Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks. Abortions are carried out for many reasons – sometimes it is because the woman killing her child is poor, or sick, or is too young to raise a child. However, I believe that whatever the reason, aborting a child is wrong as God created us to have children.
CAPRI (Caribbean Policy Research Institute) has been publishing articles in favour of abortion. The world is extremely divided over the matter and I do not want to get into that. I just want to inform you about abortion, and allow you to decide.
PRO-LIFE VS. PRO-CHOICE
There are two groups that have to do with abortion: Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. Pro Life believes that at whatever stage of pregnancy, a life is a life, and that abortion should not be tolerated for any reason. Pro-Choice believes that a woman should exercise the right to do absolutely whatever she wants with her body. That is what many are divided on, as well as at what point is the fetus considered a life? Most consider the fetus to be a life at 20 or more weeks, however, we know that the fetus is a life from far before that point.
COMPLICATIONS AND DEMOCRACY
Abortion can also lead to several health problems like heavy bleeding, infection, damage to the cervix, and scarring of the uterine lining.
Jamaica is a democracy and whenever there are big issues to settle in democracies, a referendum is called where all nationals within the country are allowed to cast their vote on the issue. We wait t
o see if there will be one on this matter.
Polls, already undertaken in Jamaica, show that over 70% of Jamaicans are against abortion. So, why would a democracy want to legalize something like abortion, which the people of Jamaica have rejected? In a democracy, the majority chooses what goes on in the nation, and Jamaicans have long rejected the very concept of legalising abortions.
DO BABIES FEEL PAIN?
A woman is responsible for herself – therefore, why should a child suffer for her actions? When a gunman shoots a pregnant woman, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, he is charged with the murder of two persons; that is whether he knew she was pregnant or not. So, what kind of atrocity and crime against the babies in the womb is this? Sanctioning a woman to take the life of her unborn child? A study – surprisingly undertaken by both pro-choice and pro-life advocates – has agreed that the fetus feels pain during an abortion from the 12th. week of gestation. (erlc.com/resource-library/articles/Chelsea Sobolik).
It was previously thought that pain could only be felt at 22 weeks and more. So, babies feel pain during an abortion and the mother can have health complications thereafter.
MELISSA THE SURVIVOR
The story of Melissa Ohden is an interesting one. Weighing less than 3 pounds at birth, she survived a failed abortion attempt and was subsequently adopted. When she discovered this later in life, she was depressed and lost faith in God. However, He saved her and now she is happily married and is a pro-life activist. All those reading this could have been in such a position as Melissa, but our parents did not want to slaughter us, so, we must be grateful to God. Every life is a gift from God, regardless of the circumstances of conception.
Now you decide: are you pro-life or pro-choice?