Sunday, July 15, 2012

Image bearers

Abortion
12 week old unborn fetal human being. Similar millions have been aborted.

This is an important un-edited photo that deserves to become better known.

It was taken by a colleague in the room between the CB-2 and CB-3 operating rooms (where doctors from Pediatric Surgery and  Gynaecology perform surgery).

Why is this picture so important?

It is very rare that a photo can be taken of a fetal human being within his/her amniotic sac. This pregnancy was taking place in the abdominal cavity, and drawing its nutrition and blood supply from the intestinal blood supply. The mother had developed abdominal pain, and investigations had shown that the fetus was growing outside the uterus. This is why, when surgery was being performed, the baby could be removed without rupturing the sac.

It is also very rare that a photo can be taken of a complete human being at approximately 3 months of life (12 weeks gestation).

Isn't it beautiful? A tiny face. Perfectly formed little fingers and toes. Two ears.

I am reminded of the familiar passage from Psalms 139.

"For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!"

My son, Anand, saw this picture a few months back. At that time, we were reading through the passages that talk about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I really do not know what thoughts were passing through his little 4-year-old brain, but as soon as he saw the picture, he asked me, "Dada, is that Jesus?".

Scandalised by his question, I began to explain that this was the picture of a baby who had died.

And then, the truth of his question hit me.

Yes, indeed! This baby too was made in the image of God. And, Yes! The Son of God, Jesus, was once a 12-week old fetal human being like this!

Wow!

And yet, isn't it tragic.......

That 950,000,000 such unborn human beings have been deliberately killed until April 2010?

That 1,237,000 abortions take place, on the average, every MONTH? (That translates to about 29 abortions every minute!)


That it is absolutely legal to kill such babies in India? That a million such unborn babies are killed every year in India for the crime of being female? That approximately 10 million more are killed in India every year for other crimes that are yet to be committed.........like the distress they might cause to their parents once they are born?


Recently, I have been saddened by how accepting we are of these crimes against the unborn who bear the Image of God. I have seen that there are so few, even among Christian doctors who should know better, who are willing to stand up for the rights of these humans who do not yet have a voice.


4 comments:

  1. As the son of a man of God who would have been aborted if he were conceived today instead of in 1941, I am eternally grateful that my father - Ray Eicher - was allowed to live by his mother.

    Recently he found out that his birth mother had been previously married - and got in touch with a half brother of his - imagine living 71 years and then finding out you have a brother!

    God is good - and His plans are perfect. My father was adopted by missionaries working in Maharashtra - and God brought him back to India in 1964... he still is serving the Lord.

    Thank God the MTP act was not in force then... weep for the many men and women of God whose lives are snuffed out before they can take a breath of air...

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  2. You are right. The fetus is probably older than 12 weeks. But, according to the mother's LMP and history, it was recorded as a 12-week fetus. The point I am making, is that so many millions of similar 'Image-bearers' have been aborted, at a similar stage of development....

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