Murder of the unborn
Christians in general teach and learn that abortion is a grave moral wrong because it involves the taking of innocent human life. This belief is rooted in the understanding that life begins at conception and every human being, from that moment, possesses inherent dignity and worth as a creation of God. The Christian position is guided by scripture, tradition, and natural law principles.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognised as having the rights of a person, among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” (CCC 2270).
Most Christians not only oppose abortion but also offer pastoral care and resources to support women facing difficult or unplanned pregnancies. Many Christians promote adoption as an alternative and emphasise compassion for those who have undergone abortions, encouraging them to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Abortion is a medical procedure or surgery. It is the taking of human life or murder of the innocent child in the womb of the mother. It is objectively wrong and transgresses the Christian law “Thou shall not kill.”
This understanding that abortion is wrong and contrary to natural law is agreed upon worldwide, throughout all the ages of people, except those who are secularised, materialistic, and atheist. Whether Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Animist, Catholic, or Protestant, in times past or present abortion is considered murder and a great evil.
The legal position on abortion in Jamaica is that in the act of abortion the mother kills her child. It is an offence and tantamount to murder. The child in the womb is a person with a person’s right. He or she must be protected as a person. Jamaica is a Christian country. We must defend the life of the child in the womb, not only as a country that live by natural law but also as a country that is formed by Christian values.
Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Similarly, Jeremiah 1:5 states, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.”
The Biblical stance towards abortion is that life is precious. Recently, there was a movement of the Holy Spirit for the Love March Movement (LMM) headed by their youthful leader Dr David Thomas. Joined by lawyer Helene Coley Nicholson, the president of Lawyers Christian Fellowship, other prominent pro-life Christian groups gathered as concerned Jamaicans who know of abortion clinics spreading in Jamaica. They wanted an end to this violence.
The response of these groups was to gather together to pray and to advise pregnant women not to abort but to protect and guard the life of the child in their womb. They also advised the women that there are units that help and receive women and their unwanted children. Thus, many babies have been saved.
When Dr Thomas and other members of the LMM were threatened with bottles, stones, golf clubs, words, and gestures of violence these pro-life groups and members of the Christian churches became concerned, since nothing had been done by LMM to violate public peace.
The police in Cross Roads, led by Inspector Marvin Wallace, answered the request of Helene Coley Nicholson, and other leaders in the pro-life movement to meet with them. It was an important dialogue. During the meeting Inspector Wallace intently listened with a
Bible in his hand. They had a two-hour discussion.
The pro-life leaders explained that one of their members was hit by a stone thrown by a woman and that there are illegal acts of abortion or murder being done, and that the police should investigate them.
It seems that the act of murder of the unborn child has been legalised in Jamaica. As a nation we must stop it!