Some have estimated that as many as 1 out of 3 women have experienced an abortion, whether it was the abortion pill or a surgical abortion. This figure is reliant on the reporting and data-collection methods, but a staggering figure nonetheless. Many women are influenced by the people around them. Many of these women are vulnerable and they do not think they have enough money or resources to support their baby or themselves.
What is abortion?
Abortion is the killing of the fetus inside of a woman’s body. Abortion is murder. There are 2 main types of abortion: chemical and surgical abortion. A chemical abortion forces the body to contract, forcing the baby out at home, usually over the toilet. This is a 2-pill process. The first pill stops the baby from growing. The second pill releases the baby from the woman's body by putting her body into labor. A surgical abortion is very self-explanatory. The baby is killed and surgically removed from the woman’s body. Both leave the woman with extensive collateral damage. This affects the woman physically and mentally. The woman is embraced with much sadness and grief. Many women regret their decision. Many times, women will make their decision to abort their baby out of anger or harsh and irrational decisions in the moment because their mental state is compromised. A baby inside of a mother womb is not just tissue inside of her, but it is a real baby, created purposefully in the image of God. By killing the baby, you are hypothetically denying Gods wonderful creation. Many women say that it is not a real baby until a certain number of weeks. Their minds are quickly changed after seeing the baby inside of them after having an ultrasound. They cannot deny the life of the baby after visually seeing the ultrasound and hearing their baby’s heartbeat.
Kathy Scanlon, president at Pregnancy Decision Health Center in Columbus, Ohio, recently met with us to explain how abortion impacts our communities. Scanlon emphasized the importance of life; born and unborn. She explained how many women come in seeking help. They tell PDHC that they are not prepared to have a child and then cannot possibly do it. They say that their lives would be ruined if they have the baby and that their parents would never forgive them. These young women come in hopeless. PDHC partners with the women and provide care for them. Whether they have already had an abortion in the past, or they are currently pregnant, PDHC offers help and hope. They offer financial help and parenting classes. They also offer spiritual care to women who are struggling in their faith. They lead these desperate women to God when they need it the most. Scanlon emphasized that many of the women who come in to PDHC are debating whether they should have the baby or not. Sometimes the women just want to have someone to talk to because no one else will. PDHC reported that in 2020, 99% of the women who saw their baby in an ultrasound and heard the baby's heartbeat, ultimately chose life. This resulted in 1,185 children being born in central Ohio last year, who may have otherwise, never had a future.
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Photo cred: Brian Bayless |
enraged her. Slagle said that every time she digs deeper into the topic and every time she talks to someone else about it, the stronger her beliefs become. “I don’t understand why women could still go through this even when they know what the outcome will be.” Even women who have had abortions have said that they have had mental affects, but what I don’t understand is that they still say its ok and you'll get through it,” Slagle wondered. Slagle’s passion for this subject lead her to create an AP art concentration on the topic on abortion and forgiveness.
We spoke with another Worthington Christian student about her beliefs on abortion. The anonymous student said that she has been most impacted by her dad. “I think the person that has most impacted me was my dad. He has 3 girls, so bless his heart in that. He’s always told me that it's my body so it's my choice.” The student said that she believes that a baby isn't real until the baby’s brain is fully developed in the womb. She says that the baby is “brain dead” until then. The student also remarked, “I have 2 younger sisters so it's likely that they could have something like this happen to them and I don’t think that the government should be making them have that baby.”
Abortion impacts everyone- pro life and pro choice. When a mother is given the opportunity to hear their baby’s heartbeat and see their child in an ultrasound, the majority of women ultimately choose life . Life is a gift, a wonderful gift from God. We shouldn’t change His creation and decline His wonderful gift. We are here for a purpose; to show God's gracious love to others. No life is a mistake by God.
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| Photo used courtesy of pexels.com |
As Psalm 139:13 says, “For you have formed my inward parts; you knitted me in my mother’s womb.”
~Eva Albert
