On the heels of the March for Life I am pondering the abortion issue in this country, and my thoughts keep going back to one thing: science.
The earliest part of the human nervous system forms by 28 days. That’s 4 weeks. Free nerve endings begin to develop at 7 weeks. Projections from the spinal cord, the major “cable” to the brain, also reaches the thalamus at seven weeks. By 8 weeks, the spinal reflex is in place—that’s the neural circuitry responsible for the most basic response to pain. From that point on, the baby experiences more and more as it develops and matures. By 11 weeks a specific neurotransmitter involved in transmitting pain is detectable. Another one involved in perceiving pain is detectable at 13 weeks. By 18 weeks, the hormonal stress response is fully functioning. In other words, the baby’s stress hormones are released in response to pain. Not only that, the unborn baby’s hormonal stress response to pain is IDENTICAL to a premature baby’s — as well as an adult’s!!
Don’t believe me? Guys, studies show that when a needle is used to draw blood from a baby at 18 weeks, a stress hormone (B-endorphin) is released and increases by like 500%. Cortisol, another stress hormone, goes up by 183%. There’s no denying an 18-week old baby is under severe stress during an abortion. By 20 weeks, all pain receptors are present and linked. Despite this, some people will argue that because the fetus isn’t “fully developed,” neither is the pain response.
However, it’s the baby’s pain MITIGATION system that does not develop until the latter part of pregnancy. In other words, the baby is “completely nerves” early on, like a burn patient without pain protective barriers. Pain transmitters in the spine are abundant during the first part of pregnancy, but pain INHIBITING transmitters are pretty sparse until later.
This is why, before surgeries, they use more anesthetic drugs for premature infants than for adults. But all this shouldn’t be surprising to us, though, because for years abortion sonograms have clearly shown unborn babies moving away from “stimuli” in utero. In fact, a baby at just 8 weeks gestation can be seen moving in response to this “stimuli” as they call it. Not only that, in the UK, 4D sonogram images have shown that the fetus can respond to pain both emotionally and cognitively, too.
My point is: we are a very “scientifically advanced” society. Not only have we seen it on sonograms, we have “seen” it now in studies too. We know unborn babies feel pain from the early weeks of gestation.
So why don’t we “know” what to do about it? How can we “know” that animal cruelty is wrong, but not know that fetal cruelty is? How can we “know” that it’s wrong to crush a bird egg, but not a baby’s brain? We now “know” so much about the development of the human person, why don’t we “know” what’s humane? Why is there still so much debate and discussion over abortion as if it is still some complicated issue?
The scientific data has simplified it to an unquestionable degree. I know, I know, they say it’s “my body, my choice.” But I’m not talking about your body. I’m talking about the tiny, little, overly-sensitive body you’re carrying inside of your body. I’m talking about the beautiful and fragile ball of nerve endings and stress hormones and spinal projections that desperately needs your protection. I’m talking about the growing human person carrying your DNA, wiggling away from “stimuli” on the sonogram. I’m talking about your child.
Somehow we have complicated the simplest, most-basic and fundamental issue on the planet: that human life is worthy of human respect and protection. And that scares the crap out of me. Because where do we go from there? A society that doesn’t understand its own worth WILL eventually self destruct. It will never be able to end divisions and racism, or have peace, if it’s members do not see each other as valuable and worthy of kindness and care. If we fight for equal rights for every race, creed, gender, and sexual orientation but neglect the rights of the unborn (the most innocent and needy of us all), then we have failed miserably and will never EVER reach true equality... because, friends, the unborn are comprised of every race, creed, and gender too.
We can’t say that women deserve respect, except for the little women in the womb. We can’t say that black lives matter, unless they’re preborn. We can’t preach diversity and inclusion, but exclude a whole segment of little people because of their gestational age. We can’t advocate love and kindness but enact laws that inflict the most horrific cruelty on babies.
At best it’s a schizophrenic politics. At worst, it’s a terrifying moral decay. That’s why I will vote pro-life for as long as I live on this planet. Because if we lose the right to life, we lose everything. God bless those who marched in our nation’s Capitol and in cities across the country. God bless those who are praying tirelessly for an end to abortion. God bless our president and all pro-life leaders willing to fight for this cause. God bless the unborn, their fathers, and the mommas carrying them. And God bless America.#prolife#marchforlife2020#endabortion
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