Abortion: Cold Blooded Murder?

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord." This scripture, Psalms 127:3, reinforces one of the oldest elements of human life as we know it: procreation. However, in recent years, another force has crept its way into our lives. This force surpasses all evil, drowning human tradition in its path. This new trend involves killing innocent children before they are born for no apparent reason. Yes, there are the rare cases where the unborn fetus must be taken out of the mother prematurely to save the life of the mother, but for the most part, abortions are performed for the sole reason that the mother does not want the child anymore. Abortion is morally and ethically wrong because it is condemned by the Holy Bible, it hinders procreation, and it violates the basic rights of man.

When Jesus Christ came to this earth, he preached to many people. He taught salvation, contentment, and evangelism. He also taught the people of the world to love and respect each other. In Matthew 10:14 of the Holy Bible, he says, "Permit the children to come to me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these". The Holy Bible is the authoritative force behind Christianity, one of the dominant religions in the world today. If Jesus Christ, the Messiah, taught that children were the very fruit of life, why are we killing them? This is a direct slap in the face of Christianity. Therefore, Christians are taking a stand against this type of evil that is running rampant among society today. There are many coalitions that have been formed to try to stop this force that continually drives through the American culture. Since one of the key concepts of Christianity is evangelism, Christians are trying to reach out to all Americans to show them how abortion is wrong. However, not only Christians are against abortion. Many other religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, teach that procreation is an essential part of the life cycle. This is a fight between the material world and the religious world that will continue to be fought for generations to come.

There are many types of abortion that are being used today. All of these methods are ethically wrong to the medical society as well as the material society. Abortion was discovered in the 1970's when women began to rid themselves of the responsibility of becoming mothers. The first method was a form of fetal poisoning known as saline amniocentesis. This type of abortion can only be performed after the 16^th week of pregnancy. In this type of abortion, a needle is inserted through the mother's abdominal wall into the amniotic sac, where a very concentrated salt solution is injected. The baby inhales this solution, which ultimately poisons and kills the baby. The mother will go into labor about one day later and deliver the dead baby. Since then, many different methods of abortion have been developed. Menstrual extraction is a common type of abortion performed very early in the pregnancy, usually before the pregnancy test is positive. The uterus is cleaned out using a type of suction tool, therefore disposing of the embryo. Another type, called suction-aspiration, seems a little more malicious. The abortionist first paralyzes the cervical muscles in the female and then stretches open the cervical muscle ring. A hollow plastic tube is then inserted and is used to suck the baby's body out in pieces. The abortionist then uses the knife like tip on the end of the tube to cut away the placenta from the uterine wall. The remaining debris is sucked out with the tube. There is another commonly used form of abortion known as dilation and curettage. A curette, which is a loop-shaped steel knife, is used to cut the baby into pieces as well as the placenta and then scrape the remains out of the uterus.

One of the most controversial issues being debated in society today is the advent of third trimester abortions. These abortions involve killing a fully developed human baby before it is born. These are cruel and malicious procedures commonly called partial-birth abortions. The baby is killed after four or five months of pregnancy, at which point the baby is viable and could survive outside the uterus. When the partial-birth abortion is performed, the baby is delivered feet first all except for the head. The abortionist then exposes the base of the skull, where he jams a pair of scissors into the soft part of the baby's skull. A tube is then inserted into the skull and the brain is sucked out. The now-dead infant is then delivered from the mother, resulting in a cold and cruel, yet legal, form of murder.

From the beginning of time, the purpose of the unification of man and woman was to further the human race. However, society seems determined to break this cycle through abortion. Many people enjoy having sexual relations. Sexual intercourse serves one purpose: to procreate. Marriage is defined as the sacred binding of a male and a female. People marry in order to raise children and continue the human race. Yet, people are increasingly relying on abortion as a means of escape from unwanted accidents that occur outside of marriage when they are not safe in their sexual encounters. In the first place, there should be no sexual encounters outside of wedlock. This is entirely wrong. Even if an abortion is desired in marriage, these are living, breathing creatures that we, as humans, are to create. A child's purpose is to continue the health and prosperity of humanity. If abortion continues, then we are wiping out part of the human race.

"...Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These are the basic rights guaranteed to every person of the United States under our Constitution. I believe very strongly that an unborn fetus should be considered as a human being. It deserves every right that we are given as American citizens. There are many controversial issues surrounding whether unborn fetuses should be given the basic rights granted to all American citizens. There is major controversy over whether the unborn fetus represents human life or not. Unborn fetuses absolutely represent human life in the fullest. They have a heartbeat and their lungs function; therefore, they are alive. In Nebraska, a doctor who specializes in the area of high-risk pregnancies stated that abortions cause "severe and excruciating" pain to fetuses. Never before in the history of mankind has the government allowed citizens to kill other citizens purely for the intent of making their own lives easier; however, this is what is happening all around us today.

Abortion is a lethal force that is sweeping our nation. It continues to halt procreation, our sacred form of furthering the human race. It is also an absolute violation of every human's basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The Bible condemns it, yet society accepts it. Americans must take a stand on what is considered right and wrong in our country. We cannot let forces of immorality, such as the issue of abortion, continue to abound in society. How long will our nation go before it realizes the massacre that is taking place every day? We must make a conscious effort to stop this unconstitutional form of legalized murder.