Something to think about...

[MysticFire]

God doesn't like abortion, yes? Christians, therefor, don't believe in it either. But what if there is something wrong with the child? And I'm not talking bout physical deformity or anything...But this woman I heard of is four months pregnant..and her child does not have a brain. It's like the head wasn't zipped up in the back and the doctors give him 0% chance to live. The only reason he's living now is in his mother, but if he actually survived the birth, he wouldn't live very long. Would it be merciful to have an abortion?

[DrRita]

Wouldn't that be playing God? If the child doesn't live except in its mother's womb now, at least it will know human love for a time. What do the doctor's know about the soul? There are so many things we humans do not understand.

[MysticFire]

True, I'm not trying to fight for abortion, but is it cruel to let the child go on with no brain, half a head, and no way to survive, unless there's some miracle the child can go a brow in 5 months? And the mother has cancer.

[NuWriter]

The only reason I say that is this:
It MAY happen that the child develops a brain later!
I have no medical info to base this on, but I have heard at least one case where this seemed to have happened!
There is always some hope while the child is in the womb!

[MysticFire]

Might happen, yes. He has a brain stem, and can make involuntary moves. But he will not live long anyway...His mother is aborting him soon. It will take three days. Iono bout ya'll, but I don't think I could abort any child, even a deformed one. God would have to do that, if the child wasn't meant to live.

[NuWriter]

I don't know how I would react in the mother's place. It's easy for any of us to say one thing but we don't know since we have not lived it

[MysticFire]

Easy to say one thing, yes, but is it easy to do one thing as well? The mother has cancer, her child has nil-to-none chance of living, much less any normal life. Is it merciful to let him die, or mercy to let him have the chance to live?

[NuWriter]

That's why I said I don't know what I would do, either way...awful

[DrRita]

It's so hard to know how to react to things people do. As for me, I don't think I could abort. It would have to be God. God is a merciful God and that child will be with Him. I praise the Lord for giving all children salvation through Christ.

[Rebecca]

The American culture tends to place doctors on pedestals, and assume doctors know all. The hard truth is that doctors are human, too. While they may have the best of intentions, they can (and do!) make mistakes.

One of my best friends lived through a scenario exactly like the one you described. The doctors said the child in her womb had a brain stem, but no actual brain. She was told her child would never survive and would die shortly after birth, if not beforehand. The doctors urged her to have an abortion.

Today, her child is a healthy, brilliant young man attending a prestigious university on an academic scholarship.

In response to the question of mercy; I can't imagine how a violent death suffered through abortion (especially at such a late stage) can be considered merciful. I won't describe partial-birth abortion here, because it's too disturbing; however, have your friend educate herself on the procedure. Once she knows the facts, she won't equate the abortion procedure with mercy ever again.

A good link to check out for a description of the procedure (Caution: no pictures, but extremely disturbing to anyone with a conscience) http://www.straight-talk.net/abortion/partial.shtml

There is always hope. Just look up, pray, and trust in God.

Rebecca

[MysticFire]

With a child like that, God couldn't help but accept it. I mean, He made it like it was, He must have some purpose for it...So it really shouldn't be aborted...but wouldn't it hurt it to live like that, with no brain and no ability to move, albeit it can do involuntary moves? Would that be enough?

[MysticFire]

Yes, I thought of that. And I already know they put something up there, she was told it would be there for three days, sucking the child out. I don't trust doctors. They made my mother abort one child after her first, because it almost killed her. She had three more after that. (Three more children, not abortions. She hates them.)

[Rebecca]

Is this someone you know personally? If so, and if the mother is willing to show mercy and let her child live, I'm sure a loving home could be found. I would even consider taking the child in myself.

Rebecca

[MysticFire]

No, not personally. I heard about it through my sister, who knows the woman's mother. The woman has a couple kids already, but I'm not sure why she'd consider aborting another. It must be difficult for her.

[Rebecca]

It must be difficult for her.

I agree, and she is certainly in my prayers. I also pray she has the wisdom to see taking the life of her precious child won't erase her problems--it will only create new ones. :(

Rebecca

[kriswrite]

Having just gone through a pregnancy where one of my doctors was somewhat pushy about saying I should abort my child, I have to say that abortion is never an option. God has a plan...let him carry it out.

I was told our child would miscarry within a specified period of time. She didn't. Then I was told she wouldn't survive birth. She has. She's still in critical condition in the hospital, but all along the way she has touched so many lives. My mother, who hasn't prayed since childhood, is praying and acknowledging God's role in our lives. Complete strangers have written to me saying our story is inspiring them through their own difficult pregnancies. My husband's faith has grown even stronger....So many people touched, even before our child was born. You never know what God has in mind and what good he will make out of something that initially seems tragic.

Kristina
www.kristinaseleshanko.com/baby.htm

[Nessa-Ciryatan]

I'm disturbed whenever I read someone say that if someone is deformed, God must've made them that way. Are you forgetting sin, and the effects of sin down throughout the ages? Sin causes death, remember - death to cells, deformity to chromosones and other things that cause people to be born with disabilities and deformities.

I do not believe that God "makes people deformed". Not to 'teach anyone a lesson', or anything like that. I DO believe, however, that God loves each and every one of us, no matter what we look like or how deformed we are (body or spirit). I believe God will use a situation to teach people compassion and love and mercy and tolerance, and openmindedness, but I certainly don't believe he causes people to be deformed. That's just not what the Bible tells me of His character, people. (I work with people with disabilities, so I've had a lot of time to think about this.)

I don't believe in abortion. That would include whether the child was deformed, but like someone else has said, it's easy for us to say one thing, but quite another when you're the one experiencing it all. If that happened to me, I would have to accept that God will do as He says and be my Provider, my Supporter, which of course He would be. He would bring me into contact with lots of people who could help and/or support me.

I don't believe God makes bad situations happen, but I do believe he help us get what compassion and love we can out of the situation. I pray this woman knows that God is with her, and loves both her and her child.