It’s pretty incredible how far some people will go to deny the humanity and life inside the womb.
Take yesterday’s article in The Atlantic as an example.
Originally titled, “How the Ultrasound Pushed the Idea That a Fetus Is a Person,” Moira Weigel, the author of the piece, twisted herself into a metaphorical pretzel trying to prove that the ultrasound doesn’t prove a preborn baby isn’t … human? Isn’t alive? The piece was so convoluted I’m still not entirely sure what I read.
But what I know is this: Weigel’s attempt to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the heartbeat was so extreme The Atlantic had to issue an almost-immediate correction stating, “This article originally stated that there is ‘no heart to speak of’ in a six-week-old fetus. By that point in a pregnancy, a heart has already begun to form. We regret the error.”
I’m not surprised – of course abortion activists have to deny science when they attempt to make the case that the preborn child isn’t worthy of legal protection.
One bizarre point Weigel tried to make in the piece is that ultrasounds are an expression of the “patriarchy” we heard a lot about during the Women’s Marches held around the country last weekend:
“These images produced a new and unprecedented vision of human development. Before ultrasound, medical care received by pregnant women had depended on their testimony, or how they described their own sensations. Ultrasound made it possible for the male doctor to evaluate the fetus without female interference. Ultrasound images carried the associations of objectivity typically accorded to the camera, and they conferred authority on the doctor who interpreted their contents. They seemed to give him immediate access to the tiny human floating inside his patient’s body.”
For starters, does Weigel not realize there are many female obstetricians, too?
But beyond that, this (misleading) observation attempts to perpetuate the myth that abortion is a “he-versus-she” issue, and that women would naturally be in favor of the policy position Planned Parenthood supports: taxpayer-funded funded abortion on demand, through the ninth month.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so let me introduce you to Focus on the Family’s sanctity of human life team, at last year’s March for Life event:
Let me also introduce you to our vice president of public policy, a bioethicist who is one of the most articulate defenders of life I’ve ever met:
And what these women will gladly tell you is that ultrasounds aren’t “pushing the idea that a fetus is a person” – a thought that would be comical if it weren’t so tragic.
Rather, ultrasounds are merely lifting the curtain on a fact that was always there, but we couldn’t directly see: the preborn child is completely human – and completely alive.
And that’s why the women who lead our Option Ultrasound Program will tell you that OUP has helped save more than 382,000 babies so far – and it’s expected to help hit the 400,000 babies saved milestone in 2017.
These strong, intelligent women will also share with you that 54 percent of abortion-minded women choose life after seeing an ultrasound image, hearing their baby’s heartbeat, and talking with a counselor who helps them consider the support and alternatives available to them.
In countless occasions I’ve seen how the eyes of my esteemed colleagues shine as they share stories that affirm life, and what their work means to them. They will tell anyone who will listen how much they value the opportunity to empower women with information, science, and choices for the sake of life and God’s truth, and how significant it has been for them to meet the mothers we’ve helped and the children who are here because of that support.
That’s why I’m proud to be among the many men who join these sisters in Christ in speaking on behalf of the preborn.
Tomorrow, I’ll be testifying to the beauty of life – in the womb and outside of it – at the Evangelicals for Life event co-sponsored by Focus on the Family. (For those who were unable to be with us in Washington, D.C., I hope you’ll join us for the free livestream.) And on Friday, I’ll be joining hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates – men, women and children – who see the intrinsic value of the child in the womb, and in the mother who carries that baby.
May I ask for your prayers for both Evangelicals for Life and the March for Life?
And please pray for the leaders in the pro-life movement who are, even right now, gearing up to work with elected officials – from the president down to state representatives – to enact life-affirming policies and to nominate a constitutionalist judge to the Supreme Court. We need God’s help and wisdom to continue turning the tide in our country towards life.
I’d like to hear from you: Do you think ultrasounds help make the case for life? Why or why not? Let me know what you think in the comments section, below.
Leave a Reply