Film asks when does a person become a person?

After the unprecedented leak of a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade abortion case, abortion has rocketed back into the headlines and the streets.
This week my bride and I attended the screening of the anti-abortion film, “The Matter of Life” that was showing in Dublin. The two-hour movie laid out the anti-abortion case as did a video by conservative commentator Dennis Prager that I watched before writing this. The abortion issue splits America with polls showing more than half believe it should be legal. Justice Sam Alito’s strong opinion points out the lack of constitutional basis for the 50-year-old ruling.
It’s also notable that despite the generally liberal policies in Western Europe most countries have legal limits on abortion based on how far along the woman is in her pregnancy. In the United States there are no such limits and radicals such as former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam have publicly discussed keeping the baby comfortable after birth until the mother and physician could decide whether to let it live or kill it—pure infanticide.
The movie also points out that 6 million people were exterminated in the Holocaust by Nazis during World War II. An estimated 60 million babies have died by abortion since the court legalized abortion nationally. Black women, by far, have the most abortions. Star Parker, head of the Center for Urban Renewal, wrote, “The Kaiser Family Foundation reports in 2019 that 38% of abortions were given to Black women. Using this figure, 24 million Black babies — roughly half the current Black population — were removed by abortion since 1973.” Planned Parenthood has its roots with eugenics advocate Margaret Sanger.
The producer and editor interviewed many people involved in the anti-abortion movement including several who previously worked in the industry. One former private practice gynecologist described the procedure in graphic details whether it was done in the first, second or third trimester. Hearing it was nauseating as were the 50 seconds of video showing dismembered baby parts after abortions.
The physician and others in the film framed it accurately and simply: when is the baby a person? Does it depend on how big it is? So, if it’s the size of your hand from your fingertips to your wrist, does that qualify?
Our law currently is stunningly inconsistent. If a pregnant woman is killed by criminal activity, prosecutors can and do charge two murders, the women and her unborn child. Yet, that same woman can decide to abort the child legally.
There are many deflections around the issue but the central issue is when does a person become a person?
Should the draft court decision be issued, then the question reverts to the states when it resided until the Warren court overreach to make it national law. For states such as California and New York, the welcome matt will be rolled out for women seeking abortions. More conservative states will limit abortions or ban it.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May budget revision included an additional $40 million for abortions for women coming from out-of-state. Given how dominant liberal Democrats are in Sacramento, we can expect the governor to find plenty of willing elected officials.
Newsom’s statement last week read, “California will not stand idly by as extremists roll back our basic constitutional rights,” he wrote in a statement. “We’re going to fight like hell, making sure that all women — not just those in California — know that this state continues to recognize and protect their fundamental rights”
Given that reality, one of my takeaways was the importance to non-profits and churches who offer women options to carry their baby to term. That educational mission, particularly with ultrasound, will be more important than ever. Women considering abortion who see their babies with an ultrasound are much more likely to carry the baby to term.
Personally, I believe the Bible is God’s infallible word and the scriptures are clear that God created each one of us. The movie producers point out that Steve Jobs was born to an unmarried woman who gave him up for adoption.
The same is true for Heart for Africa co-founder Janine Maxwell whose mom was 15 when she gave birth. Janine was adopted by loving Canadian parents and, after building a large advertising agency, was called by God to care for African orphans. She and her husband, Ian Maxwell, oversee Project Canaan, a children’s home in Eswatini with more than 300 children and a commercial diary, farm, and 5,000 laying hens on 2,500 acres.
Ponder what gifted have been lost in the 60,000 million deaths?
Regardless of your current position, the film is worth watching for its straight forward discussion of the issue.