The Guardian has reported that the Vatican has threatened to excommunicate a medical team that performed an abortion on an eleven year old who had been raped by her stepfather.
It has been obvious for a long time that Roman Catholics will make no exceptions to their rule against abortion. In their eyes, eleven year old girls can be reduced to being incubators for the offspring of child molesters.
Before the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention, the position of the Christian Life Commission of the SBC was that abortion was permissible in four instances -- rape, incest, severe physical deformity of the fetus, and to protect the life and health of the mother.
The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message led the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt the Roman Catholic position on abortion.
I would like to hear what Al Mohler, Richard Land, Paige Patterson and Morris Chapman have to say about the permissibility of abortions for eleven year old rape victims.
I won't hold my breath until I hear from them.
If they were forthright about what they mean when they "contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death," many Southern Baptists would begin to comprehend that their position is as extreme as that of Roman Catholics.
10 comments:
mom2,
I'll take that as one vote for little girls as incubators.
Dr. Prescott,
Thank God your view was not around in 4 BCE. Our Savior would have ended up as a mass of body tissue in some sterile setting of an abortion Physician's office trash can.
I also, have a few questions about your assumptions of the BF&M2k prohibititions on abortion. Who defines the severity of phisical deformity of a baby in the womb? Also, how does one know the quality of life {sic} a child will have after birth? I have a young Lady in the church I serve that was born with Spina Bifide (sp) and she is in a wheel chair. We celebrated her graduation from High School and her recent advancement from the youth group. You will not meet a more pleasant Christian Young Lady. I do not believe one would like to ask her mom or dad that if they had the technology before she was born would they have aborted her?
Rape and Incest--Many babies born from this ugly crime against a woman have been great contributors to society. Why are we going to perform a killing of an innocent life when it is indeed the rapist that deserves that harse of a punishment. Also, why are we going to kill an innocent life and allow a little girl to remain in the home of the child molestor who took advantage of her in the first place? How do we know all abortions due to incest are reported? If the patient asks the Dr. not to report it there is something known as Dr/Patient confidentiality. Protecting the life and health of the mother sounds noble, but isn't that the role of the physician? Isn't there an "oath" he/she takes that says he/she is supposed to do all to protect life? Doesn't a statement say something about treating in such a way as not to harm? But, who can believe a Physician is as good as their word, when they are willing to kill a baby whose only protection is a thin membrane?
Having said all of this Dr. Prescott, I do enjoy reading your blog and find that we disagree on many issues. However, I do come to your blog with hope, that one day there will be something that we agree on. But, I like you, will not hold my breath.
Blessings,
Tim
ps. My vote is for humanity, not classifying them into the classes and caste system of science.
Tim,
The earth is full of life forms.
All human life is sacred when it bears the imago Dei.
The issue between us is over the genesis of the imago.
There is much room for debate over that genesis.
I do not believe that the imago refers to physical form.
How does the anti-abortion side which is so tender hearted concerning innocent life reconcile what happened in the book of Judges to Achen? Under God's leader's direction they took Achen, his wife, his innocent children, after all it was their father's sin not theirs, and everything else, and stoned them to death. By this Levitical Law Mary and Jesus would have been stoned because Joseph was not the father.
Snoofy,
Glad to see that you'll admit that it's just a guess.
Progress is being made.
"In their eyes, eleven year old girls can be reduced to being incubators for the offspring of child molesters."
First, this appears to be an emotional appeal and not based on scripture, the ultimate authority.
Second, God's commandments in Exodus and Deuteronomy clearly state that killing/murder/abortion is wrong and a sin. Nothing in scripture supports the idea that some killing of babies is good and permissable.
While the Bible does not specifically forbid abortion by name, early NT church writings, such as The Didache, are clear that Christians are not to commit abortion.
"2:2 {Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery,} thou shalt not corrupt boys, thou shalt not commit fornication, {thou shalt not steal,} thou shalt not deal in magic, thou shalt do no sorcery, thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born..."
The Didache
http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/noncanon/fathers/ante-nic/didache.htm
All Christian churchs, not just RCC, held that doctrine until the 1930's. Sometime in the last 100 years, Satan managed to drip his poison into many minds.
So, yes, unless God in his mercy allows for a miscarriage, the child should be born. Our response should be one of prayer and Christian charity as our faith and scripture demands.
May God's Holy Spirit fill you and guide your discernment.
Tim,
No, when an eleven year old is pregnant there is no such thing as confidentiality. A crime has been committed and certainly in my state such a crime would have to be reported immediately by a physician. Not reporting the abuse of a child is a crime.
The eleven year old's life would be at less physical risk with an abortion and that is what would be offered.
The great majority of parents would make the choice in favor of abortion. How do I know that? I know that because that is what happens.
Those who do not face this choice can sit back and say that is wrong.
Snoofy,
In this life we all must live by faith.
Some live by faith making difficult choices in prayerful consultation with the Spirit of the Living God.
Others exaggerate biblical guidance and then try to force everyone to live by their idiosyncratic interpretations of scripture.
mom2,
I know a majority of parents make that choice.
And as I said those that do not need to make such a choice sit back and say it was the wrong choice.
Very few of the posts on this subject even mention what is best for the eleven year old girl. I guess since she has already been born, how she thinks and feels is just not an important consideration.
I might point out that abortion is not a procedure that is undertaken strictly by non-Christians. There are Christians who choose abortion and some of them would call themselves fundamentalists. It just that "their" circumstances are somehow different than everyone elses, and so an abortion would be "okay" in their case only.
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