First, let's be clear that the issue of abortion is so impacting that it crosses over the boundaries of many intellectual, emotional, social, economic, political, moral, scientific, and spiritual questions and issues, easily linking each in a logical chain with the others. It cannot stay in just one stream of debate, but it naturally flows into so many other raging waters. Whenever any facet of the abortion debate is rehashed, it elicits a firestorm of reaction from the opposing viewpoint in the discussion because it touches so many "hot-button" issues at the same time. Take for example the issue/question of "When does life begin?" as it relates to the abortion discussion. This issue/question inevitably invites intense commentary from many angles of the facts-beliefs-opinions spectrum. Faith and morality become involved. Science becomes involved. Intellect becomes involved. Social, economic, and political concerns are voiced. All viewpoints are extremely emotionally charged because the stakes aren't just a negative economic impact on a group. It is not just a voting rights problem, nor a social standing issue that is the concern. But it is a question of life and death for a significant voiceless constituency within our populace.
Yes, what about that voiceless constituency? Would they appreciate some single-issue voters standing up for them? By the sheer magnitude of their numbers (an estimated 42-52 million since January 22, 1973), they are arguably the largest disenfranchised group in American history. With our present population at just over 300 million, they represent about 1/6 of the US populace. What other issue directly, and so drastically, impacts such a massive number of our citizens. You can see why the discussion of when life begins is so emotionally charged. Because if these entities were all considered living, breathing human beings (as in Psalm 139), then American doctors (who have taken the Hippocratic oath) would be culpable as terrorists who have viciously invaded the most sacred sanctuary on earth, the human womb, at the request of the person these little ones may have trusted the most had they been born - their mother.
Another way to look at this is to consider all the wrangling that has gone on about the involvement of US citizens (military personnel) in the Iraq war since it's beginning in 2003. Though extremely tragic, there have been just over 4,000 U.S. lives lost to date in that military conflict. You expect to lose lives in military conflicts whether the conflict is considered right or wrong. There were about 60,000 KIA and MIA in Vietnam. There were about 405,000 total US deaths in WWII (combat deaths, plus deaths due to disease, etc.) and 625,000 total deaths in our bloodiest, disease-ridden conflict - the Civil War (where every casualty in the war was an American on both sides). Even in the Holocaust during the Nazi years of terrorizing Europe, the estimated 6 million innocent Jews, that deplorably lost their lives, are exceeded in multiplied millions by those innocents who were mortally affected inside the womb by the worst form of domestic terrorism (instituted by the US Supreme Court decision of Roe vs Wade in 1973 in violation of their oath of office). An estimated 4,000 US citizens a day are disposed of by terrorists dressed in the garb of compassionate medical personnel. What a travesty of human justice and God's beautiful, amazing creation!
What are your comments? How do you see it? How does this important issue enter into Your Ultimate Kingdom Destiny?
Next Installment: Numbness, Civil Rights, and The Forgotten Lost
