Chasing freedom

by Tatjana Horton, Hamilton

“Freedom.” “Our freedom is precious.’’ “Reproductive freedom belongs to us all.” I hear these quotes as arguments for pro-abortion and CI-128. Associated with these quotes are pictures of families with their beautiful children while claiming they have a right to abortion. Does this not seem to be a contradiction?

What is true Freedom? And who defines it? Webster defines freedom as “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.” People can be enslaved by many things: addiction, toxic relationships, social media, and busyness. The Bible defines freedom as the ability to escape the consequences of sin, and the power of sin in one’s life. To be free from guilt and shame. 

Freedom does not mean we have the liberty to do as we please, otherwise our world would be dictated by chaos and every conceivable evil. Yet, people cry for freedom because they do not want to be told what they can and cannot do. Can I use my hands for violence because I am angry? Is it my bodily right to cause harm to another person merely because I want to?  

What about the unborn child’s freedom? Do they not have the right to pursue life? Consider this biological definition: Abortion is destroying life somewhere between conception and birth.  

Let’s review the reproductive cycle. When a sperm and an egg come together, they form a single cell called a zygote. The result is a tiny new cell, smaller than a grain of salt, which contains all the genetic information for every detail of the newly created life. Approximately four weeks into pregnancy, many things develop: a heartbeat, signs of brain development, eyes, arms and legs buds, circulatory system, lungs, fingers, toes and even taste buds… human and very much alive. Therefore, life begins at conception. Did you know that touch receptors form in a fetus at seven weeks of gestation, not long after the mother discovers her pregnancy? And current neuroscientific evidence indicates the possibility of fetal pain perception during the first trimester, also as early as seven weeks.  

With scientific advances that now provide a window into the womb, we can see the many ways a child responds to sensation well before birth:

• They feel their mother’s emotions at the same level of intensity.

• Babies remember and gain comfort after birth from specific music that was played to them in the womb.

• Signs of stress and nervous movement appear when the mother is smoking.

• A cold glass of water makes them shiver.

• They have hiccups as early as the first trimester.

• Months before birth, the whole body becomes sensitive enough to feel a single hair brushing across it 

… and we want to allow women to abort at any viable stage? We think this is freedom, our right? Our right to take a life. 

How does this ‘freedom’ affect the emotional wellbeing of the mother? The rate of depression after spontaneous abortion in some of the western populations is in the range of 40-50%. A textbook of the National Abortion Federation (Baker, Beresford, Halvorson-Boyd and Garrity, 1999), has identified many negative reactions that some women have after abortion such as nightmares about babies, insomnia, negative emotions of guilt, anger, worthlessness and shame. Engaging in self-punishing behaviors such as substance abuse and relationships with abusive partners, suicidal thoughts, and relentless thoughts of being a bad person.  

Why is abortion so vehemently defended? Is it not because a mistake has been made (sometimes inadvertently), which would greatly affect the life of the individuals involved and abortion is a remedy readily available to eliminate the inconvenience of another life? In the 1970’s when abortion became legal there was great concern that women were using abortion in place of birth control. Is this reproductive freedom or a careless attitude? There are consequences to running a red light, driving drunk, cheating on your spouse or murdering a person. Life is full of consequences, and it is best lived under the biblical commandments that keep us in check.  

Every life is precious. Every life is valuable and worth fighting for. Every life counts in the eyes of God. 

Abortion is not true freedom; it is a death sentence to the baby and a potential lifelong threat to the emotional well-being of the mother. The Bible tells us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.