The Bird & Babe Public House

We offer pithy pontifications by the pint-full, and the best brain-food this side of Blogsford. There's no cover charge, and it's all you can eat/drink (although we strongly encourage moderation). Like any other pub, we always appreciate a good tip.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Abortion--"A better healthy choice"?

TIME recently ran a piece on the abortion debate, focusing primarily on the rise and work of crisis pregnancy centers (for a good commentary on this article go here) One of the objections against crisis pregnancy centers brought up in the article by the vice president of Planned Parenthood is,

The movement toward "medicalizing" the centers particularly concerns groups like Planned Parenthood that define their mission as offering the most accurate information about the most complete range of reproductive options. The motive behind offering free ultrasounds, which would typically cost at least $100, is
more emotional than medical, critics argue, and having them performed by people with limited training and moral agendas poses all kinds of hazards. "What is really tragic to me is that a woman goes into a center looking for information, looking to be able to make a better, healthy choice, and she doesn't get all the facts," argues Christopher Hollis, Planned Parenthood's vice president for governmental and political affairs in North Carolina. "That's taking someone's life and playing a really dangerous game with it.

Notice, as Dr. Mohler points out, "the effort to disguise abortion as "a better, healthy choice." The only reason a woman would choose not to abort, some pro-abortion advocates seem to say, is that she didn't "get all the facts." What are the "facts" that they may be missing? Notice some "facts" that this quote gives:

1)"The motive behind offering free ultrasounds, which would typically cost at least $100, is more emotional than medical..."

2)"...having them performed by people with limited training and moral agendas poses all kinds of hazards."

3)The information, or lack thereof, that these crisis pregnancy centers are giving amounts to "taking someone's life and playing a really dangerous game with it."

Three is rather interesting to me since I think that Planned Parenthood is more guilty of this than the crisis pregnancy centers, and worse; for Planned Parenthood's failure to give all the facts (the fetus is a human being) amounts to "taking someone's life."

In regards to two, I am not sure how performing an ultrasound, even with limited training, poses a health hazard. I suppose I need more information on this.

One, I am sure, is quite irrelevant.

Now, the inspiration for me to even introduce this article is for the following reason: Recently my wife and I discovered that our son, which my wife is carrying in her womb right now, has a 0% chance of surviving outside of the womb. He has a severe form of skeletal displaysia (current diagnosis: Osteogenesis Imperfecta, level 2). We have spent countless hours talking with various doctors, specialists, geneticists, etc. And, initially, the consensus of the experts was that we needed to abort our baby (interestingly, these specialists had no problem referring to the 'fetus' as: baby, child, son, human being).

I must admit, we did take into consideration what they were telling us. Namely, abortion appears to be the best option. However, after considering all the facts, my wife and I decided that the moral choice here was to keep the baby--not for reasons that some people would give (I am sure)--for the simple 'fact' that our child is a human being. Here, I think, is a counterexample to Planned Parenthood's argument. That is to say, we have all the facts, we even considered abortion as an option, and in light of those facts we made a reasoned decision to keep the baby because we believe that not keeping the baby would amount to "taking someone's life and playing a really dangerous game with it."

6 Comments:

Blogger steve said...

I cant imagine what you and your family are going through. Your decision is an example to all of us. As Rob says: Just becuase a decision is emotionally difficult, doesnt mean that it is also morally unclear.

You, your wife, your unborn child are all in our prayers. May our God who is able to do exceding abundantly beyond what we ask or think, strengthen all of you in the midst of this trial.

If there is anything we can do, please let us know.

February 25, 2007 5:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A lot of our decision was based upon Rob's influence on me, and his constant reminder behind the pulpit (or music stand:) that abortion is taking the life of an innocent human being, not simply a "medical procedure"...I am grateful for that great cloud of witnesses around me who are willing to call a spade a spade.

Thank you for your prayers, and I will let you know if there is anything you can do.

Aaron (Blogger is not letting me sign in for some odd reason)

February 26, 2007 6:36 AM  
Blogger DrewDog said...

Hey, Aaron. Great Post.

I love how you caught the pro-abortionist claiming that CPC's are "taking someone's life..." Talk about the height of irony!

Also, I remember you telling me about how the doctors were explaining to you how the child is developing, and what is wrong with him, and how your son has a very low chance of survival. And then you told me that their rhetoric changed completely: "Therefore, it is our strong recommendation that you abort the fetus."

Sheesh.

February 26, 2007 10:48 AM  
Blogger Vijay Swamidass said...

I'm missing something also - what is the "dangerous game" being played by CPCs? In the case of convenience abortions, Planned Parenthood's bottomline is the main thing in danger.

I saw the movie "Amazing Grace" this weekend. Most people now think - "How can those people back then rationalize treating other human beings like that? Isn't it obviously wrong?"
Proponents of slavery justified their actions by saying that the slaves were better off as slaves in America than citizens in Africa. Oh, and without the slaves, the economy would crash.

Seems to be the same thing suggested by Planned Parenthood:
1. We are doing the most healthy thing for the fetus. The fetus is better off dead than imperfect by our standard.
2. Supporting a child is expensive. Your personal economy is negatively affected by having too many children.

Thank you for sharing your situation - I can't imagine the emotions you are dealing with. By the way, Aaron, I think I've maybe met you once in person. I'd like to change that...Are you at Redwood on Sunday?

February 26, 2007 11:37 AM  
Blogger Mark "T-Hill" said...

I feel out of the loop a little, not having a child of my own (or a wife for that matter,) struggling to imagine what it would be like knowing my child is going to die at birth. I had a manager whose first baby died at 3 months old. He took leave from work and people made him cards. I did nothing. I just don't know what to say in those situations. Oh sorry man, bummer. My manager never came back, as far as I know, but I knew then, there's probably nothing in the world like losing a child, feeling helpless to do anything.

Anyways... Vijay,
you seem a little confused. If you're wondering, how can anyone suppport abortion, it's easy to break down pro-aborts into 3 categories based on motive and ingenuousness. 1st class would be doctors and other educated elite. It's become evident to me that even with the facts, and sincere motives, they can suggest abortion as a treatment for illnesses because they are horribly self-blinded.

2nd class of lesser educated pro-aborts have simpler reasons: hatred of Christians and Christian morals, hatred of men and any control over them they might influence (right or wrong), not wanting consequences for their actions, etc.

3rd class of moral pro-aborts (professing Christians and the like) lack the education or sometimes swayed by the emotions of rape victims, incest victims, disease victims, etc.

1st group has the facts, but chooses to ignore for various reasons (e.g. money, jobs, moral implications if they were wrong for so many years.) 2nd group won't hear the facts even it's given to them, and the 3rd group didn't have Rob.

Hope that helps.

February 26, 2007 5:38 PM  
Blogger Puntastic! said...

How does someone not have a moral agenda? How does one make choices without an idea that it's wrong or not?

March 04, 2007 6:40 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home