This just breaks my heart! And it might surprise you in all the ways that it does. This actually appeared in the journal of medical ethics by (Guilbilini and Minerva): “Although fetuses and newborns are not persons, they are potential persons because they can develop, thanks to their own biological mechanisms, . . .” “However, whereas you can benefit someone by bringing her into existence (if her life is worth living), it makes no sense to say that someone is harmed by being prevented from becoming an actual person.” “So, if you ask one of us if we would have been harmed, had our parents decided to kill us when we were fetuses or newborns, our answer is ‘no’, because they would have harmed someone who does not exist (the ‘us’ whom you are asking the question), which means no one. And if no one is harmed, then no harm occurred.” Here are the reasons this breaks my heart: One: I actually am not as surprised to see such material written when we live in a culture full of horrific forms of legal abortions of many ages of unborn babies, and the death of babies who survived their failed abortion by the hands of the workers. What next? If a child younger than three years old is “clinically depressed”, let’s just allow others to euthanize them if they choose to? Or if they don’t have a job or certain discernable abilities as those older than them, then they aren’t really a “person”? Two: My concern goes beyond the “kill the baby vs. let the baby live” conversation. It grieves my heart that medical ethicists, or even our society, have stooped to such a low level of morals and ethics, and rose to a high level of denial in order to justify whatever people want to justify. Of course unborn and newborn babies are persons. Guilbilini and Minerva appraise ourselves and other humans nothing more than dirt. Even dirt has a pretty valuable function to our ecosystem! The beliefs/values of this article on a person’s life speak nothing more to me than the belief of perpetrators who killed people “because they had no worth, value, or societal contribution”. If a student were to yell at another, “You should’ve been aborted,” I would hope a pro-choice teacher or authority figure would reprimand them, especially with how we have all these “anti-bullying” campaigns running rampant. If you think that is bad, imagine if the person yelling insults were to not just say “aborted” but to actually describe one of the many forms of abortion: “You should’ve died in acid in your mother’s womb,” “I wish your limbs were ripped off in your mother’s womb,” etc.. It sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it? If a pro-choice teacher heard that, and even tried to reprimand, would he/she be contradictory to their belief? Or is this an acceptable form of bullying? Our legal system says it’s an acceptable form of bullying as long as abortion is legal, or else it’s hypocritical. How deep do my pro-life beliefs go? I don’t agree much (hardly) with any of President Obama’s beliefs. I am grieved over many of his decisions. You could say I am about as opposite of Nancy Pelosi as they come. And you could say that I do not like seeing religious freedoms under attack and abused by those in power, such as some recent events. Believe it or not, I would not wish abortion, or any form of it, on any of these individuals. In fact, if I could, I would love to treat Houston’s Mayor Annise Parker to coffee, sit, and spend time in a pleasant conversation, if she were to have it. Those who know me, certainly know I would. It doesn’t matter what our differences of beliefs are, and the fact she attacked pastors and religious freedom -- she has value. I don’t believe God called us to only love those who are walking closely beside Him. I challenge pro-lifers to be pro-life in regard to the fact that humans who do not share the same beliefs also have value. One of the problems is all the different ways we have devalued ourselves and each other, no matter the root cause in each individual to take part in a diluted belief. So give value to who they are as a person. I challenge Christians to reflect upon the verse in the Bible where Jesus says, “'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’” (NKJV, John 21:17b). How important was this to Jesus? He asked Peter three times! So, are you feeding His flock, or are you just telling them what to eat and throwing food at them? Reaching out and showing love, does not mean compromising beliefs. It’s strengthening your beliefs, showing people they are of worth, while walking in integrity. If you feel convicted in how you’ve treated others, I challenge you to apologize. People don’t do that enough. If you feel guilty that you didn’t do anything when you felt you should have, I challenge you to reach out, and love them through trials and mistakes. There are many trials and anguish in others’ lives we do not see. Guilbini and Minerva didn’t recognize the value of unborn and newborn children. The issue of not seeing worth and value in human beings is something we all need to work on though changing culture in how we express worth to one another. THIS is where the pro-life message starts. THIS is an important area it must be maintained.
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11/16/2014 08:35:19 am
The idea that the unborn humans aren't persons is false. When I was a child, we were taught in school than 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' -- and we were shown drawings of babies first going through tadpole stage, and then other stages, before becoming human. Well, there's nobody in the scientific community anymore who denies that each of us humans were human from the very earliest stage of biological development. Look up the definition of person: 'An individual human being' is what my Webster's says. Well, each unborn baby is an individual, with unique DNA which is unmistakenly human. The U.S. Constitution is explicit in saying that no person shall be deprived of their life without due process. Yet we have a whole group of persons that we allow to be deprived of their life without due process -- thousands are aborted every day. I'd be against abortion even if the Constitution was silent on this subject, but the Constitution is NOT silent. Please challenge anyone who tells you that the unborn child is not a person. And please do not support any politicians or so-called pro-life groups that support bills that codify ANY abortion.
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