Unborn children should be protected by 14th Amendment
Scripture delineates murder and killing. Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, renders Exodus 20:13 as “Thou shall not murder.” The literal meaning of “murder” in Hebrew refers to the intentional and premeditated killing of another person with malice. Without the evil intent, the act is killing, and under the law, may be justifiable (e.g., self-defense, accidental—not terms associated with abortion).
Laws about deadly force appear in Penal Codes of every state. According to Section 187. of the Penal Code in California, “(a) Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus [emphasis added], with malice aforethought.”
Is that not the definition of abortion? Is that not the act to be decided by states following the Supreme Court decision last June? Minnesota seems to be moving at lightning speed to enact numerous laws to legalize abortion/murder (e.g. HF1/SF1--allow abortion for any reason up to birth—enacted as PRO-Act, HF 91/SF 70—repeal MN law that protects babies who survive abortion, HF 289/SF 336—eviscerate current programs for alternatives to abortion, H. 1170—increase medical assistance reimbursement for abortion, HF 366/SF 165—prohibit extradition to other states for those charged with “reproductive health care services,” including abortion, HF 174/SF 662—direct students to abortion clinics and away from pro-life pregnancy care centers). The majority of these provisions are now in the omnibus health bill in both houses of the state legislature.
Recently, the abortifacient mifepristone has become another legal lightning rod. A federal judge in Texas declared the hurried FDA approval in 2000 illegal and stayed his own decision for seven days for an appeals court to rule. In 2000 the FDA approved the drug to treat an illness—pregnancy [emphasis added]. The FDA in 2011 ruled that the drug could only be administered in person and by a certified medical provider. The Biden administration in 2021 allowed women to receive the abortion pill by mail, waiving the administration of the drugs in person.
In the meantime, 17 states, including Minnesota, and the District of Columbia, sought to force the FDA to expand access of the drug by the ruling of a federal judge in Washington state. April 14th Jusitce Alito issued a 5-day stay on the ruling, pending emergency appeals to the Supreme Court.
This is a major issue since more than 50% of the abortions in America are chemical and not surgical. An estimated 30% of these women are admitted to ER for adverse side effects. That number could rise if the protocol is changed to give only the second dose, misoprostol, if the first dose is illegal. This drug causes the uterus to expel the baby and is known to cause grave side effects for the mother.
Ironically, we protect bald eagles and endangered animals better than human babies. According to The Endangered Species Act, persons endangering or killing a protected animal may face fines up to $100,000, a year in jail, and seizure of any vehicle or equipment associated with that crime. Organizations may receive a fine of $200,000. (Is Planned Parenthood an organization?) Why does abortion have no legal consequences for the perpetrators?
Dr. Jerome Lejeune, a French pediatrician and geneticist, declares that life—a new human being—begins at conception. “In plain English, at the moment of conception, when the egg is fertilized, a new human life is formed, complete with its own genetically unique DNA. Unique DNA means it is actually a new human person, not a genetic copycat of its parent.”
During the pandemic, we espoused “follow the science.” Let’s highlight some of the documented scientific revelations in medical journals about the baby in utero (or fetus, as stated by the penal code).
• At 17 days, the unborn baby has its own blood cells; the placenta is a part of the baby, not the mother. (So, the baby is NOT a part of the mother—it is NOT “her body, her choice.”)
• At 20 days, the eyes begin to develop; the basis of the entire nervous system is evident.
• By 24 days, the heart beats.
• At 28 days, 40 pairs of muscles, arms, and legs are developing.
• At 42 days, the skeleton is complete.
• At 43 days, electrical brain wave patterns provide evidence of “thinking.”
• At seven weeks, the unborn baby has complete fingers, toes and ears.
• At eight weeks, all organs function, and all systems are intact.
• In the 11th and 12th weeks, the unborn baby moves his/her arms and legs, sucks his/her thumb, inhales and exhales amniotic fluid, and nails appear.
• At four months, genital organs are clearly differentiated; the baby grasps with hands, swims, kicks and turns somersaults.
• At 18 weeks, the baby can cry.
• At 20 weeks, the baby has hair on the head and can feel pain.
Since the embryo/fetus/preborn baby is a human being from the moment of conception, that defenseless human is protected by Section 1 of the 14th Amendment with the right of life, liberty, due process and equal protection under the laws...or should be.
Let’s consider some guiding principles.
God created males and females in His image. (Genesis 1:27)
God told the male and female to procreate and be stewards of Creation. (Genesis 1:28)
God gave mankind the Ten Commandments (Gensis 2:1-17...note the prohibition of murder in verse 13)
God is the final judge. “Vengeance is mine.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)
In the case of unanticipated pregnancies, the parents (father and mother) have options other than abortion. They may decide to rear the child/children; place the child/children in a “safe haven;” allow another family to accept, adopt, and rear the child/children.
As we move towards Mothers’ Day in May and Fathers’ Day in June, it behooves us to celebrate the miraculous gift of life from our Creator God with the biological and adoptive parents.
This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Phyllis E. VanBuren, a lifelong learner and enthusiastic educator, who values family, friends, faith, honesty, liberty and integrity. Her column is published the fourth Sunday of the month.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Unborn children should be protected by 14th Amendment
