Wednesday night's CCM meeting was far from the lively and lighthearted discussions one can usually find. In fact, by the end of the hour, not a sound could be heard from any of us in the house. No one was laughing, either.
Melinda Saffioti had made stoics out of us all, and with very good reason: as part of our pro-life night, she came to speak about the reality of abortion. Personally, I've never been particularly vocal about the things those on the political right call "life issues"--abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research among them--but after last night, I find it hard to be silent.
Every day, 3800 children in America are killed by abortions. The reasons vary, and it might be assumed that rape, incest and health reasons top the list, but that's not true. In fact, the vast majority of abortions are performed purely for the convenience of the mother. The Guttmacher Institute, a respected research facility for sexual health, says that:
Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.But it's her right to choose, pro-choice supporters may say. She didn't ask to get pregnant.
True as that may be, Saffioti argued, it doesn't mean the baby that was given life must suffer the consequences. "It's like the cops showing up at your house and sending you to jail because your dad had a DUI," she said.
Saffioti, a 2002 graduate of Rowan University, is a licensed social worker who works as a counselor for women who are considering or have experienced abortion. While Guttmacher reports there is no evident link between abortion and mental health problems, she said that many of the women she counsels have at least some form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
It makes sense, especially considering the various methods of abortion in use today. Suction aspiration uses a vacuum-like device to literally suck the baby out while the mother is usually conscious; an abortive D&C involves scraping the uterus, and saline injections involve burning the baby from within the womb before inducing labor.
Harsh? Yeah, I thought so, too.
What does this have to do with Catholicism, though? Truthfully, the abortion issue is one that doesn't have to involve God--it's the taking of an innocent life, which is intrinsically wrong. However, as Catholics we believe that God is the author of all life, and it is therefore our responsibility to defend it from the very beginning. This beginning isn't birth, but conception. At the very instant conception occurs, there are 46 chromosomes present in the new fetus, 23 from each parent. From these, we can tell the child's gender, hair color, eye color, and more before it even begins to resemble a child.
A life is a life, regardless of age, and each should be given a chance to fulfill its potential. There are millions of couples worldwide clamoring for the opportunity to be parents. There are options, and abortion doesn't have to be one of them.
Melissa, this was VERY well put.
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