CHILDREN.... THINGS WE THROW AWAY?

by Melody Green

"Shall I geve my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the

sin of my soul?" -- Micah 6:7

Non-therapeutic abortion has become the second most common

surgical procedure after circumcision. Non-therapeutic means that the

abortion is not performed to insure the life or health of the woman, but

rather because of her disire for convenience, absence of distress, and her so-

called happiness.

Doctors perform over 1.5 million abortions per year in the United States

alone.... that's one for every two live births. (1) Abortion has become

so frequent, that population experts say that it has become, in effect,

a new form of birth control. But abortion should not be confused with

birth control, which PREVENTS a new life from beginning - abortion destroys

that new life once it has ALREADY BEGUN. Of the women having them, 75% are

unmarried, 32% are teenagers, and 20% are "repeat customers." (2)

ABORTION... AN EASY ALTERNATIVE?

In this age of convenience, abortion is being presented as a "quick

and easy" way to get rid of an annoying problem. When women seek advice,

most professional abortion counselors just don't tell them the truth

concerning what they are about to do to their child and to themselves. First

of all, abortion is a major surgical procedure which can result in serious

complications - it is NOT as "safe" as we are led to believe. Statistics show

that after a legal abortion, a women faces increased possibilities of

future miscarriages, tubal pregnancies, premature births, sterility, and

severe and long-lasting emotional disturbances. (3) I have personally

received many letters from women who must face the fact that they will never

be able to have children due to infections and complications from a

supposedly safe abortion they have had in the past. Instead of being told

this, their fears are made to seem silly - the whole procedure is

whitewashed. "Why, it's so simple," they say, "like removing an unsightly

wart from your body. NOW YOU'RE PREGNANT.... NOW YOU'RE NOW! Just rest a day

and you'll feel fine!"

ABORTION TECHNIQUES

The following are the most commonly used abortion techniques:

DILATION AND CURETTAGE (D & C): The opening of the cervix is dilated

with a series of instruments to allow the insertion of a curette,

or sharp scraping instrument, into the uterus. The fetus is then

cut into pieces and scraped from the uterine wall. Bleeding is

usually profuse. The operating nurse must then reassemble the parts

to make sure the uterus is empty, otherwise infection will set in.

SUCTION CURETTAGE (Vacuum Aspiration): Using this method, the cervix

is dilated as in a D & C, and then a tube is inserted into the

uterus and connected to a strong suction apparatus. The vacuum is

so powerful that the baby is torn to bits and then sucked into a

jar.

SALT POISONING (Saline Injection): This method is used after 16 weeks

(four months) when enough fluid has accumulated in the sac around

the baby. A long needle is inserted through the mother's abdomen

into the baby's sac. Some fluid is removed and a strong salt

solution is injected. The helpless baby swallows this poison and

suffers severely. He kicks and jerks violently as he is literally

being burned alive by the solution. It takes over an hour for the

baby to die by this method... his outer layer of skin is completely

burned off. Within 24 hours, labor will usually set in and the

mother will give birth to a dead baby (Quite frequently these

babies are born alive. They are usually left unattended to die.

However, a few who have survived the ordeal - due to the mercy of

the hospital staff - have later been adopted.) (4)

HYSTEROTOMY OR CAESAREAN SECTION: Used mainly in the last three months

of pregnancy, the womb is entered by surgery through the wall of

the abdomen. The tiny baby is removed and allowed to die by neglect

or sometimes killed by a direct act.

PROSTAGLANDID CHEMICAL ABORTION: This newest form of abortion uses

chemicals developed by the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co. These

chemicals cause the uterus to contract intensely, pushing out the

developing baby. The contractions are so abnormally severe, that

babies have even been known to be decapitated by them. Many,

however, have also been born alive. The side effects to the mother

are many - a number have even died from cardiac arrest when the

compounds were injected. (5)

HYPOCRITIC OATH?

"I will give no dedly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest

such counsel, and in like manner, I will not give to a woman a pessary

to produce abortion."

This statement is part of the Hippocratic Oath which doctors have taken

for centuries as a moral standard governing their work as physicians.

These lofty works are framed and hanging in the halls of countless doctors'

offices and hospitals.... the very places where millions of innocent lives

are taken yearly. So just how is it that doctors and nurses reconcile

the idea of saving lives with the techniques of destroying them?

Dr. John Szenens, age 36, has this to say: "You have to become a bit

schizophrenic. In one room you encourage the patient that the slight

irregularity of the fetal heart is not important - that she is going to have

a fine, healthy baby. Then in the next room you assure another woman on whom

you just did a saline abortion, that it's good that the heart is already

irregular.... she has nothing to worry about, she is NOT going to have a

live baby." Dr. Szenens continues, "At the beginning we were doing

abortions on smaller fetuses... and the kicking and heartbeat did not

manifest itself as much. I think if I had started with 24-weekers right off

the bat, I would have had a much greater conflict in my own mind if this was

the same as murder or not. But since we started off slowly with 15-16

weekers, the fetus just never got consideration. Then gradually, the whole

range of cases started to become larger. All of a sudden, one noticed that

at the time of the saline infusion, there was a lot of activity in the

uterus. It wasn't fluid currents. It was obviously the fetus being

distressed by swallowing the salt solution and kicking violently through

the death trama. You can either face it, or turn around and say it's uterine

contractions. That, however, would be repressing, since as a doctor you

obviously know that it is not. Now whether you admit this to the patient is

another matter. Her distress by unwanted pregnancy is to me the primary

consideration, ahead of any possible consideration for the fetus. We just

have to face it. Somebody has to do it. And unfortunately, we are the

executioners in this instance." (6)

Susan Lindstrom, M.S.W., age 27, puts it this way: "I am having a lot

of difficulty with my feelings about late abortions - and all the pain that's

there so much of the time after the baby is moving. So one day, in a need to

arrive at a measure of clarity, I went into the room where they keep the

fetuses before burning them. They were next to the garbage cans in paper

buckets, like the take-home chicken kind. I looked inside the bucket

in front of me. There was a small naked person in there, floating in a

bloddy liquid. He was purple with bruises and his face had the

agonized tautness of one forced to die too soon. I then took off the lids of

all the buckets and with a pair of forceps lifted each fetus out by an arm or

a leg - leaving, as I returned them, an additional bruise on their

acid-soaked bodies. Finally, I lifted out a very large fetus and read the

label - Mother's name: C. Atkins; Doctor's name: Saul Marcus; Sex of the

item: Male; Time of gestation: 24 weeks (six months). I remembered Miss

Atkins. She was 17 - a very pretty blond girl. So, this was Master Atkins -

to be burned tomorrow - for the sake of his mother." (7)

A HARDENING OF THE HEART

Then there's the unnamed doctor who shared on a radio show that after

he performed his first abortion, he became so violently ill that he thought

he would die. He went through weeks of depression and thought of suicide.

He said, "The first time I felt like a murderer, but I did it again and again

and again, and now, 20 years later, I am facing what happened to me as a

doctor and as a human being. Sure, I got hard. Sure, the money was

important. And oh, it was an easy thing, once I had taken this step - to see

these women as animals and these babies as just tissue." (8)

It's important to note that all three of these people, in spite of

how distressed they were with what they were doing, did NOT stop. Why? The

Bible explains it as a searing of the conscience - a hardening of

the heart. It happens when you repeatedly refuse to listen to that small

voice inside that keeps telling you "something isn't right." If you keep

rationalizing and turning it off, one day you'll wake up and guess what....

it's gone! Your first reaction may be to breath a sigh of relief, but

you should instead weep bitter tears of sorrow, because a part of your

conscience, a part of your communication with God, has just died.... AND

IT MAY NEVER COME BACK AGAIN!

WHAT DOES SCIENCE HAVE TO SAY?

Just when does an unborn fetus become a "real person"? We've talked

about some late-term abortions where the baby is obviously alive and

kicking - but what about those performed in the first three months? It has

been medically proven that the baby's heart starts beating from 14-28 days

after conception (usually before the mother even knows she's pregnant), and

by the 30th day almost every organ has started to form! He moves his arms

and legs by six weeks and by 43 days his brain waves can be read. By eight

weeks the baby has his very own fingerprints, he can urinate, make a strong

fist, and he can FEEL PAIN. Science tells us that when the sperm and ovum

unite, they become a complete genetic package programmed for development

into a mature adult. Nothing will be added except time and nutrition. Each

stage of development from fertilization to old age is merely a maturing of

what is entirely there at the start.

WHAT DOES GOD HAVE TO SAY?

These tiny packages of humanity, are they really PEOPLE? Well, God

seems to think they are. "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I

consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations'" (Jer.

1:4-5) God knew Jeremiah when he was in his mother's belly; God sanctified

him and ordained him to be a prophet. If by an abortion, the baby should

have been killed, it would have been JEREMIAH who was killed. Jeremiah's

mother would not have know his name, but God had already named him. His

mother would not have known he was potentially a mighty prophet of God, but

God had so planned it, and would have felt the loss.

The Bible tells us that John the Baptist was "filled with the Holy

Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb." (Luke 1:15) God sent His angel to

Zacharias to tell him that his wife would bear a son, and even told him what

his name was to be. He was told that "many will rejoice at his birth - for

he will be great in the sight of the Lord." (Luke 1:11-17) It seems like God

knew John quite well and that He had a distinct purpose for his life on

earth.... a purpose for him and him alone to fulfill.

Last but certainly not least, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary,

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him

Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High... and

His Kingdom will have no end." (Luke 1:31-33) And so you see, God doesn't

wait until a baby moves or becomes completely ready for life outside his

mother, before He knows it, loves it, and recognizes it as a tiny human

being... so why should we?

THE MYTH OF THE "UNWANTED CHILD"

One of the most frequently heard excuses of the "pro-choice" groups

is, "It would be unfair to bring another 'unwanted child' into the world."

Actually, ther is no such thing. Once a baby is born it will NEVER be

unwanted because of the extreme shortage of newborn babies available

for adoption. It is obviously not the CHILD'S happiness and well-being

that is of utmost concern here... but that of the parents.

If you are about to make the fatal mistake of ending a life given as a

gift of God (Psalm 127:3), then I beg you to reconsider. Please don't do

something that you will regret for the rest of your life. Don't destroy

something that isn't yours. That baby belongs to God, even though it may

be in your womb. If you do not feel equipped to raise a baby at this time, I

urge you to take another look at the situation... maybe there IS a way....

pray about it. If you still feel that this is an impossibility - then BE A

GIVER, NOT A TAKER.

THE GIFT OF LIFE

There are many families who have been waiting and desperately

praying for years for the chance to adopt a child. Your child may be the

answer to their prayers! Adoption is a reasonable and caring thing to do if

you don't feel you can keep your baby. If you are unable to raise your child

yourself, then you have the chance to give the greatest possible gift

of all - the gift of life! In fact, you can give it twice... once to your

baby and then, if you decide, again to a hopeful family somewhere. You can be

a life=giver, or you can commit a crime that will remain on your conscience

for the rest of your life! ABORTION IS MURDER - and no matter what anyone

tells you, you will not "just forget about it."

You may feel cornered... like things are hopeless, and I want you to

know that I am in no way insensitive to your situation or think that your

problems are trivial. I simply say that abortion is not the answer. God

commands us not to murder (EX. 20:13), and going against Him will only make

matters worse. Everyone you know may be telling you you'd be a fool to have

this baby - but they don't have to live with the guilt and pain of

murder... YOU DO. That baby is half yours no matter who the father is. The

choice is yours. But don't forget, you are responsible to God for your

actons - and after reading this, you certainly are not ignorant of the facts.

You will be held accountable for your decision.... I earnestly pray that

you make the right one. Even though I don't know you, JESUS DOES, and we

both love you (and your baby) very, very much!

Your friend,

Melody

 

NEED HELP?

Nearly every major city has at least one help line that provides

positive assistance to anyone involved in a problem pregnancy. Phone

"Information" and ask for your nearest Right to Life, Birthright, or

Alternative to Abortion headquarters. They will be happy to assist you.

You can also contact us here at Last Days Ministries. You don't have

to go through your pregnancy alone and afraid. We know that God loves you and

your baby equally, and so we will do our best to help BOTH of you. We

will also help you make the difficult decisions that lie ahead for you and

your baby. All services are withour charge. Call or write if you need help....

or if you just want to talk to somebody who cares:

Melody Green

c/o Last Days Lifeline

Box 40

Lindale, TX 75711-0040

1-214-963-8675 (ask for the Last Days Lifeline).

(1)Scientific American, June, 1981,p.88,Jet,March 19, 1981,p.6

(2)Newsweek, June 5, 1978, p. 39

(3)Handbook on Abortion, Dr. and Mre J.C.Wilke, Hays Publishing Co.,

Cincinnati, OH,(C)1979, pps. 89-97

(4)Voice for the Unborn, Fremont, CA, June-Aug., 1979. Also Handbook

on Abortion

(5)Abortion in America, Gary Bergel with C.Everett Koop,M.D.,Surgeon

General of the U.S.,p.II-4,P.O.Box 1289,Elyria,OH 44036

(6)Dr. Magda Denes, "Performing Abortions," Commentary, Oct.1979, pps.

35,37

(7)Ibid

(8)The Murder of the Helpless Children... Abortion, by John Rice,

D.D.,Litt.D.,Murfreesboro,TN, Sword of the Lord Publishers,p.31

Copyright: 1983 Last Days Ministries

Box 40, Lindale, Texas 75771-0040

All Rights Reserved

This ÿarticle ÿwas reprinted from the Last Days ÿMagazine ÿwith ÿtheir

permission. If you would like copies of it in tract form, please write

to Last Days Ministries at the above address and ask for AB#03. If you

would like a subscription ÿto ÿthe Last Days Magazine for whatever you

can afford, send your request to the same address.

The Light BBS, Silver Springs, FL 904-625-2737

---

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