Trashing our children one way or another
Two stories in the news recently demonstrate the depths of the hold abortion has on our culture today. One involves a desperate teen, and the other derives from the sober deliberations of legislators, activists and advocates of so-called reproductive rights (better stated as non-reproductive rights, or even anti-reproduction).
These stories display the results of a decision for a young woman in an unwanted pregnancy to “get rid of it.” That sounds so old school right now, when women are celebrating advancing careers through abortion. Despite recently failed legislation to enshrine in law the pet slogan of pro-abortion advocates: Abortion On Demand Without Apology, the prevailing popular attitude toward problematic pregnancy makes all children potentially disposable.
The old phrase “get rid of it” still has the ring of truth.
We get rid of things we no longer value. We get rid of relationships which hinder us. We get rid of emotional baggage. To get-rid-of is to dispose, throw away, ditch, dump. And that’s what happened in January in New Mexico (video from KOAT News, New Mexico).
The short story: a woman caught on surveillance camera throws a baby in a trash bag into a dumpster; the baby boy’s cries lead to his rescue six hours later. According to news reports a Lee County District Court will bring Alexis Avila to trial for attempted murder and child abuse.
Our first impulse on hearing these details may to recoil in shock. How could she, how could anyone, do such a thing?
The young mother said she didn’t know she was pregnant, despite evidence to the contrary. When asked about what she thought of wrapping her baby in towels, placing him in a trash bag, and tossing the bag, she made no reply. Later, she said she panicked.
The story’s happy ending: baby boy survived, released into the custody of his father.
It turns out that neonatacide (killing a newborn within his or her first 24 hours of life) happens at the rising rate of several hundred per year in the US, and that it happens all over the world. A finding in Brazil suggests most of these young women who kill are themselves born of unmarried mothers, and that killing their newborn is driven by the shame of unwed motherhood. And most do not display evidence of psychosis or other ongoing mental health issues. According to law professor Michelle Oberman, the pattern is one of avoidance–avoiding admitting the pregnancy, avoiding planning, avoiding the reality through magical thinking, “Maybe I’ll have a miscarriage.”
Oberman says that interventions like abortion, placing the child for adoption, or using the Safe Haven locations (hospitals, fire stations and others) are not relevant in these cases; the young women are too passive to muster such proactive planning. The one thing she thinks might be effective is to educate the rest of us. Many had not had a pregnancy test, but a full forty percent had seen a medical professional soon before the birth of their child.
All of the neonatacidal mothers confided their pregnancies in at least one person.
We’d never allow someone to carry out a suicide plan they’d confided in us or to take other life-destroying action. We all need to be made aware of the risks of hiding a pregnancy, especially if the mother is isolated, young, alone, and ashamed.
What does the Scripture say
That advice, of course, reminds us who know the Bible of the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke’s gospel. We bystanders to the troubles of others are obliged to care for those who are vulnerable, and to do so in tangible, effective, and even costly ways. Jesus would have us press in to those circumstances which tempt us to walk away.
But the question that strikes at the heart of us bystanders is one only you can answer truthfully.
Don’t many of us believe these young women would be better off aborting those pregnancies?
If not, why not? And if so, why?
Now consider a new bill proposed in Maryland which would effectively decriminalize neglecting a newborn, even unto his or her death:
[T]he bill would prevent investigations and legal penalties for abortion at any point in the pregnancy and “perinatal” deaths caused by “failure to act” — which extend from the 22nd week of gestation through to the first 28 days after birth.
Wesley J Smith, for National Review
So dedicated to death are the authors of the bill that they included a clause allowing anyone investigated for a born baby’s death to bring a civil lawsuit against the investigator.
We may be rightly outraged by the video evidence of trashing a newborn above. But how is this proposed legislation any different? How can we distance ourselves and say that purposefully neglecting newborns is none of our business?
Bloodguilt affects everyone who lives in proximity to the shedding of innocent blood (see Deuteronomy 19:7-10). For an extended and edifying teaching on this principle, see Innocent Blood, Challenging the Powers of Death with the Gospel of Life, by John Ensor. This review may spark your desire to understand this important biblical principle.
Keeping in mind the biblical precept that God will hold whole communities responsible for anonymous deaths within their borders, should we perhaps revisit the question How Could She?
Above all, I pray we not turn on those women who have fallen prey to abortion lies and our culture of making child-killing acceptable. Women and men personally impacted by abortion need to hear our message of God’s unfailing love and unlimited mercy towards their repentant and broken hearts.
Instead of condemning them. can we work to prevent that sin and heartbreak?
Together let’s ask How Can We Establish a Culture of Life?
How Could She? Part Two coming soon.
