Soon, she was feeling very relaxed and light headed. She was laughing a lot and 15


feeling more confident in herself. James brought her another glass of wine and again she took it. Nancy had never had alcohol before. She enjoyed the feeling of being carefree. The third glass of wine James gave her was the last thing that Nancy remembered of the evening. What happened next was unclear in her memory. Light was entering the window when Nancy woke up the following day. She stretched and looked around her. Everything was so unfamiliar looking. With a shock she sat up in the bed. Where was she? What had happened? This was not her uncle’s house. This must be Theresa’s house. She slowly remembered some of the details of the night before. The party. The music. James bringing her the glasses of wine. But why was she in bed at Theresa’s house? She had not told her uncle that she was not coming home. As she got up and prepared for her bath, Nancy realised that she felt wetness between her legs. And she felt tender and sore when she tried to pass urine. Could this be what you felt like when you have had sex? Who was the man? Why did she not remember? A cold panic seized her heart. When Nancy got back to her uncle’s house she told a long story as to why she did not return home the night before. How could she really tell the truth? The holidays passed and Nancy went back to school. It was good to see Lami again. She told Lami about the party, but not the details of spending the night at Theresa’s home. She did not tell her about her fears. 16

A big mistake

The next month Nancy did not see her menses as she expected. She pushed this uncomfortable fact to the back of her mind and tried not to think about it. For weeks she denied the thing that she feared. She was pregnant. After about two months had gone by, Nancy took courage to talk to Lami. But Lami had no idea what to do. They decided to ask Theresa. Immediately Theresa said, “Oh, do not worry. I have a friend who will help.” On a hot, dusty April day, at the back of a dirty pharmacy shop, Nancy lay on a wooden table with her legs wide open in front of small, fat man with hard, cold eyes. She had an abortion. It was so painful she had to bite on a cloth to stop herself screaming. The pain seemed to burn the depths of her soul. She wept tears of hurt and relief together. The small, fat man patted her leg and said, “You’re OK now. That will be 1500 naira.” But Nancy was not OK. The next day Nancy had a fever. The next day after that she was shaking and calling out to God as she saw large blood clots come from her private parts. And the smell! “What was that smell?” Nancy was admitted to hospital in a serious condition as her fever climbed and her mind became confused. The voices of the doctors and nursing staff were far-away echoes in her head. She seemed to hear their concerned voices but was not able to answer. Was that her mother’s face she saw? Nancy survived, but only after her infected and punctured womb was removed, only after doctors gave her strong antibiotics to treat the infection invading her whole body. 17


“No one will one want to marry me. I will never be able to have children!” were the words heard through Nancy’s bitter sobs. Few could say anything to bring any comfort. Nancy did what many girls do. She had an abortion, not because she wanted to but because she panicked and tried to solve her problem without thinking of the consequences. No one ever told her that there was a better alternative. No one asked Nancy to think about the rights of her baby, or her duty to protect the life forming within her. The little one was torn apart by cruel hands invading what should have been the safest place on earth.

18

CHAPTER TWO ABORTION IN AFRICA AND NIGERIA :

Abortion in Africa The abortion laws in most of Africa are restrictive. In most French-speaking African countries they are modelled on a French law of 1920. In the English-speaking countries they are modelled on the 1861 British law on “crimes against the person.” No African country completely prohibits

abortion,

but

laws

prohibit it under almost all circumstances. Of the 53 African countries, 25 countries permit abortion only when the mother’s life is in danger. Sudan also allows abortion in the event of rape or incest. Ghana’s abortion laws are more liberal than most. Ghana allows abortion not only to save the life of the woman but also to preserve the physical or mental health of the woman. The wording of Ghana’s law is similar to that of the United Kingdom’s 1967 Abortion Act. This opened the door to easy abortion because the “mental health of the mother” can be interpreted very loosely. Even if the woman or girl is “upset” about being pregnant she is in most cases able to have an abortion under the law. In


Britain, the USA, and many other countries, allowing abortion for the “health” of the mother has meant, in effect, that there are no longer any meaningful restrictions against it. In Zimbabwe, abortion is legal only if the life or physical health of the woman are threatened, or in the event of rape, incest or malformation of the foetus. Kenya’s abortion laws are similar to Nigeria’s. In May 2008, a bill was sent to Kenya’s Parliament seeking to make abortion laws less restrictive. As of the writing of this book in late 2010, Kenya has adopted a new Constitution that allows abortion for the health of the mother, potentially opening the door for abortion on demand as in many other places. Ethiopia revised its abortion laws in May 2005. Ethiopia is one of the nations with the most liberal abortion laws on the African continent, with abortion permitted for a wide variety of reasons as well as for women with physical or mental disabilities, minors who are not psychologically prepared and pregnancy resulting from rape and incest. Abortion is largely prohibited in Uganda. There is strong pressure to change the laws, especially in the north of Uganda due to the incidence of rape from the activities of the LRA rebels. The Government of Uganda is resisting that pressure. South Africa introduced new abortion laws in 1997, It is reckoned that 10,000 abortions a week have been carried out under these very liberal abortion laws. It is sad that when freedom came to black Africans after the fall of oppressive apartheid regime, the 20

Abortion in Africa and Nigeria

Africa National Congress Government used their new-found freedom to oppress the weakest members of society, the unborn children. The “Maputo Plan of Action,” a non-binding resolution that was approved by the African Union in 2007, calls upon African countries to “enact policies and legal frameworks to reduce incidence of unsafe abortion.” This wording intends that they should introduce legal abortion. The Health Ministers of Africa “approved” the Maputo protocol. Each country would still have to pass legislation before their abortion laws would be changed. Sadly, African health ministers agreed to the Maputo protocol when Western donors pressured them by offering money if they would allow legal abortion. Money the donors offered for improving medical care of pregnant women appeared to be linked with money for providing abortions in hospital for women who ask for it.2

What is the law on abortion in Nigeria? Most abortion is illegal in Nigeria and carries punishment of up to 14 years in prison, except when the abortion is done to save the woman’s life. In spite of this, every year thousands of women resort to having an abortion. Abortion in Nigeria is governed by two different laws. In the northern states of Nigeria, with about half the country’s population, the Penal Code, Law No. 18 of 1959, is in effect. In the southern part of Nigeria, the Criminal Code of 1916 is in effect. While both Codes generally prohibit performing abortions, 21


differences in wording and interpretation have resulted in two slightly different treatments of the offence of abortion. (See Appendix Nigerian Law and Abortion, for more details on the law in Nigeria.) In 1981, the Nigerian Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics sponsored a Termination of Pregnancy Bill in the House of Representatives. However, pressure groups lobbied against it, and the bill did not pass. The bill would have allowed abortion if two medical doctors certified that the continuation of a pregnancy would involve risk to the life of a pregnant woman, or of injury to her physical and mental health or to any existing children in her family greater than if the pregnancy were terminated. The bill would also have allowed abortion if “there was a substantial risk that the child, if born, would suffer such physical and mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.” Abortions performed on these expanded grounds could have been carried out only in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, except to save the life of the woman. The bill also would have permitted physicians to refuse to perform an abortion on grounds of conscience. This cleverly worded bill was strongly opposed by religious leaders and by the Nigerian National Council of Women’s Societies of Nigeria, who feared that its passage would promote sexual promiscuity. The abortion law has remained unchanged to date. The 1967 Abortion Act in the United Kingdom has very similar wording to this proposed 1981 bill, but the interpretation of the 22


wording “injury to physical or mental health” has been interpreted so loosely that it is virtually “abortion on demand.” In other words, if a doctor says that the woman or girl was distressed because she was pregnant, he can take that as grounds to offer her an abortion. Two doctors need to agree on this, but the interpretation is so lax that thousands of women and girls have abortions each year. If the 1981 bill had been passed in Nigeria there would have been more freedom to end thousands more little lives. In February 2006, in the Nigerian Senate, a Private Member’s Bill relating to abortion came before the Senate. After a speedy hearing, it was dispatched to the House of Representatives and the Executive for assent. This bill asked for the setting up of a National Institute for Reproductive Health, but many pro-life people were concerned, believing that this would eventually make abortions easy to obtain. The bill did not become law. There have been calls from the Nigerian Medical Association to make abortion legal. However, change is not expected in the near future. Vocal opposition comes from religious leaders, politicians as well as pro-life campaigners.

Racism and abortion In January 2009, many Africans wept with intense joy at the inauguration of the first African-American President in the United States. Unfortunately, like many others in a world that rejects the Bible’s teaching, he has shown himself to be trapped and blinded by the popular culture of deceit. 23


On the 36th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court case that opened the door to abortion on demand for American women, President Barack Obama said, “We are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters.” Politicians who help the poor and those living in poor conditions are to be commended. However, we pray that God will open their eyes to see that, as well as protecting women’s health, we should be protecting the lives of many millions of female children every year. Killing our unborn children cannot be a private family matter. Any just and fair society should protect the weakest members of that society. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if abortion was as culturally blameworthy as racism? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if being publicly pro-abortion was as shameful as being publicly racist? Dr. Alveda C. King, daughter of Rev. A. D. King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s brother, is strongly against abortion. She is founder of the organization King for America. She has said, We have been fuelled by the fire of “women’s rights” so long that we have become deaf to the outcry of the real victims whose rights are being trampled upon, the babies and the mothers…. What about the rights of each baby who is artificially breached before coming to term in his or her mother’s womb, only to have her skull punctured, and feel, yes agonizingly “feel” the life run out of her before she takes her 24


first breath of freedom? What about of the rights of these women who have been called to pioneer the new frontiers of the new millennium only to have their lives snuffed out before the calendar even turns? Oh, God, what would Martin Luther King, Jr., who dreamed of having his children judged by the content of their characters do if he’d lived to see the contents of thousands of children’s skulls emptied into the bottomless caverns of the abortionists pits? It is time for America, perhaps the most blessed nation on earth to lead the world in repentance, and in restoration of life! … Abortion is at the forefront of our destruction. Partial Birth Abortion is perhaps the most heinous form of this legal genocide.… The only healing and redemption is in the blood of Jesus, blood willingly shed so that we could stand today and cry out for the blood of the unborn that is drenching the land of our children. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.] once said, “The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety.” How can the “Dream” survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother.… If the Dream of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live. Our mothers must choose life. If we refuse to answer the cry of mercy from the unborn, and ignore the suffering of the mothers, then we are signing our own death warrants.

25


I too, like Martin Luther King, Jr., have a dream. I have a dream that the men and women, the boys and girls of America (and Africa) will come to our senses, and humble ourselves before God Almighty and pray for mercy, and receive His healing grace. I pray that this is the day, the hour of our deliverance. May God have mercy on us all.3

26

He empties his bucket of babies in the drain She is my friend. I sat with her one day and asked her if she knew anything about abortion in Nigeria. In a hushed voice she told me that when she was at school her elder sister arranged an abortion for her. I asked her how the abortion was done. She said a man did it at the back of his patent medicine store. And she added, “He still does abortions up to today, as sometimes when I am going home I see him emptying his bucket of babies into the drain.” I felt sick as I thought of the many women’s lives ruined and the many babies who never saw the light of day. Those babies did not choose to die. I asked her how she felt about her abortion now. She said that she only realized what abortion really was when she was married and was pregnant with her first baby. So many women and girls need to know the facts relating to abortion.

CHAPTER THREE THE PRACTICE OF ABORTION IN NIGERIA :

It is hard to find accurate statistics on the number of abortions in Nigeria because many are never recorded. However, research indicates that many abortions are being done: •

Interviews of 800 young girls at school in Port Harcourt showed that 78% were sexually active, and 89% had terminated at least one pregnancy with an abortion. The girls were from 12 to 19 years old.4

•

Abortions are often performed by unskilled providers or under unhygienic condition or both. Estimates based on figures for 2008 indicate that 22 million unsafe abortions take place each year and an estimated 68,000 women die as consequences of unsafe abortion, and almost all (99%) occur in developing countries.5

•

The Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria estimates that there are at least 610,000 abortions each year in Nigeria.6 That is a rate of 25 abortions for every 1000 women aged 15–44 years old.

•

It is thought that up to 20,000 Nigerian women die from unsafe abortions each year.7 If these figures are true, that is about 54 deaths per day.

Pregnant and scared

A nationwide survey in Nigeria found that 50% of the 20,000 women who die from the complications of abortion are adolescents. Nigeria has one of the highest death rates from abortion in Africa.8 •

Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortalities in the world. It is reckoned to be as high as 1,500 women per 100,000 births.9

•

About a million births a year in Nigeria are to teenage mothers, and abortion complications are responsible for 72% of all deaths among teenagers below the age of 19.10

•

28% of abortions in Nigeria are done on married women.11

How much does an abortion cost? Abortions cost money. An abortion at the doctor’s clinic can cost more than ₦20,000 (US $130). However, in unqualified hands, an abortion could cost as little as ₦600 ($4).12

Who carries out the abortions in Nigeria? Thirty per cent of women who get abortions in Nigeria pay a medical doctor to do the abortion. This is often carried out in a private clinic, perhaps owned by a doctor who may also have a job in one of the government hospitals. Twenty-five per cent pay a nurse or midwife to do the abortion, and almost half use traditional providers with no medical training or else take drugs that they buy themselves.13 29


A survey done in Jos, Nigeria, showed that 80% of the abortions were done in private clinics, and 13% of the women said that they did the abortion themselves.14 The following statement was printed by the Family Planning Association. Although the provision of abortion is highly restricted in Nigeria, findings from a 1996 survey of 67 health professionals from two-thirds of the country’s states indicate that women of all socioeconomic levels obtain induced abortions, albeit under a wide range of conditions. Nationally, about one-third of women seeking an abortion are thought to obtain it from a physician, and almost one-quarter are believed to go to a nurse or midwife; nearly half are thought to either use traditional providers who have no formal medical training, take drugs they purchase over the counter or employ other means to induce the abortion themselves. Because such a high proportion of abortions are likely performed by unskilled providers or are self-induced, about two-fifths of all women who have an abortion are believed to suffer a medical complication, and nearly one-fifth are expected to be hospitalized for treatment of health consequences. Urban women and those who are relatively well-off are more likely than their rural and poor counterparts to have access to safe abortion services and hospital treatment for medical complications.15

30

Pregnant and scared

What reasons do women and girls in Nigeria give when seeking abortions? Most of those who are looking for abortions are unmarried young people, but married women may also look for abortions because they feel they do not have enough money to support a child or for other reasons. Women gave these reasons for having an abortion in one Nigerian survey: •

30% had the abortion because they were still in school

•

40% said it was bad timing for them to have a baby

•

9% said the high cost of children pushed them to it

•

4% said that they were abandoned by their partner

•

5% said their pregnancy was socially unacceptable.16

In 1996, when 725 women (15–49 years) in Jos were questioned about abortion the survey showed that 60% had little education or only primary education.17 Young people are more likely to experience failed attempts at pregnancy termination and to have higher risk of post-abortion complications than older women. Thirty-five per cent of those who had abortions reported significant post-abortion complications.18

31


What are the methods of abortion? Women with unwanted pregnancies have turned to abortion for centuries. Knowledge on how to do an abortion is sometimes passed from generation to generation. The risks, costs and consequences of these abortions are linked to the methods chosen. How are abortions done when NOT carried out in clinics or hospitals? Some traditional medicines made from plants are well known for causing abortions. Women say that these plants “bring on a period”

rather

than

having

a

real

understanding that they cause abortions. These can cause infections, bleeding, comas, fever, kidney failure and even the death of the woman or girl using them. When successfully used for abortion, they obviously cause death to the baby. In addition to these methods there are all kinds of products which, although not actually designed to cause abortions themselves, do leave serious after-effects. Tragically, using these products to cause an abortion is very dangerous for the mother, who is likely to die or have her womb and vagina so badly damaged that she may not be able to become pregnant in the future.

32

Pregnant and scared

Other methods of causing abortion include trying to break the amniotic sack (bag of waters around the baby) inside the womb with a sharp object. To do any of these things is extremely dangerous and frequently causes tearing and puncturing of the womb followed by severe bleeding, and even the death of the woman or girl. Will my baby feel pain during the abortion? When doctors first began inserting instruments into the womb, they did not know that the unborn baby would react to pain in the same fashion as a child would when pierced with something sharp. But now we know that babies do feel pain, move away from the instrument trying to harm them and may even utter a silent scream as they are being killed. What happened after my abortion? “When I returned home after they did the abortion I had very heavy bleeding and severe cramps for two days. I was so afraid something was wrong that I contacted the nurse on my cell phone. She had told me where to get my abortion. She said I was OK without suggesting an examination to see what was wrong. I went back to my job. I went to the toilet. It was then I found my baby on my sanitary pad inside my pants. He had arms and legs with tiny hands and feet. I could make out his little nose and a dark spot that I know was his eye. Even after ten years, it’s still hard for me to think about it.”

33


Abortions carried out in clinics or hospital During the first three months of pregnancy, called the first trimester, there are two common types of abortion. The first one is the suction abortion (vacuum extraction). Vacuum aspiration or extraction (suction method) The baby and the afterbirth (placenta) are sucked out of their safe place into a jar or container. This method of abortion is often used until the baby is about 14 weeks old and may be done after the woman has been put to sleep (given anaesthetic), though in some places she is awake. Many girls tell of lying awake during this procedure and screaming and “passing out” due to the pain. Dilatation and Curettage The second most common method of abortion is a dilatation and curettage (D & C). Using forceps the baby is pulled piece by piece out of the womb. The afterbirth (placenta) is then scraped off the wall of the womb with the curette. A curette is a sharp loopshaped knife with a long handle. Usually, but not always, the woman/girl is put to sleep (given anaesthetic) before this procedure. The neck of the womb (the cervix) may be permanently damaged from this procedure, leading to recurrent miscarriages or premature delivery later in life when the pregnancy is really wanted. While 34

Pregnant and scared

writing this, I met a woman who had dilatation and curettage five times before she got married. She has been married for three years now and all her pregnancies since she got married have ended in a miscarriage. Sometimes women have a dilatation and curettage when they are not pregnant. This is a procedure that is often done when the woman has heavy menstrual bleeding, or if the doctor needs to do investigations of infertility. In this case there is no baby present. The following three methods are used for pregnancies more than 16 weeks. These are used very rarely in Nigeria but are common in many countries of the world. All of these procedures are highly risky. Dilatation and Evacuation During the second three months of pregnancy (second trimester), the dilatation and evacuation or (D & E) method is used. This is sometimes referred to as partial-birth abortion. Because the baby is too large to fit through the cervix, the abortionist uses an instrument to turn the baby, grabs hold of the baby’s leg or arm and twists the part until it is torn from the body. That part is then pulled through the cervix. This is repeated limb by limb until the baby has been totally torn apart. The spine must also be snapped and the skull crushed to remove these pieces. Sometimes suction is used to suck out the baby’s brain making the skull more fragile and easier to crush. The nurse’s job is often to lay all the body parts out to make sure the abortionist got the entire baby out of 35


the womb. If this is attempted in Nigeria, women often die from severe bleeding. Hysterotomy This is similar to a caesarean section, but done before the baby has reached an age when it can survive outside the womb. The mother’s abdomen and womb are opened by the surgeon and the baby is lifted out. Some babies aborted this way are born alive, but their lungs are not well enough developed for them to live outside the womb, so they must be killed or left to die. Over the years many nurses have seen tiny babies delivered by this method and left to die in a cold basin in a room at the back of the clinic. It is usually done for babies that are too big to be sucked out with the suction evacuation or removed by dilatation and curettage. This is not a common method of abortion in Nigeria. Saline or salt poisoning abortion In this method, a large needle is inserted through the mother’s abdomen and through the womb into the sac where the baby is. A strong salt solution is inserted from a syringe. This salt burns the baby. The baby takes the salt solution into its lungs. Eventually, after a lot of suffering and struggling, the baby dies. After the baby dies, the mother goes into labour and delivers a dead baby. This is a horrendous method of abortion which brings a lot of pain to the baby as it dies. This method of abortion is rare in Nigeria.

36

Pregnant and scared

“I am pregnant and scared” The out-patients’ clinic was busy. My next patient was a sweet girl whom I will not easily forget. She looked nervous, anxiously wringing her hands as in low tones she explained her situation to me. “My name is Florence,” she said. “I am 23 years old and am a final year student in the university. I am an orphan. In fact, my life has been so difficult. I have been getting some help from my boyfriend. And some from my only brother, who is my senior.” She looked sad as she continued her story. Her face seemed to reflect a sincere confusion inside. The words came tumbling out in short sentences with little pause for breath. “Some time ago my boyfriend promised to marry me. I was looking forward to the wedding, that is, once I finished my university course in a few months’ time. But I have not seen my menstruation for three months. I did a pregnancy test and it was positive. I can’t believe I am pregnant. I’m scared. My boyfriend says I have to have an abortion. That is what he wants but I am not so sure that is a good idea. My boyfriend says he will end our relationship. My brother is the only one paying my school fees and he says that is the end now that I am pregnant.” She paused and gazed out the window as if looking off into the future. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “What am I to do? Even my close girl friends have been urging me to be reasonable and abort the pregnancy. Even though I am not 37


sure, it seems I have no choice. Who will provide for me and my baby?” Many girls face a similar situation. What would you do if you were Florence? What advice would you give to Florence in her difficult situation?

Every abortion stops a beating heart.

38

Chapter Four Pro-Life or Pro-Abortion? :

What are the arguments and the facts? Some people and groups argue vigorously and passionately for providing abortion services to all women who want it for whatever reason. Pro-abortionists usually prefer the term “prochoice,” meaning that they believe women should have the choice to abort their babies. “Pro-life” people and groups support the right to life of the unborn child and argue against making abortion easily available to anyone who wants it. The pro-choice lobby argues that the woman should have the right to choose whether or not to end her pregnancy. This position really only has one basic argument, that the unborn baby is not a person, and so has no right to life. Here are some of the statements that “pro-choice” (pro-abortion) campaigners put forward, together with replies from the pro-life point of view. Pro-abortion campaigners argue: An unborn baby is not a person and so does not have a right to life A person according to the dictionary is one who belongs to the human race. What makes one to belong to the human race is that he has the genetic characteristics of the human race. These genetic characteristics are obtained from his or her father and mother, both of whom belong to the human race.


“A living being’s designation to a species is not by the stage of development,

but

by

the

sum

total

of

its

biological

characteristics.... if we say that [the foetus] is not human i.e. a member of Homo sapiens, we must say that it is a member of another species but this cannot be.”19

When doctors first began invading the sanctuary of the womb, they did not know that the unborn baby would react to pain in the same fashion as a child would. But they soon learned that he or she would. Even society knows that inside every pregnant woman is an innocent life worth protecting. That is why the news is usually more sensational when a pregnant woman is rescued from a natural disaster or violently killed, for example, during armed conflict. Pro-abortion campaigners argue: A woman has the right to do with her own body whatever she chooses This is one of the most frequently-used arguments in favour of abortion. Many people who would not have an abortion themselves will still argue that a woman should have the right to choose to have an abortion if she wishes. This comes from the belief that it is her body and therefore her choice. However, a person’s right over her own body is not an absolute right. For example, in many countries it is not legal to be a prostitute, so a person does not have a right to be a prostitute. Likewise, a person does not have a right to take illegal drugs.

40

Pro-Life or Pro-Abortion?

A baby in the womb, called a foetus, is not part of the woman’s body. From the moment of conception (fertilisation), the baby has different genes from the mother, giving the baby its own characteristics. The clearest example of this is that the baby may be a male, and this happens

Human foetus at 10 weeks

at the very instant of conception. Clearly, a male embryo or baby is not part of the woman’s body! The baby has a different blood system than the mother and often has a different blood group from the mother. Maybe you did not know that the mother’s blood and the baby’s blood do not mix but are separated. The food and oxygen that the baby needs passes across the placenta (afterbirth) to the baby. Just because the baby is living inside the mother does not make the baby part of the mother. See the illustrations here and on page 99. Some would argue that the baby cannot live without the mother, so it is not a real human being. Yes, the baby does depend on the mother, but even after birth it is many years before the baby will not be dependent on someone. The fact that the baby is dependent does not give us the right to take the baby’s life.

41


Pro-abortion campaigners argue: If abortion is not legal, then women and girls will be forced to have unsafe abortions where their lives will be more at risk. Abortion is never safe for the woman and is certainly not safe for the baby. There are in fact many women and girls dying from abortions. But, if the baby is a person, by arguing for legalised abortion we are asking that the killing be done more safely. How can we offer our citizens safe killing? Even if abortion is legal and “safer” for the mother, it is certainly not safe for the baby. Abortion cannot be compared with any other type of surgery in which a part of the woman’s body is removed. Having an abortion is not like removing a piece of tissue, an appendix or a cyst. If we in Africa look at many Western countries where abortion has been legalised, we find that legalising abortion has led to huge rises in the number of abortions. In the United States before 1973, there were only about 100,000 abortions per year. Then the US Supreme Court opened the doors of abortion clinics, with a ruling that amounted to creating a right to abortion on demand. Now, there are about 1.5 million abortions each year, and killing unborn babies has become a money-making business. Abortion is being used as a means of family planning, family spacing or just contraception. I recently talked to an American midwife who met one of her patients about to deliver. The midwife learned that her 25-yearold patient had already had 17 abortions. In other words, she had used free and easy abortion as her means of contraception. 42


Pro-abortion campaigners argue: Forcing women, especially poor women, to continue their pregnancies will cause overwhelming hardship Pro-choice (pro-abortion) supporters argue that without access to abortion women will suffer more economic hardship. They will be limited to a life of poverty that will also be unfair to the children they bring into the world. It is true that many women left to care for big families are facing great hardship. We need to again come back to our basic argument. Are the unborn poor really persons? Yes, we believe that they are really people deserving the protection of the right to life. If we say a child in the womb should be killed because he or she may be poor and a burden, then why should we stop there? Why should we not rid our towns and cities of poor people? Why should the government not gather up all of the homeless, the street children, and the poor who live in our slums and just kill them all because they are poor and a burden on society? That is such a shocking idea! Why do we not rid ourselves of all those who are begging and are a financial burden to our country? Because they are human beings with a right to life. The baby in the womb has the same right to life. Since when did being a financial burden become a reason to end someone’s life? In a civilised society, and especially in a Christian society, the right to life should be protected at all costs and every human being treated with the dignity of a person made in the image of God. Medical doctors work hard to save the lives of

43


newly born babies. They should

The solution to unwanted

equally make every effort to save the lives of babies in the womb.

pregnancies is not

The solution to unwanted pregnan-

to kill the babies.

cies is not to kill the babies. The

The solution is to

solution is to create policies that lift the poor out of poverty. The solution

create policies that

for an individual baby may be

lift the poor out of

adoption by a family with the finan-

poverty.

cial means, and perhaps with no children of their own. No matter how severe the problems, in a civilised

society and with the authority of the Holy Scriptures behind us, we must not kill to solve our problems. We will discuss more about abortion alternatives later in this book. Pro-abortion campaigners argue: Society should not force women to bring unwanted children into the world Often, what was an unwanted pregnancy before delivery becomes a very much wanted baby after birth. Sometimes the baby becomes much loved and wanted by the mother herself. Even when she still does not want the baby, there are often extended family or adoptive parents who badly want him or her. But suppose the baby is truly unwanted. This argument says that a baby should not be brought into the world unless it is wanted by the parents. The pro-abortion lobby argues that unwanted children may be abused and neglected, so that abortion will prevent that problem. But again we must remember that the baby 44


in the womb is a person with rights. Is it right to kill a baby so that he or she

Is it right to kill a

will not be abused in the future? No,

baby so that he or

killing that baby would be the worst form of child abuse. The value of a person does not depend

she will not be abused in the

on being wanted. The fact that the

future? No, killing

parents do not want a baby tells us

that baby would

something about the parents, not

be the worst form

about the child. Nor is it right or lawful in other situations to kill someone who

of child abuse.

is not wanted. Churches and those who claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ must help care for “unwanted” children. Pro-abortion campaigners argue: But isn’t an abortion merciful if the unborn child is found to be handicapped? It is never merciful to kill. God never gave us that authority. A child with a disability is still a child made in God’s image and valuable in his sight. How do we decide what is a disability? Many adults have disabilities and we do not kill them. The response to children with disabilities is to care for them and not destroy them. When doctors counsel the parents of an unborn child with defects we should examine the motive. They often say, “The child will not have a life worthy of living.” Who are we to judge what life is worth living and what is not?

45


The German Nazis under Adolf Hitler considered aged, sickly, retarded, senile and handicapped people to be “useless eaters,” only partly human and therefore to be killed. Man is not a machine. He is not a random collection of cells. He is ordained by God and given his precious life by God himself. (See page 79 for more on what the Bible teaches about handicap or disability.) Pro-abortion campaigners argue: What about the life of the mother? Is it not better to save her life? There are very few occasions when an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother. In such instances, the doctor’s goal will be to save one life (the mother) rather than lose both mother and baby by continuing the pregnancy. It is almost never a choice between the baby and the mother. If the mother dies, the baby most often dies too. It is better to save one life rather than to lose two lives. A typical example of this scenario occurs when a mother has very high blood pressure due to a condition called pre-eclampsia. Her blood pressure can become so dangerously high that she is in danger of having a stroke, a seizure or severe bleeding. To save her life, the doctor may need to remove the baby. Even in such cases, the doctor will usually take measures that will help the baby to survive outside the mother’s womb. He or she will usually try to manage the mother’s blood pressure by using medicines and procedures that may improve the chances of survival of the baby outside of the womb. 46


Pro-abortion campaigners argue: If the mother conceived the child because of rape or incest, is it not better to abort the baby? There is no doubt that the issue of pregnancy as a result of rape is one that stirs strong emotions of anger, disgust and even hatred. This is easy to understand. We must approach this with great compassion. The woman has been subjected to an ugly trauma, and she needs love, support and help. When a woman has been raped, it is not fair to say, as I have heard several times, “Well, the girl must have asked for it!” Or perhaps today we hear, “It was the way she was dressed!” Nothing can justify rape. The girl has been the victim of one violent act. Should we now ask her to be a party to a second violent act, that of abortion? Pregnancy following rape is quite rare. With prompt and effective treatment, pregnancy can be prevented in most cases. Studies show that that the probability of pregnancy following a single sexual act by two consenting fertile adults is 3%. In cases of rape, this probability is further reduced by several factors.20 The pro-choice (pro-abortion) lobby sometimes uses rape more as an excuse to appeal to the emotions of the public. Rather than concentrating efforts on providing abortion services to rape victims, we should try harder to provide them with prompt and effective treatment. Such treatment includes measures to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

47


Let us come back to the principle that the baby in the womb is also a human being deserving protection. Is it right to execute the child for the crime of the father? Do you kill a child because his father is an armed robber? Even if the baby is not wanted by the mother, is there not someone who would be willing to take that child and love and care for him or her? The girl may be more traumatized by the rape itself than by the pregnancy. Her response to what has happened often depends on the love and support of family and friends. The girl who has been raped is old

Is it right to execute the child for the

enough to know the truth about what she is carrying in her womb. Will she be at peace with herself if

crime of the father?

she kills the developing baby? Or will

Do you kill a child

she be more at peace with herself if,

because his father is an armed robber?

even though she became pregnant against her will, she accepts that this is not the baby’s fault and therefore the baby should not be killed? Perhaps she will want to give the

baby away for adoption, but sometimes when she sees her newborn baby, she may change her mind and want to keep the baby. The baby is only one half belonging to the rapist. The other half is hers. It is possible for women to lie about how they became pregnant, knowing that claiming it was though rape may make it easier to get an abortion. Rape is hard to prove. In the United States, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision is well known. It was this 48


historic decision that opened up the gates for abortion on demand in the United States. “Jane Doe,” the woman in that case, was actually a girl named Norma McCorvey. The official court case called her “Jane Doe” to protect her privacy. During the legal case, Norma McCorvey claimed that she had become pregnant after being gang raped at a circus. She did this because she believed the claim of rape would allow her to get a legal abortion in the state of Texas. Not until fourteen years later, in 1987, did Norma McCorvey admit that the baby was actually conceived “through what I thought was love.”21 She was not raped at all. Often, the main complaint of a woman who has become pregnant as a result of rape is how others treat her, rather than the fact that she is pregnant. Let us accept, love and generously care for those pregnant as a result of rape. What if the woman who has been raped feels that she cannot care for her child? We must let these women and girls know that it is alright to feel like this. Those feelings do not mean the baby is unwanted. There are many arms outstretched and longing for a child to love. When a women or girl goes to hospital immediately after a rape, what happens? After a rape, it is very important that the victim go to the hospital immediately. As much as possible, she should avoid actions such as bathing that may tamper with the evidence of the crime. At the hospital, a thorough examination and tests are done. When 49


available, some of the tests may help to identify the man involved and assist in securing justice for the victim. More importantly however, medical care may be necessary to prevent pregnancy and infections including HIV. In preventing pregnancy, the women may be given a drug which is essentially a high dose of hormones (called the morning-after pill). These hormones aim to prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation (releasing of the egg) from occurring. Some doctors may also use an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) as an emergency contraceptive. There are concerns that the IUCD may actually cause an abortion, although the exact mechanism of action of IUCD is still not completely clear. In some rare cases, fertilisation may have occurred before the victim is seen by a doctor. Once fertilisation has occurred, a new life has begun. Since some of the methods of preventing pregnancy may indeed act by inducing an early abortion, it is very important to get to hospital immediately. Another reason for getting to the hospital in time is to enable the woman to receive drugs to prevent HIV (called post-exposure prophylaxis). These drugs are most useful for preventing HIV when given within the first 24 hours after the rape, but can be given later than 24 hours after the incident.

50


“We did not tell them it was a baby!” By a nurse “The women are never allowed to look at the ultrasound (the scanner which clearly shows the baby’s features) because we know that if they so much as heard the heartbeat, they would not want to have an abortion.” “Every woman has these same two questions: First, ‘Is it a baby?’ ‘No,’ the counsellor assures her. ‘It is a product of conception (or a blood clot, or a piece of tissue) . . .’ “How many women would have an abortion if they told them the truth?” “Sometimes we lied. A girl might ask what her baby was like at a certain point in the pregnancy: ‘Is it a baby yet?’ Even as early as 12 weeks we know that a baby is totally formed, he has fingerprints, turns his head, fans his toes, feels pain. But we would say, ‘It is not a baby yet. It is only tissue, like a clot.’”

51


“I guess you got it all!” By a medical student I can remember the doctor sitting down, putting the tube in, and removing the contents. I saw the bloody material coming down the plastic tube, and it went into a big jar. My job afterwards was to remove the jar and see what was inside. I did not have any views on abortion. I was in a training program, and this was a brand new experience. I was going to be allowed to see a new procedure and learn. I opened the jar. The resident doctor said “Now put it on the blue towel and check it is all there. We want to see if we got it all.” I thought, “that will be exciting, hands-on experience looking at tissue.” I opened the jar and put it on the towel, and there were parts of a person in there. I had taken anatomy, I was a medical student, I knew what I was looking at. There was a little shoulder blade and an arm. I saw some ribs and a chest, and a little tiny head. I saw a piece of a leg, a tiny hand and an arm, and you know, it was like somebody put a hot poker into me. I had a conscience and it hurt. Well, I checked it out and there were two arms and two legs and one head and so forth, and I turned and said “I guess you got it all.” That was a very hard experience to go through emotionally.

52


“Then I knew what I had done!” By a student doctor Following [the doctor’s] directions, I took the collection bottle and poured its contents into a shallow pan. Then I used water to rinse off the blood and smaller particles which clouded the bottom of the pan. “Now look closely,” the doctor said. “It is important that we have got all the stuff out.” I looked in the pan to find that the stuff consisted of the remains of what had been, a few minutes before, a living, thirteen week old foetus. I could make out the remains of arms and legs and a trunk and a skull. I tried to piece them back together in my mind, to see if there were any missing parts. Most of the pieces were so battered and bloody they were not recognizably human. Then my eyes locked upon a perfect little hand, less than half a centimetre long. I stared at four tiny fingers and a tiny thumb, complete with tiny translucent fingers. Then I knew what I had done. I had taken the life of a baby.

53

CHAPTER FIVE THE LESSONS OF HISTORY :

History can teach us much if we are wise enough to let it do so. You may have heard it said, “those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” Let us look at some of the incidents in history when some human lives were counted as inferior or less valuable than others. These incidents can teach us something important. Down through history there are many examples of one group of people treating another group as less than human.

The Native Americans When America was colonised by Europeans, the Native Americans (sometimes called American Indians) were often treated like savages. Their homes were taken away. The Native American’s bows and arrows and spears never had a chance against the guns of the colonisers. After many had died, the small numbers remaining were segregated to areas of land called “reservations.” This treatment was very wicked. Some of us who look back on American history wonder how this could have happened. Yet,

The lessons of history

most people who were involved at the time thought that it was “OK.” The thinking was that the Native Americans were uncivilized “savages” and, as such, they were “less than human.” They were seen as “different.” That was how the invaders justified their mistreatment. It was convenient to get rid of them and take over their land.

The slave trade As the colonies grew in North America, so the trans-Atlantic slave trade also grew. In Africa, slave traders bought Africans from other Africans who cooperated in selling their neighbours. The slaves were forced into ships and brought to America and the West Indies to provide cheap, forced labour in cotton and sugar plantations. The conditions in the slave ships were horrible, and many died on the way. The slaves who did arrive in America were sold like cattle to work in the fields. They did not receive education, they lost their culture, and their human dignity was taken away. Many slaveowners treated slaves cruelly, with no concern for their humanity. Many of us look back and wonder how could it have happened? Slavery has existed in most societies from ancient times. Arabs and Africans, for instance, have made great profits from selling Africans to be slaves in neighbouring African states as well as in 55


North Africa, and the Middle East. Nevertheless, how could Christians justify exploiting, mistreating, and even killing other human beings? How could even church leaders defend the practice? It seems unthinkable to many of us today, yet it was done very easily. Cruel men hardened their hearts and made money from the practice. Most people who were involved at the time thought that it was “OK.” They thought the Africans were “inferior savages” and “less than human.” That was how their horrible mistreatment was justified.

The mass murders by the Nazis Not so long ago, in Germany during World War II (1939–1945),

56


Hitler led his Nazi party to kill more than six million Jewish men, women, and children, as well as many of the Roma people, those who were physically or mentally disabled, and homosexuals. Although the top Nazi leaders cleverly hid the killings from the public, everyone knew that the Jews, and the others, were being mistreated, and many Germans, especially among the Nazis themselves, did know about the killings. Many tried to deceive themselves into believing it was not happening. Today we call this nightmare “the Jewish Holocaust.” How could this have happened in a “civilised” country? Once again, many of those involved at the time thought that it was necessary and acceptable. Over many years, in not only Germany but also elsewhere, many people had accepted the lie that the Jews, and the others, were inferior. The Nazis used this lie to stir up hatred, blaming the Jews for all kinds of problems, and teaching that they were less than human. Eventually the Nazis declared that the Jews were a great evil in the world, and that the “final solution” must be to kill them all. Many Germans by then believed the lie that the Jews were wicked, sub-human, and unworthy of justice. Though some Germans objected, few were willing to risk their lives by standing against the powerful government. As a result, six million or more people were systematically killed. It was not a mass killing by wild men: the Nazis took great care to plan and record their actions. They were proud of their “accomplishment” toward the “final solution.”

57


Rwanda Before the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the extreme Hutu faction began a program to stir up hatred against the Tutsis. Like

the

Nazi’s,

these

extremists began teaching that these other people were the source of evil, and were inhuman,

just

“cockroaches.” When the time was right, their hate radio began urging all Hutus to kill “the cockroaches.” In a few days, Hutu mobs, many of whom were neighbours of the Tutsis, slaughtered about 800,000 Tutsis, along with many moderate Hutus who opposed the violence. The Hutus killed the Tutsis believing that they were somehow “inferior” and “less than human.” That is how their killing was justified. More recently, the same kind of killing has been happening in Darfur in Western Sudan, and the world seems unwilling or powerless to respond. When we look back on these, and similar evils, we may be shocked that anyone could have justified such crimes against humanity. Some of us comfort ourselves by thinking that nothing like this could happen today in our “enlightened and educated” society. Are we so blind and deceived that we do not see that this killing is happening again through abortion? This time it is happening to a 58


group of human beings who cannot even speak for themselves. The victims are a group so weak and innocent that they do not have a chance of defending themselves. History repeats itself: we kill and allow the killing of unborn babies. Millions have died. Those involved in the killing believe this is acceptable. They assume that unborn children are “inferior” and “less than human,” only “a foetus.” That is the main reason that their murder is justified and that the killings continue in Africa and elsewhere. Today men are getting rich from killing babies who should have the right to life and ought to be protected in what should be the safest place in the world, their mother’s womb.

Christian voices against abortion Many Christians oppose abortion, especially Christians who take the Bible as the foundation of what to believe and how to live. In this book, we will examine what the Bible teaches about abortion. For those in the Roman Catholic faith, Pope Benedict XVI has given clear guidance: “Abortion is a crime of aggression not only against the unborn, but also against society. Children have the right to be born and to grow in the midst of a family. It is necessary to help all people to be aware that the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion, which attacks human life at its beginning, is also an aggression against society itself. Legalized abortion has laid the groundwork for acceptance of the destruction of embryos in scientific research. The result is that human life is reduced 59


“to an object or a mere instrument. When it reaches this level, society itself suffers and its foundations shake, with all classes at risk.”22

Referring to Africa he said “While the understanding of Christian family life finds a deep resonance in Africa, it is a matter of great concern that the globalized secular culture is exerting an increasing influence on local communities as a result of campaigns by agencies promoting abortion. This direct destruction of an innocent human life can never be justified, however difficult the circumstances that may lead some to consider taking such a grave step. When you preach the Gospel of Life, remind your people that the right to life of every innocent human being, born or unborn, is absolute and applies equally to all people. This equality "is the basis of all authentic social relationships which, to be truly such, can only be founded on truth and justice" (Evangelium Vitae, 57). The Catholic community must offer support to those women who may find it difficult to accept a child, above all when they are isolated from their family and friends. Likewise, the community should be open to welcome back all who repent of having participated in the grave sin of abortion, and should guide them with pastoral charity to accept the grace of forgiveness, the need for penance, and the joy of entering once more into the new life of Christ.”23

During some of my time in Nigeria, I have worked at Evangel Hospital in Jos. The Pro-Life Evangel organisation there is challenging abortion through word and deed. They are providing women and girls with positive, practical alternatives to abortion. 60


They are also speaking and teaching how God’s truth requires the protection of unborn children. Leaders and pastors of all churches, perhaps as a result of reading this book, should likewise begin speaking out on this very important issue. They should offer distressed women and girls the help they need to save the lives of their babies.

Muslim voices against abortion Alhaji Yusmus Yusuff, a chief Muslim imam in Lagos, believes anyone who aborts a child should be punished the same as a murderer. He has quoted the Qur’an, “kill not your children for fear of what the Lord shall provide, sustain them as well as the mother. Verily the killing of them is a great sin” (Sura 17, verse 31). Iman Quamarudeen Saidulah, citing the Qur’an, said, “One must not kill the child inside the belly, and anybody who does that commits great sin. Don’t kill because of fear of poverty, because Gods says he is the one that takes care of both the mother and the foetus. But if [you] kill the child you must ensure a query before God.”24 The European Council for Fatwa and Research says, “Indeed, abortion is forbidden in Islam whether it be in the earlier stages of pregnancy or otherwise.”25 However, not all schools of Islamic law have a prohibition on abortion in the first 120 days of life.

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Feminist voices for and against abortion The strongest voices in favour of abortion come from the socalled “women’s rights” movement. Many people in that movement would call themselves feminists. They say they are campaigning for the rights of women, but they ignore the rights of the child in the womb, half of whom are baby girls. Perhaps the greatest “success” of these feminists over years of campaigning has been to convince people who do not know better that the unborn child is only part of the mother’s body. They often speak of the unborn child as a “lump of jelly” and a “collection of cells.” This makes it seem that having an abortion is no different to removing an appendix or a growth in the body. This lie has led many to believe that we who oppose abortion are creating a controversy over nothing. Such mistaken opinions about life before birth fly in the face of everything we now know about the child before birth. And yet, I have met other feminists who oppose abortion. They see abortion as killing their sisters, baby girls who deserve protection. In China there has been a growing concern that many Chinese men will not find wives because Chinese parents, allowed to have only one child, are selectively aborting baby girls in favour of having a boy. This also happens in India. Some feminists have realised that the pressure to abort a baby often comes from men, and that women are exploited by abortion while men take little responsibility for their actions.

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Atheist voices against abortion Many people who have no belief in God, once they understand the amazing development of the baby in the womb, will also speak against abortion. It is not a merely religious conviction but one based on the medical knowledge that the baby is a separate human being. In an magazine interview, prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens said that he was pro-life and against abortion because the child in the womb is not just a “growth” but an unborn child, deserving of human rights.26

The Hippocratic oath The famous Hippocratic Oath, developed by the ancient Greeks over two thousand years ago, has governed for centuries the practice of medical doctors all over the world. It includes a specific ban on abortion. When a doctor promises to keep the Hippocratic Oath, he promises not to perform an abortion. 1

One of Us The heart of the case against abortion is that, before he or she is born, the child is still a child. That means that, right from the start of that child’s life, he or she is one of us and deserves the same protection and respect which we give to every other human life. 1

“I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.”

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CHAPTER SIX WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ABORTION? :

Although the case against abortion is not limited to religious arguments, as Christians the Bible is our only basis of faith and practice. Unfortunately, many people who claim to be Christians are influenced by the world’s thinking more than by biblical principles. Some of them support abortion. Professor Samuel Waje Kunhiyop says of this kind of thinking: They do not see truth as a fixed thing but live their lives trying to make what they see as the best decisions in every circumstance with no firm foundation for each decision. This is called “situational ethics.” But situational ethics can be very dangerous. In other words, what works or satisfies (pragmatism) is acceptable and that there is nothing absolutely right or wrong or universally binding (relativism). These are the presuppositions of situational ethics.27

Wanted or unwanted? The woman who is happy to be pregnant talks freely about her “baby” and what it is doing in her womb day by day. The woman who does not want her baby may not even mention her pregnancy, or may describe the new life inside her as a “foetus” or even a “thing.” Have you ever noticed that?

Does abortion have risks?

How we see the unborn baby in the womb and how we talk about him or her often depends on whether that baby is “wanted” or “unwanted.” In truth, there are very few, if any, unwanted babies. Someone wants the baby—someone who is not able to have a baby or even someone who has a lot of love to give to another child alongside their own children. If the baby is wanted by the mother, she often talks about the baby growing, developing and kicking. She carries her pregnancy with pride. In some cultures she may even name her baby in the womb. She may be delighted to have a sonogram scan done to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. If a miscarriage happens, some parents may have a funeral service for their baby knowing that he or she is a precious life in God’s sight. If the baby is not wanted, the woman or girl often does not mention the pregnancy. She may deny what she feels and may refuse to see the baby in the womb as a person. She may simply want to rid herself of this “thing” that is causing problems in her life. The doctor who does the abortion will call the baby an “embryo” or a “foetus” or even “products of conception” and will not speak of a “baby” as he does not want to upset the woman. He may also find that his own conscience is easier to deal with when a baby is not mentioned.

Confusing language People who encourage abortion to solve “unwanted” pregnancies avoid talk about killing a baby. They will talk about “termination of pregnancy,” or even “interruption of pregnancy,” as if 65


pregnancy was something that can be stopped and then started again when the time is “appropriate.” The phrase “interrupting a pregnancy” makes me think of a piece of knitting or sewing that I stop for a while when someone comes to visit and then pick up again when I wish. Abortion is not as simple as that. God’s giving of life and then the destruction of that precious life is not as simple as interrupting a piece of knitting or sewing! The pro-abortion lobby may even use phrases like “emptying of the uterine contents,” or “evacuation of the uterus” (womb). With all of this confusing language, it is important for Christians to turn to the only authority that we can rely on, the Bible. The Bible must set our standard and to guide our thinking about the status of the unborn baby. What scripture teaches must be the basis of our beliefs and actions. The Bible does not directly mention the word abortion, but there is no doubt of what the Bible teaches about the sacredness of life in the womb before birth and outside the womb, after birth. 1. The Bible teaches us that all human life is precious and valuable to God God makes clear in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, that human life is very different from animal or plant life. God said, “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Gen.1:26). 66


The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being (Gen. 2:7). For your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting; I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man (Gen. 9:5-6).

Bearing the image of God is what makes any man or woman special, what makes him different from animals. Every man and woman bears the “image of God.” He or she is God’s “image bearer.” Men or women are not just special because of their abilities. One of the main ideas behind this “image of God” is relationship. Animals do not have the relationship to God that man has. Everywhere in the world, uniquely human beings seek to worship and serve a god, even if they do not know the one true God of the Bible. God affirms the existence of the special relationship of man and his Maker, whether or not an individual has the ability to respond to that relationship. 2. The Bible teaches that God is the One Who “opens and closes the womb” and decides when children will be born We read that the Lord closed Sarah’s womb and Rachel’s womb (Gen. 20:18; 30:22), but opened Leah’s and Hannah’s wombs (Gen. 29:31, 1 Sam. 1:5–6).

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In Hannah’s distraught prayer to God when she was barren, she confesses, “the Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up” (1 Sam. 1: 5–6). In the same vein, when God lists punishments for Israel through the prophet Hosea, he says “Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird; no birth, no pregnancy, no conception” (Hos. 9:11). In Deuteronomy, we learn one of the blessings of obedience will be “in the fruit of your womb” (Deut. 28:11). When Ruth conceived, we read that it was the Lord “enabled her to conceive” (Ruth 4:13). This truth is again clear in Psalm 113:9, God “settles the barren woman in her home as the happy mother of children.” We read, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth” (Ps. 127:3–4). 3. The Bible teaches us that every human life is a continuity from conception to death and that God knows us intimately even before we are born The only logical place for all of human life to begin is at the moment of conception. I will explain conception from a scientific perspective later in the book, but basically it is the point when you started to be you, the point when your life began. Again and again, the Bible describes pregnant women as being “with child,” the same word as is used for babies after they are born. Gen. 16:11; 1 Sam. 4:19; 2 Sam. 11:5; 2 Kings 15:16; Eccl. 11:5; Isaiah 26:17–18; Jer. 31:8; Hos. 13:16; Amos 1:13; Matt. 1:18,23; 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 2:5; 21:23; 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 12:2. 68


Old Testament teaching about life in the womb The Old Testament stresses the fact that God creates human beings right from the moment of conception, that this amazing conception is a precious gift from God, and that God is involved in making the child in the womb. Samson’s mother was forbidden to take wine during her pregnancy as Samson was to be a Nazarite who was not allowed to have wine (Judges 13:7). Wine was to be kept from him not only after he was born but also before he was born. One of the Old Testament passages showing most clearly that human life continues from conception is from the psalmist David: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body (Psalm 139:13– 16a).

Here David shows us three things: •

God is involved in our growth inside our mother’s womb. He is the one who puts us together. He knits and weaves us together in the dark place of the womb where no one else sees us.

•

There is a continuity of our lives before as well as after birth. We did not just come to life when we came on that hard journey into the daylight on the day of our birth. 69


No, we were alive and well before that. Yes, we were dependent on our mother for food and oxygen, but that does not mean that we were not fully human. Even after birth, it is many years before a young child is truly independent, needing no one to feed and care for him or her. •

Before birth, we had a special relationship with God. God was the one in action before our birth. God’s eyes saw our unformed bodies. He was the creator “fearfully and wonderfully” making us, and he continues that action after birth.

Elsewhere in the Psalms, David even says that our sinful nature is present right from the moment of conception (Ps 51:5). The doctrine of original sin taught in Scripture says that every human being has a bias towards doing the wrong thing, or has a sinful nature. You do not have to teach a young child to do the wrong thing. He does wrong things by nature, which is why as parents we need to train our children. It is because of this sin that we need a Saviour. Jesus came to pay the price for our sins when he died for us. David says, “Surely, I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:1). David confesses that he had a sinful nature from his very conception, but unless he was fully human at that point, how could he have a sinful nature?

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In another Psalm we see that God is involved in the details of creation in the womb. We read, “Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?” (Psalm 94:9). Conception, the point where our mother became pregnant, is the point when you and I started to be human. God teaches Israel how he has been caring for them since conception and will continue to care all the way through life. Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you (Isa 46:4).

The

Old

Testament

prophet

Jeremiah, at one sad and depressed point in his life, declared that he wished he had never been born, that he had died in the womb, instead. May (the Lord) hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? (Jeremiah 20:16b–18).

Jeremiah understood that his own life was in existence in the womb, so much so that he said that he wished that God had killed 71


him in the womb. He did not say that God should have killed him when he came out of the womb. His own life was there before he was born and his birth was just a continuation of that life. The Old Testament prophet Job was also very depressed at one point in his life. He said, “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11). We see here that Job understood that he existed before the time of his birth, or he would not have used the pronoun “I” or said that he should have died. Job also asks these questions, Why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? (Job 3:16). Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. If only I had never come into being, (been conceived) or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! (Job 10:18–19).

Again we see that Job recognized that he existed before birth. He is also saying that either he should never have been conceived at all, or else he should have died at birth. The stillborn child was alive before it died. When Job talks to God about his life he says, Your hands shaped me and made me. . .Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me with cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? (Job 10:8, 10, 11). 72


Listen to Job again as he considers God’s requirement that he act justly towards others. He says, “Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?” (Job 31:15). In Deuteronomy 32:18, Moses made a speech where he states that the people of Israel had “deserted the Rock (God) who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” Isaiah again emphasises that God is the one who forms us in our mother’s womb. “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb” (Isaiah 44:24).

The New Testament teaching about life in the womb In the New Testament we see more evidence that the Bible teaches that human life is a continuation between conception and death. Doctor Luke gives us some clear evidence. As a medical doctor, perhaps he was more interested in giving us, his readers, some of the medical details. He did not give us these details with abortion in mind, but they are very useful details in helping us understand the issues surrounding abortion. One of my favourite preachers, Pastor John Piper, has helped me understand the importance of Luke 1 in relation to abortion and I am sharing some of his teaching with you. The following is taken from his sermon “The Baby in My Womb Leaped for Joy.”

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A Glimpse into the Womb (Luke 1) The situation is that Elizabeth and Mary are both given a child in the womb. Elizabeth becomes pregnant with John the Baptist and Mary with Jesus. Both pregnancies are miraculous: Elizabeth’s because she is too old and had always been barren; And Mary’s, because she is a virgin. The Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and she becomes pregnant with Jesus, the Son of God, who would one day die for our sins and rise again. Luke 1:24, “After these days [Zechariah’s] wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden.” Then in verse 26, Luke says, “In the sixth month [that is, the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin.” So when Mary becomes pregnant Elizabeth is about 24 weeks along in her pregnancy. Nothing Impossible with God To encourage her that her impossible pregnancy really can come true, the angel says to Mary, “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” So be encouraged, Mary, nothing is too hard for God. Witness the pregnancy of Elizabeth. O how often in these circumstances of pregnancy and infertility we need to be reminded, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” He gives, he takes, he provides in abundance, he sustains in loss.

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When the angel had gone, and Mary knew what was happening to her, she made a beeline to Elizabeth. What a consultation this would be: two of the most important and impossible pregnancies in the world. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:39–45).

Now, of course, none of this is being written with abortion in mind. That’s not the point. The point is: How did texts like these shape the way the church thought about the unborn? What were the assumptions here and the implications here? Notice two things. 1. The Word Baby First, the word baby in verses 41 and 44. Verse 41: “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.” Verse 44: “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” That word baby is not a specialized word for the unborn. It has no connotations of “embryo” or “foetus.” It is the ordinary word for baby (Greek brefos). And what makes this crystal clear and 75


significant is the way it’s used in Luke 2:16. Here in Luke 1, it refers to John the Baptist in the womb. In Luke 2, it refers to Jesus in the manger. Luke 2:16: “And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby (brefos) lying in a manger.” This is exactly the same word for baby. What the Christian church has seen in this is that what the persons Jesus and John were outside the womb they were already inside the womb. Jesus was the God-man in Mary’s womb. When the Holy Spirit (according to Luke 1:35) caused Mary to be pregnant, she was not pregnant with anything less than the Son of God. The baby inside was the same as the baby outside. Today science has only made that easier to believe, not harder. Ultrasound technology has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Yet virtually all abortions happen later in the pregnancy than this date. 2. Treated as a Person The second thing to notice here in Luke 1 is the way the baby in Elizabeth’s womb responded to Mary who was carrying the Son of God. Verse 41: “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.” Then in verse 44, Elizabeth interprets that leap like this: “Behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” And Luke says that Elizabeth said this because she was filled with the Holy Spirit. 76


Verses 41–42: “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed…” In other words, the Holy Spirit prompted her to say that this leap of the baby in her womb was a leap of joy. To increase the significance of that leap even more, consider what an angel said to Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah before his son was conceived. In Luke 1:14–15, the angel said, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” So that leap is not only a leap of joy but a leap of Holy-Spiritinspired joy. Only Persons Are Filled with the Spirit What shall we make of this? Never in the Bible is any animal said to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Never does the Bible say that a person’s arm or leg or kidney or skin is filled with the Spirit. Tissue is not filled with the Holy Spirit. Only persons are filled with the Spirit. What Luke is doing—and he is doing it as the spokesman of Christ—is treating this child in the womb as a person. He uses the word baby which he later uses for Jesus in the manger. He uses the word joy, which is what persons feel. He uses the phrase “filled with the Spirit” which is what God does to persons. He simply assumes he is dealing with a human person in the womb.28 John Piper

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When we repeat the Apostles’ Creed, we say something that we find taught in Matthew 1:20: we say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” This is confirmed by Matthew 1:20 and also by Luke. Both tell us that Mary conceived Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit “came upon her” and the “power of the Most High overshadowed her” (Luke 1:3). Who was conceived? Jesus Christ, God’s only son. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, but that was only the public event showing what happened in private nine months earlier when the angel Gabriel visited Mary. Jesus Christ did not become adopted as God’s son at some later date. He was God’s son in heaven, and at conception He became God’s son on earth. In both the Old and New Testaments, there are many examples of family lines being detailed where the scripture reads that one man “begat” or became the father to another, and then he in turn “begat” or became the father to another man. When the child in the womb came into existence at conception, the man who caused that conception was already a father at that point. Men do not become fathers when a baby is born, but when they make a woman or girl pregnant. 4. The Bible forbids the taking of innocent human life Human life is not like animal life. It is sacred. God laid down a principle to Noah: “Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Gen. 9:6).

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The sixth commandment is “You shall not murder” (Ex.20:13). If the Bible forbids the taking of innocent human life and we know that human life begins at conception, the Bible also forbids abortion which is the deliberate taking of innocent human life. 5. The Bible teaches us that we should give special care to the weak and the handicapped In much of the western world, with advanced science, doctors can often tell whether a baby has a handicap or disability. If it does, they may offer an abortion. The mother may choose an abortion if she does not want a “less than perfect” baby.

Defend the cause of the weak and

for

fatherless;

handicaps and disabilities include

maintain the rights

blood tests, sonogram scans, and a

of the poor and

The

tests

used

to

search

procedure called amniocentesis. (The last is done by taking fluid from

oppressed.

around the baby via a needle

Psalm 82:3

piercing through the abdominal wall into the womb. The procedure itself creates risk to the baby and may even hasten premature labour.) But does God give us the right to end a child’s life because it is less than perfect? Are any of us perfect? Do not all of us have some imperfections that we live with? We are called as Christians to be like God, to be holy as he is holy, and to be changed into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:16, Rom. 8:29). Throughout the Bible, it is clear that God is 79


concerned to defend the weak and helpless from those who want to harm or misuse them (Deut. 16:11-12, Amos 1:13). We find the Lord Jesus going about healing the sick and handicapped and ministering to the neediest of society. He is the model for every Christian, but particularly those in the medical profession. Abortion turns the whole practice of medicine on its head and leads us back to the pagan ways of the medicine men, or sorcerers, who destroy life. This is condemned in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 21:8; 22:15. Jesus came to bring healing and life (John 10:10). Men or women who kill unborn babies for a fee are to be rejected today. Unborn children are the weakest, most helpless, most defenceless members of our society. If our lives are as God wants them to be, we must be willing to rescue these little ones from death (Psalm 82:3, 4). We hear some people say that they do not want abortion to happen or be allowed for social reasons, but they still are happy and even promote abortion for babies who are discovered or suspected to be suffering from some degree of physical and mental disability. Sometimes we use the words “physically or mentally challenged.” Surely the Christian response is not killing but caring, for these reasons: The child with the physical or mental disability is still a human being and valuable in God’s eyes. God makes the handicapped child as well as the child without an obvious handicap. Whenever Moses complained to God about his disabilities God answered him this way. “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? 80


Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Ex. 4:11). God is especially interested in the welfare of the person with a disability. There are warnings of severe punishments laid down in the Old Testament for those who exploit the disabled person. Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord (Lev. 19:14). Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road. (Deut. 27:18).

When God promised the coming of Jesus Christ, part of that promise was that he would restore those with a disability. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb shout for joy (Isa. 35:5–6).

We saw Jesus do this when he was here on earth. Today he still does miracles, and when Jesus returns again to reign, there will be no more sorrow or handicap. To despise and reject the person with a physical or mental disability is to go contrary to the mind and will of Christ. In his own suffering, humiliation and death on our behalf, Jesus actually identified himself with the deformed and disabled. His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness. (Isaiah 52:14).

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As Christians, leaders in the church or in our families we have a big responsibility to warn against abortion of those who are disabled in any way. Many families are facing large burdens in caring for disabled members of their families. Christians must be there to offer real practical help, as well as pointing people to God’s help and grace to cope with difficult circumstances. 6. The Bible teaches that God welcomes the birth of children, all children, regardless of circumstances We are familiar with how often in the Bible God encourages his people to be fruitful and multiply (for example, Gen. 1:28; 8:17; 9:1, 7; 35:11). In 1 Tim. 5:14, Paul encourages younger widows to marry and have children. It is clear that all children, regardless of the circumstances, are a blessing. All children, regardless of circumstances, are his gifts. In chastising King David for his adulterous affair and subsequent murder of Bathsheba’s husband, God took the life of the baby through illness. Many today would be pleased to have such an escape route. Yet David, despite his sin of adultery, fasted seven days before God in the hope that his infant would live. David knew that the infant, though conceived in adultery, was a precious gift from God.

God alone claims absolute sovereignty and right over life and death. God is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and 82


everything else. For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:25–26).

As stated earlier, to take the life of the unborn is a violation of Exodus 20:13. It is murder. In fact, the case laws in Exodus address abortion in a way. If men strive (fight), and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit departs from her (she gives birth prematurely), and yet no mischief follow (the baby is not harmed): he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine (a fine). And if any mischief follow (the baby dies), then you shall give life for life (Exodus 21:22–23).

In this scripture there is a fight and a pregnant woman is injured so that she gives birth prematurely. The guilty one is punished either way it goes, but if the baby dies he faces the penalty for murder. This seems clear to me: God considers the unborn infant to be “life” and to kill it murder.

The early church’s teaching on abortion Until recently, there never has been any doubt in the mind of the Christian church that such killing is wrong. The Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas date from the beginning of the second century and are among the earliest sources for Christian thinking outside the New Testament. Both forbid abortion. You shall do no murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not corrupt boys, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not deal in magic, you shall do no 83


sorcery, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born. (Didache 2:2; cf. Epistle of Barnabas 19:5)

Why did the early church, and all succeeding generations of Christians, come to this conclusion—that it is forbidden to take the life of the unborn? We have already seen the root of this conviction: When a human life comes into existence, something magnificent has happened—created in the image of God, to live forever. 29

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The Children Do you hear the children crying? I can hear them every day, Crying, sighing, dying, flying Somewhere safe where they can play. Somewhere safe from all the dangers, Somewhere safe from crack and AIDS, Safe from lust and lurking strangers, Safe from war and bombing raids. Somewhere safe from malnutrition, Safe from daddy’s damning voice, Safe from mommy’s cool ambition, Safe from deadly goddess, Choice. Do you hear the children crying? I can hear them every day, Crying, sighing, dying, flying Somewhere safe where they can play.

Do you see the children meeting? I can see them in the sky, Meeting, eating, meeting, greeting Jesus with the answer why. Why the milk no longer nourished, Why the water made them sick,


Why the crops no longer flourished, Why the belly got so thick. Why they never knew the reason Friends had vanished out of sight, Why some suffered for a season, Others never saw the light. Do you see the children meeting? I can see them in the sky, Meeting, eating, meeting, greeting Jesus with the answer why.

Do you hear the children singing? I can hear them high above, Singing, springing, ringing, bringing Glory to the God of love. Glory for the gift of living, Glory for the end of pain, Glory for the gift of giving, Glory for eternal gain. Glory from the ones forsaken, Glory from the lost and lone, Glory when the infants waken, Orphans on the Father’s throne Do you hear the children singing? I can hear them high above, Singing, springing, ringing, bringing Glory to the God of love. 86

The Children

Do you see the children coming? I can see them on the clouds, Coming, strumming, drumming, humming Songs with heaven’s happy crowds. Songs with lots of happy clapping, Songs that set the heart on fire, Songs that make your foot start tapping, Songs that make a merry choir. Songs so loud the mountains tremble, Songs so pure the canyons ring, When the children all assemble Millions, millions, round the King. Do you see the children coming? I can see them on the clouds, Coming, strumming, drumming, humming Songs with heaven’s happy crowds.

Do you see the children waiting? I can see them all aglow Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, Who of us will rise and go? Will we turn and fly to meet them Will we venture something new? I intend to rise and greet them. Come and go with me, would you?30 Pastor John Piper 87

CHAPTER SEVEN IS THE UNBORN BABY IN THE WOMB REALLY A HUMAN BEING? :

We have already looked at the biblical evidence that God sees the baby in the womb as precious and deserving our protection. But what are the scientific facts about the baby in the womb? One reason many women go for an abortion, or do not care that others have abortions, is that they do not know the wonderful story of the baby growing inside the shelter of the mother’s womb. Every abortion stops a beating heart.

The growth and development of the unborn baby Maybe you do not know how quickly a baby develops in the womb. When an abortion is done, what is removed from the womb is not “a blob of jelly” or a “piece of tissue” but a human life. Often women are not counselled and given correct information about the humanity of the baby or the physical and mental risks of having an abortion. Women who “choose” to have an abortion are often not given the opportunity to make a truly informed choice based on a range of options. I know a girl who was thinking about having an abortion. Her boyfriend went with her to see the doctor, who was willing to do

Is the Unborn Baby in the Womb Really a Human Being?

the abortion. To see what age the baby was so that the doctor could decide which method of abortion to use, the doctor decided to do an ultrasound scan. The screen, showing the baby moving about and the heart beating, was turned away from the mother, but the boyfriend could see it. He turned the screen towards his girlfriend and the moment she saw the beating heart and the baby moving around, she decided not to have the abortion. Note about counting the weeks of pregnancy: The length of the pregnancy is often counted from the first day of the woman’s last menses. By this measure, a normal pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. Now, conception takes place about 14 days after the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, and 14 days before her next menstrual period is due. Timing the pregnancy from the day of conception, therefore, a normal pregnancy lasts 38 weeks. In this description of the development of the baby, we will look at the 38 weeks in the womb counted from conception to birth.

The Miracle of Conception and Milestones of Early Life in the Womb At no time in your life does more growth and changes occur than in the nine months before birth. Here are some of the amazing milestones of that time in your life. No matter what age you are now, your life began with conception on day one. Day 1: Conception. Conception took place. Of the 200,000,000 sperm from your father that tried to enter the mother’s egg cell, only one succeeded. 31

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We sometimes call this success, conception or fertilisation. Remember that on the pregnancy time line, this conception happened about 14 days after the first day of your mother’s last menstrual period, flow or menses. It is a scientific fact that conception is the point you started to be uniquely you. From that day onwards, you grew and developed. At birth, you changed your location, but you still continue to change and develop all through your life. How did conception happen? Conception happens when the egg and sperm meet and join. This is also called fertilisation. Sexual intercourse followed by fertilisation is how all human life begins. Your early cells multiplied, then moved along the fallopian tube and landed in your mother’s womb. The womb was the special safe place that God made for you to receive food from your mother and to grow and grow for around nine months, until you were ready to come out into the world. Right from that first day, you were a human being. You can look back to the day you were conceived and say, “That is when I began. That is the day I started being me.” There is no other point in time of which this is true. You were there a long time before your mother felt you move. God knew you were there weeks before your mother knew. Your life did not start only when you were strong enough to live outside the womb. Even the day you 90


were born was only an event in your life that began nine months earlier. On your birthday, you did not come into being but only changed your living place. Do you have dimples in your cheeks? That was decided on the day of conception. Do you have light skin or dark skin? That also was decided that day. Do you have a gift for art, sport or music? That was also decided the day you were conceived. These things written into each cell of your body are sometimes called your genetic coding. Genetic coding is not a matter of religious faith or opinion but a scientific fact. No one else in the whole world has the same genetic coding (plans) as you have, unless you have an identical twin. You are unique. God only made one of you. You do not have the same set of finger prints as anyone else whom God created. At that sacred moment of conception, you were not a potential human being but an actual human being, starting a life with great potential. At the point of conception you were smaller than a grain of sugar, but the genetic instructions were present for all you will ever become. That is the point when your life began. You began.

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On that first day, your first cells soon divided into two smaller cells. Each of these new cells divided again and again as they travelled toward your mother’s womb in search of a protected place to grow.32 Your life and my life began at conception. Early Development Day 6–14: This is the time when you first attached loosely to the wall of your mother’s womb, then burrowed deeply and attached yourself securely over the next week. We call this implantation. Sensitive pregnancy tests can already be positive at this time, depending on the level of the hormone hCG produced by the new life in the womb. By the end of the second week, your mother’s menstrual period was blocked by this hCG hormone you produced.33 For many women, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed menstrual flow. She may say that she has not seen her menses. If she did a pregnancy test at the time of missing her menses, it would show that she was pregnant.34 You were only about the size of a guava seed when your mother did not see her menses because your body signalled her body that you were present. Is it not amazing how it is the child who controls the mother’s body at implantation, and it is the child who nudges the mother into labour when the nine months are finished? Day 17: Your blood vessels began to form.35 Remarkably, the future sex cells that would give rise to sperm or eggs for a new

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generation (your children) were already beginning to group together. Day 18–20: The foundations of your brain, spinal cord, and nervous system were laid. 36 Day 21: Your heart began to beat,37 unsurely at first, gaining strength day by day. Your heart beat 70 times per minute at first, reaching a maximum of 170– 190 at seven weeks, and slowing a bit to 160–180 at 9 weeks.38 A day later your eyes begin to develop. The earliest stages of your ears were now present.39 Day 26–27: Your lungs now began to form.40 You were now developing fast and had become what doctors call an embryo. Day 28–32: Your two tiny arms made their appearance, with your legs starting to form two days later.41 The beginnings of your mouth took shape.42 Your nose started to develop.43 Your thyroid gland began to grow. Blood flowed in your veins but stayed separate from your mother’s blood. Your tongue now began to form. Your face made its first appearance. Day 36: Your eyes developed their first colour.

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Day 40: You made you first reflex movements. Touching the area around your mouth with a fine bristle would cause you to flex your neck.44 Day 41: Your fingers began to form, followed by your toes a few days later.45 Day 42: You developed nerve connections that led to a sense of smell. Your brain was now divided into three parts, one to experience emotion and understand language, one for hearing and one for seeing.46 Your joints began to form.47 Your mother now missed her second menstrual bleeding. Day 44: Buds of your milk teeth appeared. Facial muscles were developing.48 Your eyelids began to form, protecting your developing eyes. Your elbows took shape. Internal organs were present, but immature. Nearly all your muscles were present, each with its’ own nerve supply. Electrical activity would be detectable in your brain by this stage.49 Day 52: You started to move spontaneously, then over the next 4 weeks developed a whole collection of moves including hiccupping, frowning, squinting, furrowing your brow, pursing your lips, moving individual arms and legs, head turning, touching your face, breathing (without air), stretching, opening your mouth, yawning, and sucking.50 8 Weeks: You were now well proportioned and about the size of a thumb. Every organ was present. Your liver was making blood, your kidneys functioned, and your heart beat steadily. Your skull, elbows, and knees were forming. Of the 4500 structures in your 94


adult body, 4000 were already present. The skeleton of your arms and legs and the spine began to stiffen as bone cells were added.51 9 Weeks: Your private parts were forming from the 7th week and were visible, indicating whether you were a boy or girl. However, the doctor would not have been able to tell your sex by ultrasound until between the 12th to 20th week. Morning sickness and other side effects of early pregnancy were taking hold of your mother by this stage. Maybe your mother found that she needed to urinate more often. She may have had nausea and vomiting. She may have felt emotional, a bit weepy. It was important for her not to take medicines because you were undergoing important developments in the first 12 weeks and medicines could have harmed you. If your mother had an ultrasound scan at this time, it would have shown your heart beating. Every abortion stops a beating heart. Your head grew bigger and eyes formed under the skin of your face. You started to move your eyes, swallow and move your tongue. Your arms and legs were growing and looking more like arms and legs. All your internal organs were developing and becoming more complex. All your food came through the 95


umbilical cord attached to the inside of your mother’s womb.

That

cord

also

removed all the waste from your body. 10 Weeks: Your fingernails began

to

develop.

Your

eyelids were joined together until month 7, protecting your delicate eyes.52 By this stage you had your own set of fingerprints unlike anyone else in the world. You still have those same fingerprints. Apart from size, those fingerprints will not change. 11 Weeks: You now “practiced” breathing, since you would have to breathe air immediately after birth. You urinated. Vocal chords and taste buds formed.53 You made complex facial expressions and even smiled.54 You were swimming around with delightful grace in your safe little world inside a bag of fluid in your mother’s womb. 12 Weeks: Fine hair began to grow on your upper lip and your chin and eyebrows.55 By the end of 12 weeks after your mother became pregnant, you looked fully human and were about 8 cm long, the size of a small mango. From 12 weeks until birth, all that you had to do was grow and grow in what should be the safety of your mother’s womb. How sad that in this very period, when babies like you are healthy and thriving in what should be a 96


perfect and usually safe environment mother’s

in

their

wombs,

their

lives can be taken from them by a violent act. 13–16 Weeks: Your face became prettier and your facial

expressions

may

have already looked like your parents’. You were active, but your mother didn’t feel anything yet.56 Your mother’s womb (uterus) became larger and started to rise out of the bony ring of her pelvis. You could move your head quite easily. In many countries, a woman at this stage of pregnancy can be offered blood tests to look for various abnormalities in the baby. Other problems can be found by testing the fluid around the baby. Sadly, many babies have their lives cut off it they are not completely healthy at this stage, because something abnormal was found. Aborting a baby who seems to have a disability does not prevent the disability, but simply prevents the child with the disability from being born. In some countries, where male children are wanted much more than female children, many baby girls are aborted at this stage. Growing and Maturing 4 Months: Your nostrils and toenails became visible. You may have sucked your thumb, turned somersaults and had a firm grip. 97


If you are a girl, your ovaries formed. You began to develop sleeping habits. At about 4½ months, you were able to experience pain.57 By this stage you were moving much, probably enough to be felt by your mother. Your mother

probably

felt

you

giving little kicks and moving around. You were now about 15–20 cm long and weighed about 300 g. Your first teeth had formed in your gums. 5–6 Months: If you are a boy, your testes descended into your scrotum around this time. Your mother may have felt you kick, turn or hiccup. Perhaps she could identify a bulge as an elbow or head.58 Each side of your brain had a billion nerve cells now. You developed a waxy white coating called vernix. If your mother had an ultrasound scan, it would have shown you in detail and may have shown her whether you were a baby boy or a girl. Your mother may have felt short of breath as her womb pushed against her chest, leaving less space for her lungs to breathe. Your taste buds developed and you also developed the ability to feel things. Your skeleton continued to develop and bones that formed your skull begin to harden. Your eyelashes grew and your eyelids began to open. 98


You were able to hear.59 You slept and woke up again, nestling positions

in

your to

favourite

sleep.

stretched upon waking up.

You 60

If you had been born at 24 weeks

after

you

were

conceived and you had expert hospital care from specialists, you could possibly have even survived

outside

of

your

mother’s womb at this time. You may have had breathing difficulties if you were born so early because your lungs were not yet strong enough, but with expert care you might have survived. Most likely you were not born at this time, but God let you stay in the safety of your mother’s womb for another 6 weeks or more. 7 Months: Your eyelids began to reopen, preparing to see the outside world. Your eyelashes were now well developed.61 Your skin became less see-through (transparent) and you continued to grow rapidly. In many countries abortion is still legal up to 28 weeks after conception, even though the baby can survive outside the womb. 8 Months: The pupils in your eyes responded to light. Fingernails reached to the tip of your fingers. You started feeling getting cramped now. There was not much room left in your mother’s womb. 99


You could now tell light from dark. At this stage you were probably head downwards and getting ready to come out into the world. Your mother might have found it more difficult to eat full meals as you were growing fast and her large womb was pressing on her stomach. 9 Months: You may have been born towards the end of this month. As you waited, a time came when you felt the first squeezes of your mother’s womb. Within hours you travelled from your warm, watery world out into an environment which was much colder. It was you who decided it was time for you to come out into the world. It was in God’s plan that hormones controlled by your placenta (after-birth) signalled that your mother’s body should go into labour. Some babies come late, and you may have been late, especially if you were the first baby that your mother had. You came out into the world, and your mother was very happy. Not until the baby has gone through all these wonderful events during nearly nine months on the inside can we see the new child on the outside. If you were not a “wanted” child, know assuredly that God our father loves you even if your mother and father rejected you. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, but I will not forget you (Isaiah 49:15).

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“It was too late” It was a regular clinic day when Jane and her boyfriend Audu came to see me. They looked like a couple who seemed to care for each other, but their faces showed they were carrying big worries. “I have not seen my menses for three months,” Jane said, “and my pregnancy test is positive.” I did an ultrasound scan and confirmed that Jane was in fact 13 weeks pregnant. “Doctor we don’t want it. Can you help us?” they pleaded. From my heart I counselled them on the benefits of keeping the baby. I told them clearly that it was against the law in Nigeria to do an abortion. After an hour of talking they left me looking very dejected and disappointed. I felt sad for this couple. About a week later, Audu returned to see me. He was alone and looked deeply distraught. He appeared like he had neither washed nor slept for days. “Doctor, I am big in trouble” he said, “I took Jane to have an abortion. All seemed well initially but after we got back home, she began to bleed heavily. I thought it would stop but it did not. “I finally took her to the hospital the next day but it was too late. She was dead when we arrived. “Now, her parents are coming after me and I do not know what to do. “Doctor how can you help me?”

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CHAPTER EIGHT DOES ABORTION HAVE RISKS? :

Women with unwanted pregnancies have turned to abortion for centuries. Knowledge of how to do an abortion is sometimes passed from generation to generation. The risks, costs and consequences of these abortions are linked to the methods chosen. The World Health Organisation defines an unsafe abortion as the procedure for terminating an unwanted pregnancy by persons lacking the necessary skills, in an environment lacking the minimum medical standards, or both. Abortions carried out by trained health workers in standard health facilities are generally regarded as safe for the mothers, though all abortions are unsafe for the baby. However, this should not be taken to mean that abortion is free from risk. The following are some of the risks from abortion: BLEEDING: This occurs when pieces of the baby or the placenta (afterbirth) are not completely removed from the womb. Injury to any of the reproductive tract organs or other nearby organs can also cause bleeding. For example, a sharp instrument might tear or puncture the womb or cervix. The bleeding may be internal and thus hidden, causing a delay in diagnosis and treatment. If bleeding is not recognised and treated early enough, it may result in shock, disability, or death.

Does Abortion Have Risks?

INFECTION: This is one of the leading causes of death from abortion. It may be due to the use of unsterile instruments (instruments which are not absolutely clean). It can also happen when parts of the baby are not completely removed from the womb. Even in the United States, where abortion conditions may be more sterile, legal abortion is reported as the fifth leading cause of maternal death, though in fact it is recognized that most abortion related deaths are not officially reported as such.62 INJURY: Different body organs can be injured during the process of abortion: •

Injuries to the vagina can lead to problems with menstruation and painful sexual intercourse in the future.

•

The cervix (neck of the womb) can be injured, which may cause repeated miscarriages or difficult labour in the future. The risk of damage to the cervix is greater for teenagers and for abortions done after the first three months of pregnancy.

•

The uterus (womb) may also have a hole punctured in it. This may go undiagnosed and cause problems later.

•

Other organs such as the bladder and bowel may be damaged, resulting in complications like vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) where a hole is accidentally made between the vagina and the bladder or between the vagina and the rectum. These injuries mean that the woman will leak urine or stool through her vagina. These injuries may require major surgeries to repair. 103


ECTOPIC PREGNANCY: Abortion increases the risk of ectopic pregnancies. This is a situation in which the baby develops outside the uterus (womb) in other organs (usually the fallopian tube). It is a life threatening condition that often kills women unless they have good emergency medical treatment available. The treatment of ectopic pregnancy may lead to infertility (barrenness). INFERTILITY: It is possible that after an abortion a woman may not be able to become pregnant again. When abortions cause infertility, it is usually due to infection. Damage to the womb and vagina can also make women less likely to become pregnant or to have a normal pregnancy. It is tragic to see young women marry but then not be able to become pregnant after previously having an abortion. Many of the infertility problems that we see are due to sexually transmitted diseases or previous abortions. ABSENCE OF MENSTRUATION: This usually follows severe infection of the womb or excessive curettage (scraping out of the lining of the womb). It is associated with infertility and may be difficult to treat. PLACENTA PRAEVIA: Abortion by the dilation and curettage method (D&C) increases the risk of placenta praevia in later pregnancies. This refers to the condition when the placenta (afterbirth) grows too low in the womb. This can result in severe bleeding during the pregnancy. It is a life-threatening condition for both the mother and her wanted baby, because the mother, baby, or both may die because of the sudden, severe bleeding.

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Does Abortion Have Risks?

PROBLEMS WITH FUTURE PREGNANCIES DUE TO RH FACTOR: When a woman with Rh-negative blood type delivers a baby or has an abortion or miscarriage, it is important for the doctor to know the blood type of the baby. If the baby’s blood type is Rh-positive, the Rh-negative woman needs to have an injection immediately to protect her babies in future pregnancies. If she does not get the needed treatment at the time of the delivery, abortion or miscarriage, future pregnancies may not develop well, future babies may be born dead, or they may have severe jaundice (yellowness) after birth and possibly die or become disabled. This risk applies to normal pregnancies as well as abortion. SUICIDE ATTEMPTS: Sometimes, as happened to a friend of mine, the self-hate after an abortion may cause a woman or girl to attempt suicide. An American study shows that up to 45% of women who had an abortion thought of suicide following the abortion.63 Women who have had an abortion are nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.64 The psychological effects of abortion are discussed more in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER NINE THE MENTAL EFFECTS OF ABORTION AND GOD’S CURE :

Psychological problems Directly after an abortion, a woman or girl may have a sense of relief that the pregnancy has been ended and the operation is over. But often in the days, weeks, months and years following, other feelings come. •

Guilt and shame for what she has done.

•

Numbness and sadness at the loss of the baby.

•

Grief and sense of loss.

•

An inner feeling of emptiness.

•

Anger toward herself, the man who made her pregnant and the person or people who made her have the abortion.

One girl said, “No one told me that I would feel like this.” She was not sleeping well, had lost her desire to eat, and felt she was continuously carrying a huge burden of guilt on her shoulders. After an abortion, women may find it difficult to be near pregnant women or young babies or even to see baby pictures in magazines or on the TV. They may want to talk often about their baby. Some women have tensions in their relationships and bad

The Mental Effects of Abortion and God’s Cure

dreams or nightmares. Some women talk about wanting another baby soon to try to take away the pain of what they have done. They may say that they no longer feel of any worth. Some women may attempt suicide. Some women feel abortion is something they have come to terms with, but others continue to feel that it is a painful part of their lives, something that affects them deeply, even though they felt they were making the right decision at the time. If you are reading this and you had an abortion recently or long ago, you may have felt relief at first but may now feel numb or may be experiencing emotions like guilt, grief or anger. Coupled with that, you may also find it difficult to be near other babies or pregnant women. You may find it hard to sleep without having disturbing dreams. You may be preoccupied with the whole experience. These kinds of feelings are common following an abortion. In recent years, some doctors have come to recognized a condition called post-abortion syndrome (PAS). The American Psychiatric Association lists abortion as a stressor event that can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder. The women or girls who have had an abortion can be so affected by the abortion that they carry burdens of guilt, denial and depression.

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PAS has been recognised as a distinct set of symptoms. As well as the post-abortion symptoms listed above, you may have experienced other symptoms such as: •

Feeling the need to “replace” the baby.

•

A feeling of distance from your existing children

•

Over-protectiveness of your existing children.

•

Inability to maintain normal routine.

•

Depressed feelings stronger than a little sadness.

•

Sleeping problems.

•

Flashbacks.

•

Tearfulness.

•

Relationship tensions or breakdown resulting from the abortion.

What can you do if you feel like this? You can talk to a trusted friend. You can get counselling from your pastor. You can pray. All of these will help but they will not provide a lasting solution. Your heart needs a permanent solution. Only God can heal your hurts. God loves you. He longs to see you healed and whole. God’s word, the Bible, tells you how to resolve your hurts permanently and completely. God wants to take your guilt, grief, and pain and remove them from your life forever. God will begin the healing right now if you ask Him. Below are six steps to help get your life turned around and headed in the right direction again. 108


1. Admit you did something wrong when you had an abortion. You may find this first step difficult. Perhaps your family, even your mother, and your friends talked you into it. Perhaps you were young and scared and an older boyfriend arranged it all for you. Perhaps at the time you thought it was not a serious issue. Even the doctor and nurses reassured you that it was a good decision. But God, who loves you, says that you did something wrong. God calls what we do wrong “sin.” Healing begins when you admit that your abortion ended the life of your unborn baby. 2. Be remorseful and feel sorrow for your abortion (repent). Repentance goes beyond feeling regret for what you did. It is more than being sorry you got caught doing something wrong. Repentance is saying, “I am sorry I did it.” To feel remorse and repent means to turn away from those wrong things. Determine never to have another abortion and to keep yourself from sex outside of marriage (which is also sin). Make a commitment to stop using excuses to ease your guilt. God does not listen to excuses, but he does listen to a broken heart. Along with repentance often comes grief, and grief often means weeping. I know girls who have found that writing a “letter” to God and pouring out feelings about the aborted baby helps them to grieve. 3. Accept Jesus Christ into your life. It is important to understand that your sin has separated you from God the Father. All sin separates us from God, and all people have sinned. Because God loves you, he sent Jesus Christ to reconcile you back to himself, meaning that he brings you back into a good relationship with 109


himself. Colossians 1:19–20 tells us, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure ... through Him (Jesus) to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Jesus, God the Son, left the glories of heaven to be born into this world. His mother Mary was a virgin and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He walked this earth as God in human flesh for thirty-three years. To pay the penalty for your sins, Jesus was crucified and buried. On the third day, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. John 3:16 sums up what God did for you in sending Jesus. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Receiving Jesus into your life is an act of faith which says, “I believe in my heart that Jesus died, was buried, and God the Father raised him from the dead for me.” Romans 10:13 tells you, “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” You can receive Jesus by praying a prayer like this: Dear God, I am sorry for the sins I have committed including having an abortion. I now repent of those sins. Please forgive me. Knowing I can do nothing to earn your forgiveness, I trust the Lord Jesus, who died for sinners, as my personal saviour and master. Help me to obey you from this day forward. Thank you. Amen.

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4. Through prayer, ask God’s help to resolve your problems. You may have a lot to resolve. Many other people have struggled with the frightening psychological consequences of an abortion. Some are now completely healed. God can heal you, too, but only if you rely on his strength and obey his Word, the Bible, regardless how you feel. Why not talk to your pastor or a godly woman in your church? Talk to someone you trust about your abortion. Ask him or her to pray for you and with you that you will continue to move forward. Ask for prayer that unresolved areas be brought to your mind. Ask for prayer to bind the power of Satan so that he won’t be able to torment you with false guilt. Ask that your hurts will be healed. 5. Give up your sinful thoughts and actions. To do this, you must understand what those thoughts and actions are. The Bible will teach you what wrong things you are doing. Ask God for wisdom in dealing with your problems. Stop thinking over every little aspect of the abortion. When anxious thoughts come to your mind, refuse to dwell on them. Claim the forgiveness and wholeness you have in Christ. Memorize and meditate on Scripture. You need God’s Word “hidden in your heart” to win this battle.

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6. Replace your sinful thoughts and actions with godly responses. You will learn how to do this by studying the Bible. Ask God to give you positive thoughts and a purpose to each day. Read Christ-centred literature. Watch only television programmes that help you to stay close to Jesus. Join a church where the word of God is taught and where you can learn and fellowship with others who love God and who love you. Doing all of the above things does not mean that you will forget your abortion. It means you will learn to put it into proper perspective and keep it there. Be patient with yourself. It may take time, but with God’s help you can be healed and go on to live a life pleasing to him. You may be given the opportunity to help other women and girls who have had an abortion. You once made a decision that ended the life of your unborn baby and nearly ruined your own life. No matter how much you now regret it, you cannot undo the abortion. But God, through Jesus Christ, is offering you forgiveness and healing. Relying upon God, and by a conscious act of your will, choose to conquer the consequences caused by your abortion. Remember God loves you. He will forgive you and will start healing you right now. All you need to do is ask him in Jesus’ name. My abortion was a long time ago. If you had an abortion a long time ago, maybe you have experienced something in your life recently that has brought it all back again for you and you’re finding it hard to shake it off as you did before. Perhaps this is the first time you’ve allowed 112


yourself to really think about what happened and what your abortion meant. You, too, need to repent and trust in Jesus, as explained above, so that you too can know that forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. I have had many abortions. Is there hope for me? Women who have one abortion are at increased risk of having more abortions in the future. Women who have had one or more abortions are four times more likely to abort a current pregnancy than those who never had an abortion. About half of all abortions are now repeat abortions.65 You may be one of those women. Maybe you feel your guilt is too much. But God also wants to forgive you as much as he wants to forgive anyone. You, also, need to ask forgiveness and trust Jesus as your saviour, so that you can be washed clean through Jesus Christ, and enter his eternal Kingdom.

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Aina Aina was 4 months pregnant. She seemed young and timid when she came to see me with her older, more confident boyfriend. They asked me to do an abortion. I was interested to know why they did not want this pregnancy. Aina lowered her head and whispered “I am too young to be pregnant.” I replied that she was not too young. She was a healthy young woman. Her boyfriend intervened. He came up with the real reason: being pregnant did not suit their schedule. Speaking in an almost pleading voice he said, “I am a final year student in seminary. In less than a year I am due to be ordained as a minister of the gospel. “If my denomination knew my girlfriend was pregnant, I would be disqualified from the ordination. That is why you need to help us.”

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“We want to get married in church” Dorcas and Andrew came to see me at the outpatients’ clinic. They wanted an abortion quickly. I spent time counselling them as I wanted to really know their situation. Dorcas explained, “We want to get married in church. We are trying to get together enough money to have a lovely church ceremony. That is what I want and that is what my parents want. “If my pregnancy test is positive we will not be allowed to marry in church. Everyone will be disappointed and my family will be so embarrassed.” Andrew added, “We have already completed all the customary rites of marriage according to our culture. We did that all a year ago and since then we have been saving towards our church wedding. “And now this problem,” he added pointing his chin towards Dorcas.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN THE CHURCH AND ABORTION :

Dorcas and Andrew’s situation in the previous story is not unusual. Often church members bring their daughters for abortion because of wanting to marry in church. The compulsory pregnancy test reveals the pregnancy and the family are embarrassed about the girl being pregnant out of wedlock. But if the couple abort the baby so that they can marry in church, then their sin of fornication is multiplied to the killing of a child, a human being made in the image of God

Easy to understand the pressure for abortion It is easy to understand why women and girls have abortions. Tradition and culture tend to force young women to seek abortions because there are strong feelings against accepting unmarried women with children. In many cultures it is shameful for an unmarried girl to become pregnant. An unmarried pregnant woman, especially without someone wanting to marry her, is often despised by the community. Attention is brought to her sin after she decides not to kill her baby but to continue her pregnancy. She is often disciplined in church without the man who got her pregnant being disciplined at the same time. One could argue that because so many abortions are done illegally in Nigeria, and so much harm is coming to young women

The Church and abortion

because of the hidden nature of the abortions, the government should provide safer, legal abortion for those who want it. This is the cry of the pro-abortion lobby all over the world. However, we must not forget the important underlying principle: both the mother and the baby in the womb are human beings who deserve our protection and care. We cannot speak out on behalf of the mother and forget the baby. On the other hand, nor can we speak out on behalf of the baby and forget to care for the mother. The answer to “unsafe” abortions is to

The answer to “unsafe” abortions is to provide

provide

positive

caring

alternatives to abortion so that women and girls do not feel the need to have abortions. The answer to “unsafe” abortion is not to provide

positive caring

more safe abortions. All abortions

alternatives to

are very unsafe to the baby, who has

abortion

his or her life snuffed out before having the chance to breathe God’s air outside the womb. The answer is

responding in love for both the woman and the child in her womb. This is what God wants us to do, even if the mother did sin through sex outside marriage. Even better would be for our young people not to engage in sex before marriage at all, and to have the skills and conviction needed to keep sex for marriage alone.

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Hating the sin but loving the sinner Ada was a final year unmarried medical student when she became pregnant. All who knew Ada admired her. She was a pretty Christian lady, from an elite family, who was greatly loved by her classmates. Her parents and siblings felt Ada’s pregnancy was too disgraceful to the family, so they wanted her to have an abortion. One of her sisters was so disgusted by Ada that she denounced her in front of her friends. In a matter of weeks she became an object of scorn and ridicule by her classmates. The man responsible for Ada’s pregnancy denied responsibility for her and the baby after she refused to heed his advice to abort the baby. After heated discussion, he abandoned her. Sadly, even some of her close Christian friends deserted her. With her final medical exams fast approaching, Ada was faced with the difficulty of how to cope with her exams and the pregnancy without support from anywhere. It would have been easy to give in to the pressure coming from her boyfriend, family and friends. It took courage to hold firm to the decision she had made. To her credit Ada was determined not to add another sin by aborting her tiny baby. A caring Christian female classmate asked Ada to come and live with her. This kind classmate, along with one or two other friends helped Ada go through this very difficult period of her life. God answered prayer for the timing of the baby’s birth. The baby arrived a few days after her final medical examinations. Ada 118


passed her examinations and today is currently enjoying a very fulfilling medical practice. She has been reconciled with her family. She is married to a wonderful husband and together they have two other children. Ada has found peace with her God and is active in her church.

What should be the Christian response to abortion? We believe that the response of the church to the issue of abortion should be five-fold. •

Speak out to society about the truth about abortion

•

Educate our members and families

•

Care for those who are pregnant and thinking about having an abortion

•

Counsel those who need help

•

Pray

Speak Out God has called his people to be “salt and light” in the world. This means that, like John the Baptist, we must speak out fearlessly against sin and stand up for righteousness, calling our nations to maintain human laws in harmony with God’s divine law. Within a democracy, 119


we not only have the right but the duty to struggle for Christian values. There are some things that all of us can do to uphold Christian standards. You could write to your local politicians at State level and Federal level urging them to stand for what is right in God’s eyes. You could contribute to magazines and radio programmes. You could encourage pharmacists, doctors and nurses, and obstetricians in your local church to always do what is right in their practice of medicine. One pharmacist I know distributes leaflets offering help and counsel for pregnant girls who come to his pharmacy for medicines to try to cause an abortion.

Care If we condemn abortion but do nothing to care for the woman who feels pressured to abort her baby, then we are wrong. We are then exchanging inhumanity towards the child for inhumanity towards the mother in need. Instead, we must offer practical help, support and alternatives to abortion to deal effectively with the problem of unwanted pregnancy and to spare human life. Pressures for abortion may arise from •

being unmarried

•

being unsupported by a reliable husband

•

having an unsympathetic family

•

lack of money

•

fear of being unable to cope.

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We must address these areas of need, not only to prevent abortions, but also simply out of love for our neighbours. Christians have a special responsibility to care. Some examples include providing clothes, making sure the woman or girl has access to medical care, and providing food and shelter when needed. Are you willing to do this in the name of Jesus Christ, who cared for the outcasts? Are you willing to take a pregnant woman or girl to live with you? The Bible tells us, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (James 1:27).

In other words, we need to show love in our actions and practical help for those in need.

Educate Start with yourself. Find out as much as you can about abortion and arrange for someone who knows the facts to come and speak at your church, youth fellowship, men’s or women’s fellowship, 121


or Bible study. Write pro-life literature yourself or gather some from others and distribute it in your church, school and place of work. It is very important that people receive Christian, biblical teaching about abortion. Thousands of African women and girls are having abortions each year. Most of them are ignorant of what they are really doing. Many are pressured into killing their developing baby. In desperate circumstances, a woman or girl feels insecure, ashamed, guilty and alone. One of our most important tasks is to educate young people about the whole area of sexuality and marriage before an unwanted pregnancy occurs. This should include giving information about the pregnancy and how the baby develops. We need to explain more than just the facts. We must also help our youth understand God’s purposes and ideals for us as male and female. Probably nearly all our Christian young people have been told that sex outside marriage is a sin, but do they understand why? There are many good books, lessons and other resources to help parents, teachers and churches to educate their young people in this way. All too often, a girl or young woman chooses to have an abortion because she fears rejection and hostility from her church if she 122


continues the pregnancy. This is the very church family that should be able to counsel her and assure her of the forgiveness and love of God. After an abortion, as mentioned earlier, a woman may be burdened with guilt, depression and even despair. She will need the counsel and loving concern of Christians who can point her to the death of Christ as the only way of forgiveness.

Pray Last but not least, in our present tragic circumstances, it is our Christian responsibility to pray. We must pray for those in places of influence and authority, for Government, for the medical profession and social services as well as women in need and their little ones in danger. We need to pray for pro-life organisations, for all those who take a stand for the family and Christian values, and for an awakening of Christian people to the seriousness and urgency of the situation.

Pregnancy testing before marriage Many Nigerian churches insist on a negative pregnancy test as a condition before joining the couple in wedlock. The intentions of these churches are noble. They want to preserve the holiness of the church and the sanctity of marriage. However, there are several problems with this approach to holiness in the church. Some of the problems are: 123


•

Pregnancy itself is not a sin. Sex outside of marriage is sin. A sinful act may result in pregnancy, but being pregnant is not the sin.

•

Couples may be having sex before marriage while still avoiding pregnancy. Those who know how to use modern methods of avoiding pregnancy (contraception) will escape detection though they may still be committing the sin. Pregnancy tests cannot detect the sin. Thus, many unmarried couples are having sexual relations but are not punished or disciplined.

•

The commonly-used urine pregnancy tests are not fool proof. They may not detect a pregnancy in the first few weeks. They may also fail to show a later pregnancy for various reasons. Sometimes they may even indicate falsely that the woman is pregnant. This is called a “false positive” result, meaning the test shows pregnancy even though the woman is not pregnant, and may never have been pregnant.

•

Many girls have aborted their babies to avoid detection by the church. The girl’s pregnancy test may then indicate that she is or is not pregnant, as it takes several weeks for the tests to become negative after the end of pregnancy. So, there are situations where a test may be positive but the girl is no longer pregnant as the pregnancy has been terminated earlier. Either way, it is tragic that the girl has ended the life of an unborn baby because of the pressure she faced.

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•

Some girls have tried to deceive the church by providing someone else’s urine specimen or something else for the test. Some churches try to prevent this by asking the girls to produce the urine sample under the watchful eyes of a church worker. Again, not many girls are comfortable with producing urine while someone else is watching.

•

By placing so much emphasis on the pregnancy test, the church is unwittingly pushing some people towards the path of abortion.

The time has come for the church in Nigeria (and perhaps other African countries) to review this policy of compulsory pregnancy test before marriage. Is the pregnancy test still relevant as a prerequisite for the wedding ceremony? Church leaders should be committed to building people of integrity who can be trusted with their words. We need to develop people of purity and integrity whose “yes is yes and no is no” (Matthew 5:37). This, we believe should be the emphasis for this generation. We must also consider what is the best course of action in our churches even when there is a pregnancy in a couple intending marriage. Let us suppose that they are otherwise suitable for marriage and that they have repented and sincerely desire to follow God’s teachings. Consider some possibilities: •

Under pressure, the couple decides to abort the baby so that they can enjoy the privilege of a church wedding. A life is lost, and sin likely remains hidden in secret, working like a poison for years to come. 125


•

The couple decides not to abort the baby despite the pressure. They are rejected by the church, though they understand very well that many church members are just as guilty though they have not been found out. They leave the church and even lose their faith, after concluding that the words about love, grace and forgiveness are meaningless.

•

The church does not require a pregnancy test, but during the pastor’s careful counselling, the couple admit that they have been having sex. They already know that this is wrong, and with the pastor’s guidance they confess their sins and make a fresh commitment to purity. Knowing how hard this will be, the pastor gives them some practical suggestions and assures the couple that he will pray for them and also check on their progress. This couple now ask the pastor about abortion, since they are fearful of being condemned and shamed by the church and others. However, the pastor tells them that what is in the womb is already a human life, precious in God’s sight, and that God wants them to take delight in the child and be its protector and source of life. The couple agree. They rejoice in God’s forgiveness and are soon wed in a beautiful and joyous church celebration. A few months later, they have a beautiful baby girl, and decide to name her Grace.

Although churches must consider many parts of this problem, they do need to look carefully at their policies to be sure that 126


they are the best ways to show God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and holiness to his people and to the whole world. Conforming to the world? The church must realise that the problem is not pregnancy, and that the problem goes much deeper even than premarital sex. The world has invaded the church so deeply that it appears that Christian youths take their cues from the Internet and popular entertainment industries rather than from God’s word. This worldly culture does not draw the line between love and lust. It does not see sex outside of marriage as sin. Hollywood scorns the Christ’s words that looking lustfully at women is sin (Matthew 5:28). This culture does not encourage youths to be like Job who vowed in his heart not to look lustfully at a lady (Job 31:1). It is a culture that is increasingly permissive to pre-marital sex. Unfortunately, many youths are influenced by this culture. This is clear in the way Hollywood fashion is copied and embraced by the youth, particularly Christian girls. It also shows in the carefree and careless interactions seen between boys and girls, even within the church premises. Their behaviour seems to be influenced more by what they see on the movies than by God’s word. More than at any other time in its history, the Nigerian and African church needs to arise and confront this challenge. Unfortunately, not much practical help is found in the average sermon from the pulpit to help youth conduct themselves in ways that will help them remain holy during courtship. Through holy living, we bring glory to God with our bodies. Pastors and 127


church leaders ought to spend more time and energy teaching young people—in fact all of us!—to say no to sex before and outside of marriage. Truth and grace, discipline and reconciliation The church must balance truth and grace. An army does not leave its wounded on the battle field to die. “A

An army does not

bruised reed he will not break, and a

leave its wounded

smouldering wick he will not snuff

on the battle field

out” (Matthew 12:20). By its actions

to die.

or inactions, the church appears to be leaving its wounded on the field

where they are open to further attacks by the enemy of their souls. When we abandon women facing crisis pregnancies, we expose them to being exploited by the enemies of God. Christian leaders need to preach the full truth against sexual immorality, including God’s anger and judgment against such sins. However, the church must realize that pregnancy is not a sin. The sin may have been committed long before the pregnancy was noticed. The act that led to the pregnancy may have been a sin but the pregnancy itself is not a sin. Whenever the church drives young people to seek abortion as a way out of their sin, we make them to add sin to sin. We must extend grace and God’s forgiveness to those who have been ensnared.

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Hospitality and support Christians should willingly open their homes to women facing crisis pregnancy. The families of both authors of this book have opened their home to distressed pregnant girls. We can help them financially, emotionally and even spiritually. No matter what led to the pregnancy, we must resist the “holier than thou attitude” that condemns others. What women facing crisis pregnancy need the most is love and acceptance. Christians should volunteer to accept “unwanted children” for foster care. The church needs to speak out against parents who throw their daughters out of their homes because they become pregnant. Schools (especially Christian schools) and other organizations that have a policy of expelling girls who get pregnant need to think again about the matter. These policies are unfair as often times no punishment is meted out to the male partner. No one really benefits when the girl is expelled from the family or school: not the girl, not the baby, not the community, and not the family. Beyond punishment, what do these institutions hope to gain from such policies? The fact is that a low pregnancy rate does not necessarily mean better morality. It may just mean a high abortion rate and more use of modern contraception. Besides, are we saying if young people have erred, there is no room for forgiveness? The church must help society to change its attitude towards crisis pregnancy. That a girl is pregnant does not mean she must give up her career and life’s ambitions. It does not mean that her baby 129


must be condemned to a broken family, poverty, or an uneducated mother. Christians must be actively involved in speaking up on behalf of the innocent, vulnerable members of our communities who cannot defend themselves. We cannot afford to sit on the fence on this matter. Silence is not golden in relation to saving lives. The church loses the right to speak out against abortion if it does not provide help for the problems faced by women in crisis pregnancies as well as practical alternatives to abortion. The church will need to support pro-life organizations financially, materially and otherwise. Ministries in a few places are doing a great job helping women facing crisis pregnancy. However, there is still a need for greater awareness and for more such groups need to be created all over the country and across Africa. The church in Nigeria is well positioned to spearhead this effort. Unfortunately, while the pro-abortion lobby is channelling a lot of money into their campaign, the church is sitting on the sidelines and doing very little. We need to break down denominational barriers so that we can join our efforts and resources to confront the challenge. Every church member must become fully involved in this battle of our age that has sought to sacrifice our children, children made in God’s image, on the altar of choice and convenience. It would be better if our single girls did not become pregnant. We need parents and programmes to teach our youth that sex is for marriage alone. If there were less premarital sex, there would be 130


fewer abortions. We need to teach our youth the life-skills needed to make good decisions about relationships and marriage. In Nigeria we have wonderful materials produced by the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) to teach on these issues. Also, the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) AIDS Ministry youth department has developed similar materials. Beacon of Hope (TEKAN) has also developed the ABY (Abstinence Be Faithful Youth) programme.

Adoption, not abortion This is a slogan that aims to help women and girls to think of a positive alternative to abortion. All of us know families where adopted children are loved and have contributed much to the life of the family whether by formal adoption or by being included in the family without any formal adoption papers. How many babies are adopted? In the United States, only 4% of babies born outside of marriage are placed for adoption. In the United States this is about 50,000 adoptions a year, compared to 1,500,000 babies aborted each year. In other words there are many more abortions than adoptions. I am sure Nigeria is similar. It is not an easy decision to give your baby into someone’s care and then walk away. Most women and girls have strong maternal feelings for the baby they have delivered even if they had earlier considered abortion. Many, having seen the baby they have

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carried for nine months, will change their minds and keep the baby rather than give him or her for adoption. In Africa, we probably all know instances where a child has been put into a family’s care even without legal adoption papers from the social welfare department. Many childless couples care for someone else’s children. They often have an ocean of love to give and the child benefits from being included in the family. Many more parents long for the joy of children. When they are not able to have their own, they continue

God believes in adoption—he adopted us!

searching to find a baby to adopt. Pro-life organisations should work alongside social welfare departments to organise adoptions. All the proper

His love for us

papers must be signed, including by

shows how we

family members, and there must be

should treat adopted children.

careful screening of the family who are asking to legally adopt a child. Sadly, in recent days there have been too many sensational stories in Africa

of

“baby

factories”

and

criminals capturing pregnant girls and selling their babies to couples desiring to have children. Why do so few mothers place their babies for adoption? There is often a negative view of adoption in Africa. People tell me stories of how adopted children bring trouble to a family. People claim that adopted children may be despised or persecuted by other family members. Sometimes those who 132


promote abortion speak of adoption as a terrible fate for a baby. Some making money from abortion would rather “kill” the baby than see them adopted. Doctors at Parklane Specialist Hospital in Enugu talked to 279 women who were infertile, unable to have children. Surprisingly, they found that almost 70% of the infertile women did not want to adopt a baby. The reasons they gave included: •

adoption is not a solution to their infertility;

•

adoption is psychologically unacceptable;

•

there is a fear of unknown parental background of the children placed for adoption;

•

there may be abnormal behaviour in the child.66

So often, however, the opposite is true: adopted children often bring great blessing and happiness to a family. They may excel in many fields with the right nurturing and encouragement. To promote adoption as a positive alternative to abortion, we need to mount a consistent education campaign to defeat the harmful myths about adoption. As Christians we know the joy of being adopted into God’s family. We were aliens and strangers and yet God, in his love through Jesus Christ, adopted us and made us his sons and daughters. God believes in adoption and his love for us is a good example of how we should treat adopted children.

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When should a baby be placed for adoption? From the child’s standpoint, the earlier the adoption the better. The very best is to place the baby in the adoptive parents’ arms directly from the hospital (or even in the hospital) so that bonding can happen immediately. Even when this is not possible, the sooner the adoptive parents begin caring for the baby, the better. Bonding Feeding, caring for, and holding the baby close all help create a very special, unbreakable

emotional

tie between this tiny one and the parents. This special

connection

is

called a bond and the process is called bonding. This tie can also develop between the new-born and the adoptive parents. Putting a baby in an orphanage for months or years before an adoption takes place is definitely not the best for the baby, because the baby needs that special love and connection with a mother and father. For the baby, bonding works best in the first few days or at most weeks. Whenever possible, then, the baby must go directly from the hospital into the loving arms of the new parents. 134


Doctors and child-care workers learned long ago that babies lacking personal care and attention will become sick and die, even though they are fed and clothed. This supports the fact that babies should be adopted early on. It also tells us that babies who are not adopted early, for whatever reason, need loving, personal care. A baby who was neglected for months is more likely to have problems later on. Does your church have a ministry of caring for such babies? Can you do it yourself? Could the church contribute some support to allow a few widows, for example, to go to an orphanage every day to simply hold and feed the babies? It seems like a simple task, hardly a great work, but in fact it can be a life-changing ministry to these small ones. As Jesus said, giving to even one of them is the same as giving to Jesus himself. The adoption process in Nigeria Unfortunately, adoption in Nigeria and other African countries is often difficult and can take a long time. If the baby is given at once to the family which is hoping to adopt, then the baby can still bond with the adoptive parents while the adoption is being processed. Adoption laws are usually complex and hard to understand. In Nigeria, the laws differ in each state. The Nigerian civil court is responsible for all adoptions. The law in most sections of the country provides that an application for an adoption order must be submitted to the registrar of the court. On application for adoption, the court will appoint someone as the child’s “guardian ad litem.” This person will represent him or her in the adoption 135


proceedings. The “guardian ad litem” is the welfare officer in charge of the area where the child lives, a probation officer or some other person suitably qualified in the opinion of the court. The “guardian ad litem” investigates the circumstances relevant to the proposed adoption and reports confidentially in writing to the court. Prospective adoptive parents must inform the chief welfare officer of their intention to adopt at least three months before the court order is made. For at least three consecutive months immediately preceding an adoption order, the child must have been in the care and custody of the adoptive parents. The applicant for adoption must be resident in Nigeria during this entire period. The confidential report of the welfare officer will be written after several visits to the home of the adoptive parents and after he or she is satisfied that the child is settled and that the prospective adoptive parents are capable of looking after him or her. In such a case, a positive recommendation will be sent to the court. In some Nigerian states, after the adoption has been granted, the adoptive parents must obtain the court’s permission before taking the child out of the court’s jurisdiction, for example to another state, either temporarily or permanently. These adoption procedures can take from a few months to a few years, depending on the state of origin of the child.

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CHAPTER TWELVE ABORTION AND THE FUTURE DEVALUING OF HUMAN LIFE :

Africa should never believe that making abortion legal would be the answer to the abortion problem. Abortion is not a medical problem. It is a social problem. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and herbalists are being asked to become executioners. This is a far cry from the high calling to practice the healing art of medicine. Over the years we have heard the message that making abortion legal would do away with dangerous, illegal abortions. But there still are and always will be illegal abortions. Those who want to bring legal abortion to Africa promise that better sex education would decrease the need for abortions. But we all know that in countries where abortion is legal and sex education (without morality) is common, there are now even more teenage pregnancies. The pro-abortion lobby tells us that abortion is the back up to failed contraception. They say it is a necessary evil for a society where everyone is encouraged to do what they feel like and there is little self-control. This devaluing of human life by abortion has led to other practices that also devalue human life.


Test tube babies (in vitro fertilization) Infertility, the inability of a couple to have a child, is a major problem in Africa, where a high premium is placed on reproduction. In Nigeria, between 40 to 70% of a gynaecologist’s clinic will be made up of infertility cases. The burden and pain borne by couples experiencing this problem is great and has been likened to bereavement. Thus, we must feel for and support all these childless couples who are faced with this peculiar challenge and desperately want a child. With the introduction of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET), giant strides have been made toward solving this problem. These processes involve fertilising a woman’s egg outside her body, letting an embryo develop, then planting the embryo back into her body. Since these babies begin life in the laboratory, they are sometimes called test tube babies. The process involves first using drugs to stimulate the woman to super-ovulate, to produce more than the one egg she would normally produce in a monthly cycle. This carries a significant risk of over-stimulation which can be life threatening. However, with good clinical care, this complication can usually be avoided or managed without many side effects. The eggs are collected and then incubated in the laboratory. Next, they are mixed with the father’s sperm. Fertilisation takes place in a few hours. The resulting embryo is cultured for some time in the laboratory and then implanted back into the mother’s womb. The world’s first test tube baby, Louise Brown, was born 138

Abortion and the future devaluing of human life

on 25 July 1978, in Oldham, United Kingdom. Since then, many, many babies have been born after being conceived this way. To improve the chances of success, several embryos are usually implanted into the mother’s womb. If more than one survives, the mother will have twins, triplets, or even more births. Multiple pregnancies are more likely than single pregnancies to have problems, including premature births. What is the moral problem with this approach? It is the issue of the extra embryos. Doctors rarely create a single fertilised embryo to implant in the woman. To improve the chances of achieving a live birth, they make more embryos than will be implanted and

Eggs being incubated in droplets of fluid.

born. What do they do with the other embryos, each one a new human life? They may freeze them for implanting into the womb later or they may destroy them, sometimes after first using them for research. We may think that IVF is a sign of progress, but if we understand that human life begins at conception then we understand that the destroyed embryos are also human lives, precious in God’s sight. Just as in abortion, unwanted lives are disposed of. Childlessness is a heavy burden. Couples facing this problem need a lot of empathy and support from us. In vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer may seem an attractive option but there are 139


many ethical dilemmas. A Christian couple needs to know the facts about IVF before deciding what to do. Some have advised that Christian couples who want to try IVF, while respecting the sanctity of life, should request that no extra embryos should be produced. There is power in prayer; many couples can testify to the power of God in helping them to become pregnant when human help had failed. Many other couples have adopted or fostered children. Many adoptive parents testify that the day they adopted a child was as joyous as the day a child was born.

Infanticide The cheapening of human life brought about by the abortion-ondemand policies has contributed to two other curses on the society: infanticide and euthanasia. Infanticide is killing a newborn. “Medical infanticide” involves doctors and nurses killing a baby, or allowing it to die of neglect. This usually happens because someone decides that the baby will not have a life worth leading. What started as a woman’s right to have an abortion has become a woman’s right to have a dead baby inside or outside the womb. It may be hard to believe, but in some places doctors are legally killing babies when they think that they should not live because of handicap, illness, or the social environment into which the child is born.

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Euthanasia The word euthanasia originally meant sweet or easy death, death without suffering. Today, euthanasia, often called “mercykilling,” is understood as causing death in order to end suffering. It may be taking the life of someone who is having much pain and suffering from an illness such as cancer. Sometimes it can be taking the life of a person who is simply dependent on others, though it is claimed to be for that weak person’s own benefit. Perhaps it is an elderly person and the family do not visit often. Perhaps it is a person who has had an accident and needs “too much” care. If the life is “not wanted” then the argument is that it is better to end that life. Euthanasia can be carried out in a variety of ways. A doctor, nurse or someone else may directly kill the sick person by giving a drug overdose. Not so obviously, they may refuse to give the person water, food, or medical treatment, knowing that such a refusal will lead to the person’s death. Voluntary euthanasia means that a person is killed or helped to die by his or her own request. Often, people who make this request are in great pain, sick without hope of recovery, and likely to die soon anyway. Euthanasia is clearly not acceptable within Christian teaching, where the value and dignity of human life are central. If we stop to think about it, we will know that the weakest and sick amongst us contribute to our families and society in some way. No human being is a burden. Caring for elderly parents, grandparents, or the weak and 141


disabled cannot be seen as wasting time and resources. We do not love and care for people because they are “productive.” We care for them because they are human beings, made in the image of God and loved by God. Life is precious and to be cherished at all stages. We must care for sick and handicapped people and help them to lead lives as normal as possible. The usual duty of the medical profession is to save life and prolong it, to heal and to cure. However, cases regularly arise that are past cure or healing from a human viewpoint. In these cases, the medical staff, pastors and others have a different task: helping the patient to “die well.” This includes •

helping manage pain and discomfort;

•

if possible, giving the person time and energy to settle spiritual and earthly affairs and to say goodbyes;

•

giving spiritual support and direction, such as helping the unbeliever to find salvation, a bitter person to extend forgiveness, or a fearful person to find assurance of eternal life;

•

finally, allowing the person to die as peacefully as possible.

Death cannot be put off forever; there comes a time when doctors must tell the patient, “There is nothing more we can do for you.” The doctor, the patient, friends, family, and pastor must all recognize then that there comes a point when we have to accept that life’s end has been reached. The combined efforts and prayers of all will help the patient to accept death with Christian trust and hope. 142


There are many examples in the Bible of people facing death with acceptance and faith, and where death is portrayed not as a result of misfortune but as the natural close to a life well lived. One such example is Abraham, who dies “full of years,” having lived long and well (Genesis 25:7–10) Jesus himself accepted death in obedience to his Father’s plan of salvation. On the cross, he spoke the words that, at the end of life, all Christians will want to repeat with faith and hope: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” The apostle Paul speaks of death as a “good thing” as it will allow him to be with Christ (Philippians 1:21–26). We, along with Scripture, sometimes refer to death as resting or sleeping as we wait for the resurrection when Christ returns to earth. A Christian funeral is a time when we celebrate the joy of eternal life and the hope of our being re-united with the deceased loved one on the Last Day, even while acknowledging the pain of separation and loss.

Life belongs to the community

A

Nigerian

theological

teacher

recently told us that traditionally “Life belongs to the community.” She explained

that,

traditionally

for

Nigerians, a person does not “own” his or her own life or body but is part of the community. This means that no one has the right to end the life of another or his own life, as each life is part of the community and the community’s responsibility. This fact, added to the value that the Christian teaching gives to life, should 143


doubly spur us on to end the wasting of the most vulnerable human life of all, life in the womb.

Conclusion One of my favourite verses in scripture is this. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27).

What has caring for orphans to do with abortion? Picture a collision of two cars on a treacherous Nigerian road. A three year old boy, Umaru, is in the car with his mother and father. Mother and father are killed. Umaru has minor injuries, but he will be fine. The police spend time checking and discover there are no grandparents and no other known family members. This is a heart-breaking situation, but one where Christian families and the church should accept the challenge: “Step in and take care for Umaru who is now an orphan.” Abortion puts a baby in a worse situation than Umaru. When a baby is to be aborted, the parents are not dead as Umaru’s were. Rather, they have turned on the child and now choose to have him dead. God wants us to have compassion and care for this child, whose life is endangered because his parents choose to make him dead. Mother and father are not dying parents. They are killing parents. When the Bible says, visit them “in their distress,” we may ask, “Is there any place of greater distress than in the womb of a 144


woman who gives herself over to abortion?” This is the greatest distress any child will ever experience. To be torn limb from limb in the very place that should be the safest place in the world is “distress” if there is ever anything called “distress.” We pray that the horrors of abortion and the glory of God’s grace will move you to take up the challenge to live and work to save the lives of babies who are being sacrificed on the altars of selfishness, convenience, reputation, and family pride. God’s kingdom challenges us—society, churches, families, and individuals—to discover how to stand firm against the evil of abortion while still reaching out helping hands to care for some of the weakest and most vulnerable of all, single mothers and their children.

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3–4)

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APPENDIX NIGERIAN LAW AND ABORTION Northern Nigeria Under the Penal Code, in Northern Nigeria, an abortion may be legally performed only to save the life of the pregnant woman. Except for this purpose, a person who voluntarily causes a woman with child to miscarry is subject to up to fourteen years’ imprisonment and/or payment of a fine. A woman who causes her own miscarriage is subject to the same penalty. There are harsher penalties if the woman dies as a result of the miscarriage.

Southern Nigeria and the Criminal Code Like the Penal Code, the Criminal Code (in Southern Nigeria), which is modelled on the English Offences against the Person Act of 1861, allows an abortion to be legally performed only to save the life of the woman. Section 297 says that “a person is not criminally responsible for performing in good faith and with reasonable care and skill a surgical operation...upon an unborn child for the preservation of the mother’s life if the performance of the operation is reasonable, having regard to the patient’s state at the time and all the circumstances of the case.”

Nigerian Law and Abortion

Any person who, with intent to cause the miscarriage of a woman, unlawfully gives her any harmful thing or uses any other method, is subject to fourteen years’ imprisonment. A woman who herself tries to cause an abortion or agrees to one, can have seven years’ imprisonment. Any person who supplies anything knowing that it is intended to be unlawfully used to cause a miscarriage can be sent to prison for three years.

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NOTES 1 Emeasoba, B.E.A., Abortion: the Monster Crouches Again. Daily Champion (Lagos) July 5, 2004. 2 Westen, John-Henry. Johannesburg, April 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com). 3 King, Alevda, “How Can the Dream Survive if We Murder Our Children?” http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/testimonies/alveda-king.html. Dr. King is the daughter of Rev. A. D. King, Martin Luther King’s brother, and is the founder of King for America. 4 Okpani A. and Okpani J., The conditions of the right to abortion in 1994 and 1999. CEDPA, 2000. 5 World Health Organization (WHO). Unsafe Abortion : Global and Regional Estimates of Incidence of Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2000. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2004. Also WHO poster, Unsafe Abortion in 2008, http://www.who.int/ reproductivehealth/topics/unsafe_abortion/poster_unsafe_abortion.pdf . 6 Okonofua, Friday, Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Benin and Executive Director of the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre in Nigeria. Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria. Quoted in BMJ November 2002. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ransome-Kuti, Olikoye, Former Nigerian Minister of Health. BMJ November 2002. 11 Gutermacher Institute, 2003, quoted by IPAS, Abuja, Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008. 12 Gutermacher Institute, BBC News March 2008. 13 International Family Planning Perspectives, 23:155–161, 1997. 14 “Women’s experience of unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion in Nigeria. The Population Council with Jos University Teaching Hospital and Dept. of Sociology, University of Jos, 1996.

Notes

15 Makinwa-Adebusoye, Paulina, Susheela Singh and Suzette Audam. “Nigerian Health Professionals’ Perceptions About Abortion Practice.” International Family Planning Perspectives, 23:155–161, 1997. 16 “Women’s experience of unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion in Nigeria.” 1996. The Population Council with Jos University Teaching Hospital and Dept. of Sociology, University of Jos, 1996. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 Nardone, R. M., “The Nexus of Biology and the Abortion Issue.” Jurist, Spring 1973, 154. 20 Garton, Jean Staker, Who Broke the Baby? Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, 1979. 21 Washington Post, September 9, 1987. 22 “Abortion is crime against society, says Pope Benedict.” Catholic News Service. December 2005. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0506904.htm . 23 Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the bishops of Kenya during their ad limina visit to Rome. ciNews, 19 November 2007. http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=4170. 24 “Nigerian religious leaders oppose proposed law to legalize abortion,” Baptist Press, 30 March 2001. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=10600. 25 “Abortion: Forbidden in All Stages?” at http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Islamonline-EnglishAsk_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503547110 . 26 Miller, Lisa, “No God—And No Abortions,” Newsweek, Nov. 29, 2008. 27 Kunhiyop, Samuel Waje, Africa Christian Ethics. ACTS Bukuru, Nigeria, 2008. 28 Piper, John, “The Baby in my Womb Leaped for Joy,” 2009. Used by permission. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/ 3528_The_Baby_in_My_Womb_Leaped_for_Joy/. 29 Some ideas taken from “Abortion. A Matter of Life and Death.” Report of Public Morals Committee of Evangelical Presbyterian Church, compiled by Rev. S. J. Garland. 1981. 30 Ibid. 31 “Life Before Birth,” Life Magazine, Apr 30, 1965, p. 13. 32 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th Edition, Philadelphia: W.B. Sanders, 1998, p. 37–45. 33 Ibid.

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34 HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone that makes a pregnancy test positive. 35 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th Edition, Philadelphia: W.B. Sanders, 1998, p. 42–48, 76. 36 Mitchell, B and Sharma, R., Embryology, New York: Churchill Livingstone, Dec. 2004. 37 Estimates vary for when the heart begins to beat: 21–22 days (Moore, K. and Persaud, T.); at least by 23 days from transvaginal ultrasound results (O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F.); 21–22 days (Carlson, B.); 18 days (Tanner, J. and Taylor, G. and the editors of Time-Life Books, Growth, New York: Life Science Library, 1965, p. 64 [a 40 year old source]). 38. O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F., Human Embryology and Teratology, 3rd Edition, New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2001. 39 Carlson, B., p. 292, 308. O’Rahilly, p. 456, 471 puts the appearance of the eye at about 28 days. 40 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th Edition, Philadelphia: W.B. Sanders, 1998. 41 Ibid. 42 O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F., p. 235, 236. 43 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., p. 236–242. 44 O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F., p. 429. 45 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., p. 437. 46 Tsiaras, A. and Werth, B., p. 102, 114, 119. 47 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., p. 408–411. 48 O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F., p. 238. 49 Ibid., p. 428. 50 Carlson, B., p. 483, 484. 51 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., p. 409–414. 52 Ibid, p. 514, 519. 53 Tsiaras, A. and Werth, B., p. 210. 54 Valman, H. and Pearson, J., “What the foetus feels,” BMJ, January 26, 1980. 55 Moore, K. and Persaud, T., p. 517. 56 Tsiaras, A. and Werth, B., p. 219. 57 Anand, K and Hickey P, “Pain and Its Effects in the Human Neonate and Fetus.” The New England Journal of Medicine, (1987) 317:1321–1329. Pain at 20

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Notes

weeks, perhaps as early as 16 weeks; and Anand, K., report to U. S. Federal Court as expert witness January 15, 2004. 58 Tsiaras, A. and Werth, B., p. 229, Carlson, B., p. XV. 59 O’Rahilly, R. and Muller, F., p. 413. 60 Ibid. 61 Carlson, B., p. 305. 42. Carlson, B., p. XV. 62 Kaunitz, “Causes of Maternal Mortality in the United States,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 65, May 1985. 63 Mahler, Martina. “Abortion: the pain no one talks about.” Women’s World, 24 September 1991. 64 Reardon, D. C. Aborted Women Silent No More. Chicago: Loyola University Press. 1987; p. 129. 65 Leach, “The Repeat Abortion Patient,” Family Planning Perspectives, 1977. 66 Ezugwu F. O., Obi S. N., Onah H. E. “The knowledge, attitude and practice of child adoption among infertile Nigerian women.” J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002 Mar; 22(2):211-6.

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Every Abortion Stops a Beating Heart (Abortion in Nigeria)

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