My dad sent me a download link to a movie yesterday morning.
Gosnell: America’s Greatest Serial Killer
The title had me horrified at first, until he went on to tell me that I should watch the movie because it tackled one of the things I advocated for. Confused, I went on Google to look it up. Apparently, it was about a man who did hundreds, if not thousands, of late-term abortions. If the babies just so happened to be born alive, he would murder them instead. Just reading the details of the case made me want to throw up.
Sadly, though unsurpringly, there were so few reviews of the movie because publications didn’t want to talk about it. “It had an agenda”, they said, as if what the movie stood for was more distasteful than the crimes that were committed. They didn’t want to offend anyone, as if the indifference wasn’t more profoundly offensive. I was left wondering where exactly the Western society stood.
I didn’t have to wonder much longer.
Hours later, New York announced its legalization of abortion up until the moment of birth. I saw the video of women cheering and celebrating the event. It was appalling and at the same time, deeply concerning. When I did further research on it, I was surprised to find that there are already a dozen other states that have actually legalized this already. New York was just another addition to the list.
I read arguments that pointed out a clause in the bill stating that the late-term abortion will only be allowed if a woman’s health was at risk, so it should be okay. However, it’s the non-specificity of “health” that proves to be the loophole. Medical practitioners in other states who already practice this say that a woman can come in and demand an abortion with the justification that giving birth would be a risk to her financial health or emotional health. That reason, seemingly valid or not, would be enough to earn her the right to a legally granted abortion. That’s the truth to it.
I took my research to twitter because I wanted to know what the general public were saying about it. A particular post stood out to me.
“I wouldn’t do abortion, but if my friend wanted to do it, I wouldn’t stop her. It’s her body after all.”
And that was the trend across everyone who were advocating this law. “It’s my right, it’s my body.”
I was immediately reminded of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
I find it ironic that what was once convicted as murder is now being celebrated. The apathy of the tweet I saw definitely plays a factor in it. People need to first admit that this is wrong, even if others claim it as their right.
People keep saying that this a breakthrough for women’s rights. I believe the true breakthrough will come when we have supported and protected women and children enough that they will realize there are far better options than abortion; the breakthrough will come when we have raised a generation with values so intact that the circumstances perpetuating abortion would be non-existent.
We should acknowledge it for the horror that it is. We shouldn’t back down from the reality of it, but we shouldn’t back down from the fight either. The enemy is out to steal, to kill, and to destroy. What are we doing about it? On operating tables lay flesh and blood, but this battle is beyond flesh and blood.
May our hearts keep on breaking for the babies who never got to see the light of day, but may they also break for the women who felt like they had no other choice. They may have been driven by panic and fear or they may have been driven by sheer selfishness; one way or another, they are just lost women who will now have to carry the weight of their decision for the rest of their lives.
Is it evil? Straight-up yes. Is it beyond God’s redemption? No. So should the time come that they turn to Jesus, I hope they find His body, the church, with arms ready to take them in still.
