In either case, the word "repent" certainly is fitting for those applauding the already immoral act of aborting babies, being extended to actual infanticide in New York and almost in Virginia. In the ancient, pre-Christian world, the Israelites were the only society that considered abortion and infanticide immoral. God's directive was to be fruitful and multiply. The Israelites therefore considered it immoral. Further, as they took over the land of Canaan, many of the people living there were followers of the various Ba'als, which were fertility gods that required in some cases child sacrifice. This was anathema to the Jews, and explains why so much of the Old Testament seems to recite tales of their attempts to wipe this from their territory.
In ancient times, a father might look at his child, see that it was sickly, and leave it out to die of exposure or to be eaten by wild animals. Indeed, such is the story of the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, two infant boys who were left to be exposed by their father, only to be raised by wolves and become mighty warriors. But the myth contains much truth. Often a sickly childhood allows that child to develop other skills and interests that later enhance society. God often works in this way to the benefit of mankind.
It was only after the death and resurrection of Jesus, that people began seriously, to repent, and to look at life as truly a gift from God. As Christians began to have influence, abortion, as well as other forms of infanticide began to be seen as wrong and immoral. The ultimate expression of this is in our own Declaration of Independence which states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...Note that a person's life is to be held in highest esteem, to be taken only upon conviction in a court of law, and only for certain heinous crimes. In today's world, the only thing I can think of that generates a death penalty is the case of serial murder. What crime has an unborn child committed, that makes it deserving of being executed?
Abortionists and their familiars in the press, in the government and in groups like Planned Parenthood like to throw around the notion of a "woman's right to choose." But as our founding documents make clear, and God's word also, that is not a woman's right at all. The only "right" a woman has is not to have sex. There are certain medications that may reduce the risk of having a child, but none that guarantee it. Once a child is conceived, now both the woman and the man who together conceived it have a duty, and obligation, to raise that child to become the best human being they can.
I realize all the arguments that will be thrown up. Men shirk their duty. A woman can not raise a child on her own. What about rape or incest? The woman is not ready yet to have children. These and others have been raised since man first walked upright. We are a sinful and stiff necked bunch, but abortion is in the end not the answer. Indeed, liberalizing and legalizing abortion adds to the madness; does not relieve it. We need to go back to teaching our young to be abstinent until marriage. We need to emphasize the absolute obligation of fathers to their children. We need more liberal adoption policies that do not make the perfect the enemy of the good. In fact, we all need to repent, to rethink our path, and yes, in this case, to turn around. Otherwise, we will be going over the cliff. May God yet have mercy upon us all.
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