Isn't Abortion Child Abuse?

Last week Matthew Archbold wrote a post at the National Catholic Register titled: Obama: Kill Babies or I'll Hurt the Poor. In his post, he rightly asks us to watch, pray and write to our legislators over the recent work on the part of the Indiana legislation which passed a bill to defund planned parenthood. The following passage made my stomach turn with the awful truth of his words:

"The Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to Indiana threatening to withhold billions in federal Medicaid funding for low-income people if the state doesn’t agree to fund Planned Parenthood. Just think about that for a second. Let the horror sink in. Sometimes it takes a few seconds for it to really wash over you.

Got it? Yeah, the Obama administration is saying the federal government will hurt the poor unless Indiana agrees to fund the killing of babies.

Is Planned Parenthood entitled to taxpayer money? Think about it, the federal government if forcing a state to send taxpayer money to a private entity.

So when someone says to you that the Democrat Party is for helping the poor, make sure you correct them by explaining to them that the Democrat Party is about funding abortion first, even at the expense of the poor."

As someone whose profession it is to help the poor and vulnerable, to not only assist them in coping with the daily challenges of raising healthy children, but also to refer them to other private and government agencies and medical care from which they might benefit, I find the fact that the very money that could be used to help improve their lives would be withheld in favor of abortion to be unconscionable!

In my work at the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Clinic I was recently reviewing the revised policies for Nutritionists. When I came across the following state policy about reporting child abuse I did a double take:

Inflicting serious physical harm on an unborn child, including the risk of serious physical harm caused by the habitual use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs, exhibited to a severe degree. ( Wis. Stat. § 48.02(1)(am))

In other words, if I, as a nutritionist, suspect or am told by a mother-to-be that she uses drugs or drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, I am to report her to the authorities, which of course, makes complete sense. But, if that same woman would tell me that she aborted her baby so that she could continue a lifestyle rife with drugs and alcohol, there would be no reporting necessary; just a reminder and encouragement to live a healthy lifestyle with some resources to help her do so, a handful of WIC checks for healthy foods and be on your way. I know this question has been asked by many before, but how is abortion not considered to be the most severe form of child abuse? To me, and to many others, I know that the answer to that question is obvious, so why is it that our government doesn't agree and will even strong arm their way to keeping abortion legal with unfair legislation that hurts the poor instead of helping them?

Keeping the hope alive that someday all of the efforts by pro-life groups and agencies will overcome the death culture in American society takes great faith. But push on we must. I am quite grateful that at my own parish, a long overdue pro-life committee is being established and I am proud to be a part of it, bringing right to life issues to the forefront and encouraging others to assist in the battle to end abortion. Little by little, we will overcome the ugly forces of death that keep the killing of innocent lives an acceptable law in our land, and we will see the day when the cold-blooded murder of babies is once again illegal and, please God, non-existent.

Until that glorious day becomes reality, I am grateful to have found the following prayer on Kee's Little Hare blog and I've printed it and posted it at my desk at work and pray it daily. When I am dealing with clients who struggle in their motherhood and feel that ending the life of their child is the only way to cope with their problems, the words of this prayer give me comfort in knowing that we are all in God's hands and every whispered prayer on behalf of women in crisis can go a long way toward helping them to give their child the gift of life and to work to be the best mother they can possibly be.

Prayer to save a child from abortion

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I come to pray for every mother who is today considering the termination of the life of her unborn child. Grant her the courage and grace to persevere, so that the child already living, will be born safely. I pray also that those who support, encourage, promote or perform abortions may be granted a conversion of mind and heart. Finally, I pray for all those who have been hurt by the tragedy of abortion. Eternal Father, I offer you the most precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in union with the Masses celebrated throughout the world today, in atonement for our sins, and for all the sins of abortion in the world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.