On Behalf of Carryduff Free Presbyterian Church and the Government & Morals Committee of Presbytery can we request that that you vote against the Green and Alliance Party amendments to liberalise Northern Ireland’s abortion law on Tuesday 9th February?
Our reasons for such a request are as follows:
As a Bible believing church we firmly believe that this is another attack on the sanctity of human life and threatens to undermine our current abortion laws, which could lead to Northern Ireland introducing a more liberal policy, like the rest of the UK, where over 8 million abortions have taken place since 1967.
The Bible teaches that every human life is made in God’s image and matters to him, whether a baby is able-bodied or disabled. To advocate abortion is a sinful violation of the 6th Commandment, Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill”. Advocates of abortion are guilty of murdering babies in the womb and will be held accountable to the Lord.
It is also well known that sometimes the medical diagnosis for an unborn baby turns out to be wrong and the child is healthy. This proposal could allow babies to be murdered because of misdiagnosis.
These liberal proposals do not take into account that babies said to have fatal abnormality can sometimes live for weeks, months, years after birth. I personally know of one family in South Belfast which has a 21 year old boy (still alive) who was diagnosed from before birth with anencephaly. It was his parents desire, despite pressure from the NHS to have an abortion, to proceed to birth and they are happy they did. Remember that hard cases often makes for bad laws.
Furthermore, it is medically known, that women who have taken the awful decision to abort their babies have increased the risk of mental illness, including suicide, and depression. Women in such cases, including those victims of sexual crimes, need support, love, and care, rather than abortion.
Surely every unborn child, who is innocent of any crime, has the right to a life, regardless if it’s able-bodied or disabled.
In light of the fact that 99% of responses to the Justice Department Public Consultation in 2015 opposed changing the Law, as well as our reasons stated above, we ask that you vote against these liberal amendments.
Your consideration of our views are much appreciated in the Lord’s Name.
Yours Sincerely
David G McLaughlin (Rev)
