By Emily Brown
A recent news story celebrated the fact that the Supreme Court in India is allowing a woman to have an abortion at 24 weeks. The article actually called this a “milestone” for women.
The author justified the killing of the 24-week-old preborn baby by using the argument that the woman was raped and the child had “anomalies” that could risk the life of the mother. The article stated that this woman would simply be terminating her “pregnancy.”
Stories like this leave people wondering if, during an abortion, a woman does truly terminate a pregnancy or a baby.
Is a 24-week-old fetus even a baby?
A typical 24-week-old baby can do many amazing things. She can curl her toes, has her own set of fingerprints, and can make various facial expressions such as a smile. She can sense light and has taste buds forming. She is also able to hear her mother talking and likes to respond by moving around or kicking.
Using cunning language like “terminating a pregnancy” or “reproductive rights” is simply a way to dehumanize the preborn child. The more the preborn child is dehumanized, the more comfortable women will feel about ending their baby’s life through abortion.
What about exceptions?
The woman in this story was raped, and many people think that abortion should be acceptable in this “special circumstance.” While we all know that there is absolutely no excuse for such a terrible crime and the perpetrator should be punished, we must also understand that the child did nothing wrong. The baby committed no crime, and he should not be punished for the sins of his father. Thousands of women, like Sara Gerardo, make the courageous decision to keep a child conceived in rape. As Sara stated, she does not see her rapist when she looks at her child. She sees her son—a son she loves unconditionally.
Other options
Life Defenders wants women to know they have options other than abortion. A mother can choose to have another family adopt her child. She can rely on help from churches, crisis pregnancy centers, nonprofits, or homes for expectant mothers until she can learn to be self-sufficient. A mother can give her child to a Safe Haven organization where people will care for the baby and find a loving home for him. The options are endless.
Help us show women that we care about them and their babies. Help us show them how to put their trust in God and to understand that all of the people He creates are made in His image and likeness. Abortion is the murder of an innocent child—a gift from God. When we educate and empower women to learn more about the baby growing inside them, we are creating a culture of life. And each and every time we take this step toward creating a culture of life, we weaken the culture of death. If we continue to do this, that culture of death will soon exist no more.
Emily Brown, the granddaughter of Judie Brown, graduated magna cum laude from Mount St. Mary’s University with a bachelor’s degree in special and elementary education and a minor in theology in May 2015. She began working for American Life League this summer and is the director of its new youth department, ALL Life Defenders. She plans on educating and collaborating with young adults all over the country to empower the new generation to respect all life from creation to death!