Wednesday, August 24, 2005
A SOCIETY LOSING ITS SOUL
Diogenese wades in on a controversial new study reported in JAMA.
The study, summarized by the Associated Press at breitbart.com asks whether a child being aborted feels pain and thus requires an anesthetic.
Diogenes asks two questions:
If it's likely that you won't feel pain, does your dentist give you novocain? Or does he make sure?
Can a "blob of tissue" feel pain? Or are we staring at yet another clear piece of medical evidence showing that the thing inside the womb is a fellow human being?
The mere asking of the question already assumes that there is substantial evidence for a decision of "living being" where the fetus is concerned. Does a rock feel pain? Does a stuffed animal hurt? In order to ask the question, we must first assume that the object of the inquiry is living.
From the mailbox, forwarded by a reader, Orthodox priest Fr. Demetrios has some comments that I hope he will not mind if I post:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am sending you this very sad and sickening article as a reminder that our nation is rapidly becoming 'soul-less!' Not only is the research to 'prove' that a pre-born child (fetus) does not feel pain until the 7th month, a revolting project (As the Lord said, "You strain the gnat and swallow the camel."), but - on the other side -even the idea of anesthetizing the pre-born baby so it feels no pain as it is being murdered, is sick. Simply let the child live!!! Note particularly the 3 paragraphs I have put in red --- especially the one in the biggest print. I humbly suggest that every women ask their gynecologist if they do abortions, and - if so - get another one that does not kill babies. As long as we continue to legalize the murder of the most innocent of God's children, we have no right to call ourselves a 'civilized nation!'
Let us imitate the Jews in Egypt and CRY OUT to the Lord for deliverance, in this case from the slaughter of His innocent ones, before it is too late!
+Fr. Demetrios
The paragraphs he highlights are these taken from the AP article on this research:
Rosen also said that administering anesthesia or painkillers to the fetus could pose health risks to the mother.
When doctors operate on fetuses to correct defects before birth, general anesthesia is given to the mother primarily to immobilize the fetus and to make the uterus relax, Rosen said. Anesthesia during fetal surgery increases the mother's risks for breathing problems and bleeding from a relaxed uterus, the researchers said.
Rosen said those risks are medically acceptable when the goal is to save the fetus but there's not enough evidence to show any benefit from fetus-directed anesthesia during an abortion.
Suddenly, as a result of this study, abortion advocacy will focus on the physical welfare of the pregnant woman. Mostly what I read are horror stories about how little concern for the woman is expressed by abortion providers. But now the providers will have a reason to "care". Now that their business could be at stake they will develop a misplaced compassion. Naturally they can ill afford to have any compassion for the baby.
UPDATE
Amy Welborn has bloged a new twist to the story.
