Scientifically speaking, each new human life begins at the moment of fertilization. Things such as local, age, gender, race, cognitive ability, or physical ability do not determine the humanity of that new human being. He or she is human — biologically — and therefore, is worthy of the right to life and protection from harm.

Abortion is, plain and simple, the homicide of an undelivered human being. And globally, what has happened is that stronger human beings have decided that legalizing the homicide of abortion against another weaker class of human beings is acceptable. But no one has an actual right to kill an innocent human being. The idea that one person’s bodily autonomy overrules another person’s right to life and to a natural death (instead of being killed by homicide) is an incorrect, dangerous, and inhumane notion.

The abortion pill starves a developing child, a first-trimester D&C uses powerful suction to tear a child to pieces, and a second-trimester D&C literally dismembers babies who are capable of feeling pain and some of whom are old enough to survive outside the womb. A third-trimester induction abortion uses a lethal injection of feticide to cause the child to go into cardiac arrest. And a D&X, commonly called a “partial-birth” abortion, includes partially delivering the child before stabbing the base of his or her neck and suctioning out his or her brain.

If born persons were subjected to any of these deaths, this would be rightly viewed as a human rights crisis. Yet undelivered persons, who are no less human than born persons, are subjected to these deaths daily in the United States.

We need to love both the mother and child to help her make “choices” that preserve the sanctity of life. 2,363 lives that have meaning and purposes created in the image of our Heavenly Father.

Psalm 139:14: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Pixie McKnight

Baker City