According to a recent Reuters news article, abortion rates in the U.S. have leveled off after a steady decline for the last thirty years.* Since 1981, when the abortion rate peaked at 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women, the number of abortions has decreased each year until 2008 when it stalled at around 19.5. I have mixed feelings about all of this. I am obviously happy that these rates have decreased steadily. That means more and more children are being born and having an opportunity at life that they otherwise would not. However, if even one abortion occurred that would be too many, and to know that almost 2% of women in our country are still having abortions each year is enough to make me sick. Where has the sense of decency and morality gone?
Since 1973 when the Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade an entire generation has been born and reared knowing nothing but legalized abortion. And in that time it seems that that generation and succeeding generations have been desensitized to the gravity of a single abortion. Such desensitizing comes through such means as simple definitions. For example, Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the term “abortion” as “any expulsion of a fetus before it is able to survive, esp. if induced on purpose.” Sure that definition tells the story, but it does not fully impress the meaning. At the end of the day you can sugar coat definitions any way you want but an abortion is still murder!
Ultimately, though, I do not decide the legality of such actions. However, neither do the Supreme Court, Congress, or even the President. God settled the matter when He inspired Solomon to write, “These six things doth the Lord hate…” one of which is “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16,17). Yes, I know that the abortion advocates argue that the “fetus” is not a living being and that the abortion does not therefore constitute a murder. However, my question continues to be, if it is not alive, why do you have to kill it?
-Andy Brewer
(A couple of days after writing this article the most interesting article was posted about a an abortion doctor being tried for murder [AJB] – http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/19/philadelphia-abortion-doctor-charged-counts-murder/?test=latestnews)
*Goldberg, Barbara. “U.S. Abortion Rate Levels Off After 30-Year Decline.” (January 12, 2011). http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110112/hl_nm/us_usa_abortion_1.