To clarify, no, I’m not pregnant. I walked into a room of fourteen women and two men on Monday all excited about working in a new Pregnancy Care Centre opening in our small town. It’s so exciting to be a part of meeting and caring for those who find themselves in a difficult situation.
Our training began with a fascinating history of abortion and infanticide in the ancient world. Early intellectuals like Plato and Aristotle supported abortion and Plato also encouraged any woman over forty to abort. Many of the ancient civilizations terminated pregnancies through medicinal or surgical means. Upon further inquiry, I discovered many more encouraged bizarre rituals like stepping over snakes or using disgusting compounds like crocodile dung mixed with dough.
The study reminded me of a verse in Leviticus “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.”(Lev. 18:21) The early Phoenicians offered their children to the arms of a giant bull. The children would roll into the fiery belly of the statue to the sound of drums loud enough to mask their cries. Why? The couples believed the sacrifice of their child would bring wealth to their families and future generations.
How sad that anyone, in any age, would believe the loss of their children would bring freedom or prosperity. As our instructor said “The fight to protect the vulnerable is not a new fight.” May we have the opportunity and be diligent to support those who stand at the crossroad of decision for their unborn child.
A Special thanks to all those who voted on my reading for the book launch. Sample A won and it was my favourite, too. The printers have experienced delays so it looks like the launch will move into early March.