Shoulder To Shoulder #1261 -- 10/18/21 ---- "The Folly of Forgetting God -- Demise of a People: Part 4 -- Sacrificing To Molech (Part B)
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics
selected to motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ.
It is a personal letter of encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil,
but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day,
which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity
which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice, which
costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica,
for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
Shoulder To Shoulder #1261 -- 10/18/21
Title: "The Folly of Forgetting God -- Demise of a People: Part 4 -- Sacrificing To Molech (Part B)
My Dear Friend and Pilgrim Partner:
Today is another hectic day as we shift back and forth between our spot in the RV park, the "new" house, doctors' appointments, errands, -- and our satellite TV technicians installing service to the "new" house. Gratefully, it is a beautiful day in Yuma with only a slight breeze, very little blowing dust, and the high of only a dry 81 degrees. While I try to write today's letter and Jo Ann does laundry (washer and dryer at the Park Model are inaccessible in the back of a packed storage and utility shed), while both of us do our best to stay out o the way of the two technicians installing TV service.
Yesterday was the third consecutive Sunday when I have not preached, and I have two more to go before services at Chapel de Oro begin on November 7th. We are still learning just how tired and exhausted we really were; we just didn't realize it. So, even though there is much on my heart and I'm anxious to begin sharing with the Chapel folks, it has been good for us to not have any ministry obligations, and instead, ourselves being spiritually fed.
We have particularly been blessed by the TV preaching of Alan Jackson, David Jeremiah, and John MacArthur. David Jeremiah was our "pastor" during the last three years we were missionaries in Kyiv, Ukraine. Our souls were enriched and lifted each Sunday night around 9:00 PM when we had a chance to "crash" in our recliners after fourteen hours of non-stop ministry.
This hectic schedule here and a frequent weariness of mind makes me suspect my past several letters have been disconnected at times. I hope it has not distracted from the topic and its vital importance. I'll try to do better today and in the future.
No doubt there are some readers who believe it is quite a "stretch" to equate abortion with the practice of ancient child sacrifice. I struggled with that idea for some time, but the more I studied the subject, the more similarities I see. Both arise from a lack of reverence for the sacredness of human life, a failure to understand that all of life is a gift from God, and that it is horribly wrong to "shed innocent blood" because both scientifically and biblically "life is in the blood". There are two things that life cannot live without, and that is air and blood. One can survive for an extended period without exercise, food, or water, but cannot last more than seconds to a few fleeting minutes without oxygen and blood.
For me personally, the rampant epidemic of "legalized" abortion -- actually, abortion of any kind, for that matter -- is one of the preeminent evidences of just how far from God America has strayed as we have forsaken Him. You may not feel that way, but if the "shedding of innocent blood" is one of the seven things God detests, then I cannot fathom a situation where He would give His blessing to abortion.
So, today we'll take look #2 at the topic, and next week try to conclude with a third and final look.
Incidentally, in order to get the full picture of what I believe the Bible teaches, I'd suggest reading all three letters after the final one comes to you next week. One cannot get the full picture by a series of "sound bytes".
So, today we'll examine the ethical and biblical perspective of "the origin of and viability of life" -- right after you consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> ""When a once Christian nation like America rejects God and His Word, it automatically leaves behind the Judeo-Christian based culture laid down by its Founders. Given their understanding of human nature as irretrievably sinful, they included checks and balances based upon Scripture in their design of society to combat the culture's decomposition and the nation's disintegration." -- David Lane (Founder, Pres. American Renewal Project)
> "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want." -- Mother Teresa (20th Century Nun, Mothers for the Poor)
> ". . . abortion is not called child sacrifice. And the victims are not called children. Different terms are used in an attempt to hide the reality of what is actually happening in this modern-day holocaust. Terms like fetal tissue, abortion, pro-choice, women’s rights, women’s health care, and other words are used to hide a reality: the killing of a human being made in the image of God! It’s murder! It’s child sacrifice." -- Ken Ham (Founder, Answers in Genesis, Australian Apologist)
> "Any woman who has felt a baby stir inside her [and] any man who has seen the tiny heart pulsing on an ultrasound screen, knows that abortion is about ending a life." -- Karen Kissane (Small Business Coach of the Year, 2019)
> "Most women 'choose' abortion precisely because they believe they have no other choice." -- Serrin M. Foster (Pres. Feminists For Life)
> "Since there are many parallels between ancient child sacrifice and modern abortion, it is reasonable to conclude that the attitude of our unchanging God towards abortion today is similar to His attitude towards child sacrifice in the past. What then can we rationally surmise is God's judgment regarding the practice of abortion both among Christians and those who are not His people?" -- Dr. Andrew White MD (2012, Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, Volume 1, Number 2
> "[Abortion is] "the horrendous modern immolation of millions of fetuses on the alter of sex gratification." -- Carl F. H. Henry (1985 -- 20th Century Evangelical Theologian)
> "Abortion on demand has, in my judgment, contributed significantly to an environment in our country in which life has become very cheap." -- Robert Casey (PA Democratic Senator)
> "Many times in Scripture, God’s people are warned not to be like the pagan peoples of other nations who sacrificed their own children. As we read of this abomination in Scripture, the so-called “civilized West” would claim that such vile behavior as child sacrifice should not be tolerated. But they do!" -- Ken Ham (Founder, Answers in Genesis, Australian Apologist)
FIVE REASONS ABORTION IS BOTH WRONG AND HORRIBLE:
Sometime in this coming December, the Supreme Court of the United States will consider the American abortion issue when they take up the recently passed Texas State Law severely limiting abortions in that state. (For a quick summary of what SCOTUS will examine, go to https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/10/18/doj-asks-supreme-court-to-rule-on-texas-abortion-law---here-are-all-the-abortion-cases-the-court-could-rule-on-this-term/?sh=32738cff1eca .
David Lane of the American Renewal Project recently wrote in Charisma Magazine, . . .
"In 1973 the secular radicals created out of whole cloth the obscure constitutional 'right' to murder children in their mother's womb [Roe v. Wade], followed in 2015 by disclosing as somehow existing in the U.S. Constitution [ignoring 400 years of jurisprudence] the 'right; to homosexual marriage [Obergefell v. Hodges], and most recently in 2020 by even further expanding homosexual and transgender rights [Bostock v. Clayton County].
"While all this was happening, American Christendom hunkered down behind the four walls of the church building, anxiously trying to steer clear from the battle in the public square for America's Soul in opposition to the State's Mephistophelian crusade against biblical Christianity. With the church as such an unwilling or even absent participant, there could never be any doubt about the outcome of the battle."
For years I have agreed with Lane's commentary that the Church in America has basically abandoned its post and has failed to show up for "active duty" to defend the moral and spiritual fiber of the land. In fact, I would go so far as to estimate that this subterranean and diabolical effort to tempt America away from her Judeo Christian values began much earlier in time, but burst to the surface like an infected boil under the Warren Court with the rulings in the 1960's against school led prayer and Bible reading.
The more I have studied this topic in relation to this current series on America's demise, I have concluded that there are five major things that abortion violates, thus making it an act of horrible wrongdoing.
1. It is historically wrong. We looked a bit at that in my last letter where the overwhelming majority of Christian evangelical leaders and theologians equate it with the acts of child sacrifice. While I will address this in next week's letter, let me summarize by saying that abortion has been practiced in certain cultures since ancient times, the overwhelming evidence indicates that such practice was relegated to immoral people and/or cultures that followed a "paganish" view of culture. In cultures with strong Judeo-Christian or Islamic values, abortion was looked upon as wrong, evil, and even damnable.
2. It is biblically wrong. That is quite clear. We will look at this in detail later. Once you read what the Bible has to say about life both inside and outside the womb, the origin of life, and the sacredness of life, there is no room left to justify abortion.
3. It is medically wrong. We will also examine that in my next letter. Medical science has proven -- actually verified what the Bible already said -- that life begins at conception, and all that is necessary to create a human body is already found within the sperm and the egg.
4. It is constitutionally wrong. One hugely erroneous error many people make is the assumption that abortion is constitutional and, therefore, legal. Evidence and fact indicate neither to be true. We'll look at this in my next letter.
5. It is morally wrong. Anyone with any sense of morality recognizes that it is wrong. Even when one feels there is a legitimate -- or desperate -- need to have an abortion, there is something deep inside that shudders at the idea, and grieves over the idea of taking the life of an innocent human being who has not even had a chance to be born. If abortion is NOT morally wrong, then why do people who have them, perform them, or approve of them feel so sorrowful? If it is just fine, then why do they grieve?
In other words, abortion is simply wrong . . . wrong . . . wrong. It is a sin against God, against the mother, against the father, against the family, against society -- and against the aborted baby. To treat the baby as if it is merely a "growth" or some kind of unwanted tumor is absurd -- and heinous, in my opinion. The closest argument that even remotely looks reasonable or logical is that of when rape or incest occurred, or when the life of the mother is in grave danger. However, as I will demonstrate shortly, even those arguments are all medically and morally unsustainable.
So, that brings us to the matter of . . .
WHEN LIFE BEGINS -- SOME INDISPUTABLE FACTS THAT MAKE ABORTION WRONG:
In my younger years my view on abortion was that it was entirely wrong -- but sometimes necessary. Today, after four daughters, twelve grandchildren including one born with Mosaic Trisomy 18, and 17 great grandchildren or more (I can never keep count!), I am convinced that an abortion that is truly "necessary" is extremely rare, if necessary at all.
I have come to this conclusion for a couple of reasons. First, claiming it to be necessary actually exposes a spiritual problem regarding one's ability -- or willingness -- to truly trust God with the outcome if abortion is not performed. Second, rarely is the culture's view of "necessary" accurate because it is tainted by economics, convenience, personal preferences, and recommendations by people who do not consider God's grace, His divine intervention and His under-girding support and sufficiency.
One of the biggest arguments pro-abortion people throw at you is that the "blob" -- or even when developed into a fetus -- is not really a human. The argument is, of course, totally untrue. This argument astounds me because the evidence is in 100% opposition to that claim. It worked reasonably well until about 20 years ago when medical science proved beyond any doubt -- ANY doubt -- that life begins at conception.
Over the past couple of weeks I've done extensive research on this question -- more extensive than just about any topic in recent years. I went to websites and manuals ranging from the religious to the economic to the medical, hoping to find some sort of common consensus.
The evidence is indisputable -- life absolutely does begin at conception. Virtually every ethical and medical entry I found on the internet -- more than 100 that I read, in fact -- all say the same thing. And that includes articles written by places like Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, American Association of Pediatrics, and others. Letting the medical world speak for itself, here are the facts:
1. Life begins at conception. ---- I read literally scores of articles on this topic, and the scientific data was unanimous. Life begins at conception. One example was found in the Live Action.org website, in which Sara Terzo stated . . .
"Science teaches without reservation that life begins at fertilization (conception). It is a scientific fact that an organism exists after fertilization that did not exist before. This new organism has its own DNA distinct from the mother and father, meaning that it is a unique person. As the embryo grows, it develops a heartbeat (22 days after fertilization), its own circulatory system, and its own organs. From fertilization, it is a new organism that is alive and will continue to grow and develop as long as nutrition is provided and its life is not ended through violence or illness.
"It is indisputably human, as it has human DNA. The offspring of two members of a species is always the same type of creature as the parents. No two dogs will ever conceive and give birth to a cat; no fish egg will ever produce a snake. According to all the laws of nature, the pre-born baby is human."
This same position was repeated in sources from places like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, and dozens of others.
> For example, Dr. Micheline M. Mathews-Roth, of the Harvard Medical School, gave powerful testimony that she supported with references from over 20 embryology and other medical textbooks that human life began at fertilization. She stated,
"It is incorrect to say that biological data cannot be decisive…It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception."
> Then we have the testimony of the “Father of Modern Genetics” Dr. Jerome Lejeune, who told lawmakers,
"To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion … it is plain experimental evidence. Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception."
> Dr. McCarthy de Mere, a practicing medical doctor and law professor at the University of Tennessee, testified to Congress, . . .
"The exact moment of the beginning of personhood and of the human body is at the moment of conception."
> Then there is Dr. Alfred Bongiovanni, professor of pediatrics and obstetrics in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, who unequivocally stated, . . .
"I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty … is not a human being. … I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception."
> Refuting the absurd claim that it is impossible to know when human life begins, Dr. Richard V. Jaynes, wrote the following, . . .
"To say that the beginning of human life cannot be determined scientifically is utterly ridiculous."
> Then the man sometimes called the “Father of In Vitro Fertilization,” Dr. Landrum Shettles, stated, . . .
"Conception confers life and makes that life one of a kind."
> Or, how about Gordon, Hymie, M.D., FRCP, who is chairman of medical genetics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, who stated, . . .
"By all criteria of modern molecular biology,life is present from the moment of conception. … Science has a very simple conception of man; as soon as he has been conceived, a man is a man."
> And this one may shock you ---- in the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe v. Wade, their conclusion includes the following warning, . . .
"To deny a truth [about when life begins] should not be made a basis for legalizing abortion."
In case you didn't know it, the Supreme Court did NOT legalize abortion, nor did it create any law legalizing it because the Judiciary CANNOT create law. It can only render interpretations as to something's legality. The SCOTUS renders "OPINIONS", not laws! In this case, the Court went so far as to say that simply denying the fact of when life begins does not provide the right to legalize abortion. (I'll save this huge point for later. There is incredible misunderstanding about what came officially came out of Roe. v Wade. The rest was all conjecture, opinion, and bias.)
There was an interesting study done several years ago by University of Chicago student Steven Jacobs. He had struggled for five years regarding when life began. He decided to take a poll of medical professionals in order to resolve the issue in his own mind. He later published his study. It got him into hot water with many biologists, but it also earned him a PhD.
He polled 2,899 Americans about the abortion debate, with 58 percent of them being female. Their positions on the subject identified 63% ass pro-choice, 63% as liberal (63 percent), and 67% as Democrat. The response showed that 87% said the beginning of life question was important to the abortion issue, and 84% agreed that Americans deserve to know when human life begins to be informed about abortion. When it came to the issue as to who should make that decision, 81% said it should be biologists, voters, 7%, religious leaders only 7%, philosophers 4%, and the Supreme Court a mere 2%.
Then Jacobs polled medical scientists about when life began. Out of the 62,000+ scientists to whom he sent the poll, 5,502 biologists from 1,058 academic institutions took time to respond. Of that group made up of biologists born in 86 different countries, 63% considered themselves as non-religious, 89% said they were liberal, and 11% said they were conservative. 92% were Democrat politically, 85% were pro-choice, and only 15% were pro-life.
The overwhelming response was that life began at conception, or at fertilization. In fact, that was the position of 95% of the respondents agreed that life begins at conception, with a paltry 5% disagreeing. The only question left then, -- if it is even pertinent to begin with, is -- when does fertilization begin?
The medical conclusion varies everywhere from within a few hours to within a couple of weeks. However, everything needed to create a baby is already there. Nothing is missing -- but just a little time. The bottom line is clear, and 95% of all embryology and genetics scientists agree -- science tells us that human life begins at the time of conception.
2. Bodily development of the pre-existing life begins immediately with fertilization. ---- So, while life already existed in the sperm of the father and the egg of the mother, a brand new life was created at conception and a house in which that life would live began to develop at fertilization. There are numerous terms to describe the elements required for development, but I'll leave that for your own research. In the meantime, here are some scattered examples of the voluminous abundance of scientific data. . . .
> World-renowned embryologist, Keith L. Moore, is a world-renowned embryologist. Author of numerous definitive books on embryology, his scientific knowledge and experience is beyond reproach. Few medical students can complete their careers without studying from his textbooks. In his book, Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology (7th edition, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2008, p. 2), he wrote, "[The zygote], formed by the union of an oocyte and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being."
> Ronan R. O’Rahilly and Fabiola Muller wrote in From Human Embryology & Teratology ( [New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996], 5-55), "Fertilization is an important landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed[.]"
> Then, T.W. Sadler, Langman wrote the following in his Medical Embryology (10th edition, Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006, p. 11), "Development begins with fertilization, the process by which the male gamete, the sperm, and the female gamete, the oocyte, unite to give rise to a zygote."
> Again, Ronan O’Rahilly and Fabiola Miller wrote again in Human Embryology and Teratology, [3rd edition, New York: Wiley-Liss, 2001, p. 8]), "Although life is a continuous process, fertilization … is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new genetically distinct human organism is formed when the chromosomes of the male and female pronuclei blend in the oocyte.
> You may not recognize the name, Lennart Nilsson, but you have likely seen some of his pictures. He was a photographer who took the first pictures of pre-born embryos and fetuses and published them in his popular book A Child Is Born. In the introduction he wrote,
"… but the whole story does not begin with delivery. The baby has existed for months before – at first signaling its presence only with small outer signs, later on as a somewhat foreign little being which has been growing and gradually affecting the lives of those close by[.]"
> Then another embryologist, Bruce M. Patten, stated in his textbook, Foundations of Embryology, (6th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996, p. 3), "Almost all higher animals start their lives from a single cell, the fertilized ovum (zygote)[.] … The time of fertilization represents the starting point in the life history, or ontogeny, of the individual."
> Finally, William J. Larsen, in his book, Essentials of Human Embryology, [New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1998, pp. 1, 14]), we read the following, "Human embryos begin development following the fusion of definitive male and female gametes during fertilization[.] … This moment of zygote formation may be taken as the beginning or zero time point of embryonic development."
Perhaps you noticed the dates of some of the books, one as early as 1996. Others carrying the same sentiment were written even decades earlier. This means that, regardless of what pro-abortionists, Planned Parenthood, and others have claimed, the knowledge that life begins at conception, and bodily development begins "the instant" of fertilization have both been known in America for many, many years. King David, Solomon, and a number of the prophets knew it as much as 1,000 years before Christ's birth. It was known even before that, because God gave the Children of Israel clear reproductive instruction several hundred years earlier, as recorded in the Book of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.
As you can see, embryology textbooks are clear: life begins at fertilization. While there is life in the sperm and egg, this new life is not simply a continuation of the life of the sperm or egg cell. Rather, it is the life of a distinct, unique, new individual who has never existed before in history and will never exist again. Nothing will be added to the new organism except nutrition, and it will continue to grow and develop until death occurs due to injury or illness.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a 100-year-old medical clinic, it's website (https://clevelandclinic.org) distinctly states that bodily development begins immediately at the point of fertilization. It states, . . .
"Within 24 hours after fertilization, the egg begins rapidly dividing into many cells. It remains in the fallopian tube for about three days after conception. Then the fertilized egg (now called a blastocyte) continues to divide as it passes slowly through the fallopian tube to the uterus. Once there, its next job is to attach to the endometrium. This is called implantation. Before implantation though, the blastocyte breaks out of its protective covering. When the blastocyte makes contact with the endometrium, the two exchange hormones to help the blastocyte attach. From the moment fertilization takes place, the child’s genetic makeup is already complete. Its gender has already been determined, along with its height and hair, eye and skin color. The only thing the embryo needs to become a fully-functioning being is the time to grow and develop."
We have been royally lied to -- by people who are either uninformed, ignorant, or outright liars. And we have been no better than they, because we chose to believe the lie.
As the fetus develops, here are some hallmark points to be considered:
3. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as three to four weeks. According to most reports I read, the near-unanimous agreement was that the heartbeat of a fetus can be detected as early as three to four weeks, although some cannot be heard until around five to six weeks. The virginialeenlaw.com website, a law firm dealing with issues relating to reproductive and abortion lawsuits indicates this to be the case. It states, . . .
"A baby’s heartbeat can be detected by transvaginal ultrasound as early as 3 to 4 weeks after conception, or 5 to 6 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period."
The Human Life international (http://www.hli.org) website also states that the heartbeat can be detected as early as three weeks, stating . . .
"Through the use of ultrasounds, modern science can detect the waves of the baby’s heartbeat as early as three weeks after fertilization. Although the child’s organs have not yet fully formed, soon after this three-week mark the heart beats between 105 to 122 times per minute."
The U.S. Congress Heartbeat Protection Act, passed in 2017, makes it illegal for any physician to carry out an abortion procedure without first trying to find a heartbeat, and has not informed the mother of the results. It also prohibits a doctor from continuing the abortion even after the baby’s heartbeat was detected. Earlier this year, on May 19, 2021, Texas signed one of the strictest laws in the country into law banning abortions at the onset of the fetal heartbeat.
These laws will hopefully not be the last of stricture abortion laws because the "viability" argument has too many variants and gives far too much leniency in committing abortions. Heartbeat bills are efforts to give the pre-born baby a greater chance to live by lessening the window of time in which an abortion can be performed, protecting the child’s right to life. While many decry such attempts, they clearly do much to protect the innocent unborn babies.
4. A growing fetus can be visible through ultrasound within a month after conception. While you cannot see detailed features yet, the head is beginning to develop. A primitive face will take form with large dark circles for eyes. The mouth, lower jaw and throat are developing. Blood cells are taking shape, and circulation will begin. By the end of the month the fetus will be about 1/4" long (the length of a piece of rice), and the size of the fetus is about that of a pea, which can be seen only through transvaginal ultrasound. But, it is there, and it is growing and already developing certain characteristics of a human being, as predetermined by its own special individual DNA.
5. A fetus begins to move at six to eight weeks. ---- In a 2018 radio interview, Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, a pediatrician and fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, was asked if she ever thought of the unborn child who is already developing with “the brain stem, and the fingers, and the eyes and the DNA that is unique,” to which Dr. Wilkinson countered, “What I learned in all my years of training, is that as a physician, I can tell you when pregnancy begins and when viability starts. But when life begins is really up to a personal opinion.”
Well, I don't have the medical credentials Dr. Wilkinson has, but my research has proven beyond any doubt to me that a fetus is a real and a Living person still being developed in the womb, and even as early as six weeks it begins to move on its own, a clear sign of life.
6. A fetus feels pain at 12 weeks or earlier. ---- Nothing should upset us more than this -- the excruciating pain that a fetus feels during an abortion. Most medical professionals agree that a fetus feels pain at least by 12 weeks gestation and maybe be felt as early as 8 weeks. There is near unanimous consensus on this. However, the real shocker is that abortionists have known this since as early as 1976 when Abortionist John Szenes described the pain of a baby dying in the womb. He stated in the Magda Denes, (“Performing Abortions,” October 1976, pages 33 to 37), . . .
“All of a sudden one noticed that at the time of the saline infusion there was a lot of activity in the uterus. That’s not fluid currents. That’s obviously the fetus being distressed by swallowing the concentrated salt solution and kicking violently and that’s, to all intents and purposes, the death trauma.”
According to the Human Life International website, the saline solution used in an abortion causes intense pain as it is injected into the fetus' sac. It burns the fetus from the outside and, as the fetus "gasps" and "inhales" or swallows the solution, it is also poisoned from the inside. During this slow death, taking about two hours, the fetus thrashes around inside the womb. If you can handle the thought, I would recommend the entire article at https://www.hli.org/resources/fetal-pain-reason-end-abortion/.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute website has a Jan 21, 2020 article by Dr. Katey Price, J.D., affirming the fact that a fetus feels pain at least as early as 12 weeks. In the article, Dr. Price quotes several professionals, including these: . . .
“Overall, the evidence, and a balanced reading of the evidence, points towards an immediate and unreflective pain experience mediated by the developing function of the nervous system as early as 12 weeks.” -- Stuart W.G. Derbyshire and John C. Bockmann (Journal of Medical Ethics)
“Unborn babies feel pain. The science has clearly shown for years that unborn children can perceive pain in the womb, but this is a significant admission by doctors on both sides of the abortion debate, recognizing that even early in human development, the unborn can feel pain. And as the authors note, ‘the mere experience of pain…is morally significant.’ Science again points to the humanity of the unborn.” -- Dr. David Prentice (Vice President and Research Director of the Charlotte Lozier Institute)
Not long ago I viewed a sonogram in which a doctor was probing a fetus with a needle, first in the "stomach" area and then on the sole of its feet, and you could clearly see the grimacing and gasping on the baby's face, not to mention the bodily effort to move away from the needle. Whatever else can be said, it is scientifically clear that a fetus feels pain as early as 12 weeks. It is my opinion that, as scientific technology improves, we will discover that the baby feels pain even earlier than that. We can assume it should be able to do so as soon as the nervous system begins to develop, and that begins with the receptors on the skin beginning to develop as early as 7 1/2 weeks into the pregnancy.
7. A fetus shows emotion at least as early as nine weeks. ---- Real shock waves hit the medical field and the pro-abortion world when an article in Psychology Today was published in September, 1998. Written by psychologist Janet L. Hopson, it began with the subtitle stating, . . .
"Your baby can feel, dream and even listen to Mozart in the womb."
The body of the article began by stating, . . .
"Behaviorally speaking, there's little difference between a newborn baby and a32-week-old fetus. A new wave of research suggests that the fetus can feel, dream, even enjoy The Cat in the Hat. The abortion debate may never be the same."
The article went on to state that, . . .
". . . by nine weeks, a developing fetus can hiccup and react to loud noises. By the end of the second trimester it can hear. Just as adults do, the fetus experiences the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of dreams. The fetus savors its mother's meals, first picking up the food tastes of a culture in the womb. Among other mental feats, the fetus can distinguish between the voice of Mom and that of a stranger, and respond to a familiar story read to it."
8. A baby can survive outside the womb as early as 22 weeks. ---- While there are many variables such as mother's health, any genetic abnormalities, the development of the fetus itself, and other factors, there seems to be a consensus among most pediatricians that a baby born prematurely for a variety of reasons can be "viable" -- that is, able to survive outside the womb -- as early as 22 weeks, which is essentially about half-way through the second trimester of pregnancy.
According to several medical resources I saw, the earliest a baby has been born and survived is 21 weeks and 5 days., and there are two premature babies holding this record. Surprisingly, the first record holder was born in 1987, a time when the medical care of premature babies (neonatology) was a very new field. However, this is well before the accepted age of viability. The typical weight at 21 weeks is 12.7 ounces -- just a tiny bit more than an average large potato. It takes 16 ounces to equal a single pound.
So, from a medical perspective, the vast majority of abortions take the life of a living human being already predetermined and with a "blueprint" design from the moment of conception. From a moral and legal perspective, we also know that . . .
9. Twenty-seven countries in Europe have more restrictive abortion laws that the U.S. It appears that religion is a major factor; the more important the Judeo-Christian religion is to a nation, the more restrictive the abortion laws are. A recent report by The Federalist's co-founder and publisher Ben Domenech passionately pointed out the folly of the United States following this position. In fact the number of European countries that restrict abortion more strongly that we do is far higher. According to worldpopulationreview.com, there are currently 26 countries where All abortions are illegal, regardless of if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest and another 37 countries where abortion is illegal unless it saves the mother's life. There are numerous others where abortion is illegal unless used to save the mother's life or preserve her health. I noted 57 countries worldwide that currently have no restrictions whatsoever.
(If you wonder about abortion laws within our country, they vary greatly and some either have been or are being changed this year. Oklahoma, Idaho and South Carolina ban at the onset of a fetal heartbeat. Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana are even stricter, banning abortion at six weeks. Missouri bans abortion at eight weeks of gestation. Arkansas passed legislation this year that would make abortion an unclassified felony unless a procedure is undertaken to save the life of a pregnant woman.
(Alabama has the strictest abortion law in the U.S. through a 2019 legislation which bans the procedure at any stage of a pregnancy, with doctors facing the possibility of life imprisonment for performing one. The Alabama law is not yet in effect with multiple lawsuits having been filed by abortion rights advocates, resulting in an injunction being filed against the bill by District Court Judge Myron Herbert Thompson. According to the Guttmacher Institute, as stricter laws are being passed, more and more abortion clinics -- including Planned Parenthood -- are closing. For example, there are six states, -- Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, South Dakota, North Dakota and West Virginia, -- where there is only one abortion clinic left.)
If you want to know the status of abortion in a given country, check out this interactive website -- https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-where-abortion-is-illegal .
10. America's abortion laws are comparable to practices in North Korea, Russia, and China. ---- This fact was actually not all that surprising to me, based on the spiritual and moral deterioration over the past 80 years. It seems that the countries that have the most liberal abortion laws or none at all are those governed by socialistic heavy-handedness or outright communistic regimes, and that includes countries like China, Russia, Turkey, . . . and the United States.
11. America's abortion laws are some of the liberal in the world, allowing abortion not only into the third trimester, but even up to and including the partial birth of the baby. Depending on the states, it is even possible to kill a baby as it is partially out of the birth canal where forceps are inserted into the birth canal and the baby's head is crushed or severed in order for the abortionist to legally state that the baby was born dead. In some cases, babies have been immediately killed even after they had been removed from the birth canal. It is nothing short of murder.
12. The argument "for the health of the mother" is generally false extremely rare. This argument is medically and statistically unsustainable as an excuse for performing an abortion. Again, the Human Life International website totally debunks the idea that most abortions are conducted because of health risks to the mother. As a matter of fact, a minuscule number are performed for that reason. The overwhelming majority are performed simply because of inconvenience, reputation, or other "social" reasons. Here is a chart from the HLI website compiled from extensive research of medical and public records:
Why Women Abort
Americans are appallingly ignorant on abortion statistics. One poll showed that California college students believed that abortion was illegal after the first trimester, and that there are less than 100,000 abortions done in the United States every year.1 The actual number is more than ten times as many surgical and chemical abortions ― and, of course, abortion is freely available throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
Many people also grossly overestimate the percentage of abortions done to save women’s lives or physical health, in cases of rape and incest, or to avoid birth defects (eugenics). This is a fallacy that pro-abortion groups continue to cultivate because it helps them to spread abortion in nations with pro-life laws and to retain abortion on demand once they have achieved it. Public opinion polls conducted over the years in the United States reveal that people generally believe that “hard cases” account for anywhere from one-quarter to one-half of all abortions.
3.5% of Abortions Are for the “Hard Cases”
Calculations based on statistics provided by medical journals and government surveys in the United States show that abortions for the “hard cases” are much rarer than most people believe.
A survey of more than 2.4 million aborting women performed by the states of Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Utah during the years 1996 to 2020 gives us an accurate estimate of the number of “hard case” abortions, since these are the numbers that abortion clinics must report in official documents to these states:
- 1.14% are done to save the life or physical health of the mother.
- 1.28% to preserve the mental health of the mother.
- 0.39% in cases of rape or incest.
- 0.69% for fetal birth defects, or eugenics.
- 3.50% for all the hard cases combined.
- 96.50% of all abortions are therefore performed for social or economic reasons.2
[2] Tabulation of reports on “Induced Termination of Pregnancy” from Florida [1998-2020], Louisiana [1996-2018], Minnesota [1999-2019], Nebraska [2001-2019], South Dakota [1999-2019], and Utah [1996-2018].
ABORTION VIOLATES BIBLICAL TRUTH:
I had intended to cover much more in today's letter, but again, my letter is already too long. So, whatever else you may think about abortion, let me bring my letter to a conclusion by briefly sharing what the Bible has to say about life, its value, and its purpose. (I may elaborate a bit later.)
1. God created all things -- for Him, to Him, and for a reason. That includes mankind. -- (Gen 1:1-31; Neh 9:6; Ps 33:6; Jn 1:3; Col 1:16; I Cor 8:6; Rev 4:11)
2. Mankind is created in God's image -- Every human being is created in God's image, for a purpose, and with His provision. -- (Gen 1:26-27; Gen 5:1; Job 33:4; Isa 44:24; Eph 2:10; Gen 9:6; Gal 1:15; James 3:9;
3. The body was created by God. In that God created everything, He created mankind including his body. -- (Gen 2:7. Psalm 139:13-16; Jer 1:5; I Thes 5:23)
4. The body is God's temple. When God breathed His Spirit into man's body (Gen 2:7), the body became a dwelling place for God. -- (I Cor 3:16-17; I Cor 6:19-20; II Cor 6:17)
5. Abortion is equivalent to murder. No human being is more innocent than a young child, whether born or pre-born. God is especially offended when His ultimate creation is destroyed before it comes into the world. -- (Exod 20:13; Prov 6:16-19; Deut 27:25;
6. Abortion is an abomination to the Lord. It is an insult for God's character and integrity, and an assault on that part of His creation that He cherishes most. -- (Exod 21:22-25; Exod 20:13; Job 10:8-12; Deut 30:19; Amos 1:13; Gen 9:6; Prov 6:16-17)
7. Children are a blessing -- the more the better. -- (Gen 1:28; Eccl 11:5; Ps 127:3-5; Deut 30:19; Ps 113:9; Josh 24:3; Prov 17:6; Prov 22:6; Mk 9:37; Mt 18:10; James 1:17)
GOD'S VALUE OF THE FETUS:
I have long held to David's amazed explanation of his own birth to God, attributing it exclusively to God. I believe this passage is the primary biblical argument for life beginning at conception and being of worth without description. One of my favorite Psalms, his awe and wonder is described in Psalm 139:9, where David asserted that God is present in the first moments of a person's life, and that He has plans for that life from its first moments. In fact, in the Hebrew text it makes clear that David is referring both to conception and to the development of the fetus into a full-term baby.
"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! " (Psalm 139:13-17).
Let me point out a few words and phrases that make my point.
1. "You formed..." (13) -- It is the Hebrew word pronounced "kaw-naw'" in English, and means, "to erect, create, put together for ownership". A very interesting twist on the word is that it also implies purchasing for the purpose of ownership. So, we find that David understood that God had created him for the purpose of purchasing him by and for Divine ownership. What a profound thought! -- even while we are in our mother's womb, it is God's intent to purchase us -- redeem us, if you please -- and take ownership of our very being! Astounding!
2. "...inward parts;..." (13) -- Pronounced "kil-yaw'" in English, this Hebrew word is pretty specific because it is used to identify our "kidneys". In Old Testament days the kidneys were thought to be the source of our emotions or our innermost being as well as a functioning vital organ. So, it refers in some ways to who we really are deep down inside -- essential for living -- our minds, our emotions, our desires, our passions, our affections.
3. "You wove me..." (13) -- This Hebrew word is pronounced "sakak" in English, and essentially means, "to knit together, to weave". Albert Barnes in his commentary explained it like this, saying it means -- "to knit together, and the literal translation would be, 'Thou hast “woven' me in my mother’s womb, meaning that God had put his parts together, as one who weaves cloth, or who makes a basket. So it is rendered by DeWette and by Gesenius (Lexicon). The original word has, however, also the idea of protecting, as in a booth or hut, woven or knit together - to wit, of boughs and branches". So, the creation of a baby in the womb is the picture of a hands-on God meticulously, patiently, and lovingly interweaving the fetus together while it is protected by the "boughs and branches" of the mother's womb. It is a stunning word picture!
4. "My frame..." (15) -- Pronounced "o'-tsem" in English, the word in the Hebrew language essentially means, "strong powerful bones, frame, framework of substance". Clearly this is a reference to the skeletal system upon which and within which everything exists. Its primary purpose within itself is to provide a safe and enduring residence for life. Its purpose of itself is to provide a means of mobility, action, function, and accomplishment. Again, it's an amazing description of both God's "packaging", His "purpose", and His "power".
5. "When I was made in secret..." (15) -- The words in Hebrew here are pronounced "asah sether" in our English language. I love this little phrase because it indicates that God had a big surprise in mind for the mother and father -- and perhaps for the pre-born as well. It reminds me of a loving father secretly creating a rare one-of-a-kind special Christmas gift for a very special child. It literally translates, "creating something special in a covering, hiding place, secrecy, hidden from the eye." It is not in any way suggesting that God is keeping something from us, but rather than He is making something very special in secret that when the time is right, we will see it.
6. "...and skillfully wrought..." (15) -- This is another Hebrew word couplet pronounced "raw-kam' raw-kam'". Once again it is a marvelous example of God's skill at word pictures. It means "to secretly, intricately, meticulously, and curiously embroider" something. This speaks to me of two wonderful thoughts ---- first, that God is really good at keeping us in the dark over how He has created the process of a new human being with such detail and precision; and second, that His power of creation is so "other-worldly" that it immediately grabs our interest, intrigue, and curiosity over how it all takes place. That's how you and I came into being, my friend.
Finally, . . .
7. "...unformed substance..." (16) -- Pronounced "go'-lem go'-lem" in English, it means, "unformed and incomplete mass" According to Strong's Concordance of the Bible, it is the equivalent to the English word, Embryo. Albert Barnes explained it by writing, ". . . the 'idea' in this expression clearly is, 'Before I had shape or form thou didst see what I was to be.' The single word in the original translated 'my substance, yet being unperfect, is גלם gôlem. It occurs only in this place, . . ." This may not seem particularly profound to you, but in that we have the benefit of incredible high-tech machines that let us look inside an expectant mother's womb and see a brand new life being created even before it develops into a fetus, this not only blows my mind, but it tells me once again that, even as a "blob" or a "mass" as some like to identify it, this is a human life created in a miraculous way by an Omniscient God ---- and NO human being has any right for any reason to destroy it. It is a sacred and holy thing, that "unformed substance", and it deserves to be spared a hideous death, and has the right to survive -- and thrive.
Again, all of this astounds me. Based on what David wrote under the Divine inspiration of God, you'd think that he -- or God -- was a pediatric doctor! If we believe what the Bible says, we must come to the conclusion that in both physical and spiritual terms, an unborn child is the Divine blueprint for a fully-formed human being.
FINALLY:
Up to now in my first letter on how we show we have forsaken God by committing the heinous act of aborting babies, killing them inside or just outside the womb. In today's letter I've tried to share five reasons why abortion is always wrong, twelve scientific data points that prove life begins at conception long before a body can be seen, seven indicators that abortion harshly violates biblical truth, and then seven phrases from Psalm 139 that show us both the miracle of birth and life, and God's premium value and purpose for life.
Because of much detail again today, I will address the matter of how Roe v Wade was so wrong, how it is misunderstood, how there is no legal basis from our Constitution for abortion, and what the real devious plot is behind the scenes that few people know about.
So, until next time, I remain . . .
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
[email protected]
Copyright October, 2021
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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