It sounds like a horror story or a scary movie. But it's true. Where are they? Where have they gone?
In China, women want to have boys. One reason is because traditionally, the boys grow up to take care of their parents, whereas the girls marry and live with their husbands (therefore not being able to take care of their own parents). Since there is a one-child policy in China, many mothers understandably prefer boys and hope to have boys instead of girls. Therefore there are many women who chose to have abortions if they find out they are going to have a girl. This is called sex selection or gendercide. Therefore, the balance of boy-girl in China is thrown off because there are more boys being born than girls. There are 160 million women missing from Asia.
Okay, so that's just China and India, you might think. (WARNING: GROSS In India, doctors have fed aborted girls to dogs to hide the fact sex-selected abortions. You can read the full article here {UPDATE: My mom pointed out that India may have a law against sex-selected abortions, i.e. why people are trying to hide them. I haven't had a chance to research this yet, so just bear that in mind.}). Okay, it's safe to read now. :) China and India and other countries like that prefer girls over boys, and that's...well that's just...them.
Unfortunately, that's not quite true.
Today, there is sex-selection abortion in the United States.
Live Action, a pro-life group has gone undercover to see if Planned Parenthood will condemn or condone gendercide. You can see the video and read an article about it here. There is a second video which you can view here.
Recently in America, democrats in the House of Representatives defeated the bill which would've banned sex-selection abortions. (You can read Life News' article about it here.) To me it seems shocking that a country trying to eliminate sexism would allow mothers to kill their babies simply because of their gender. Most of the babies being killed are girls. Doesn't Planned Parenthood claim to be all about "women's rights"? Yet what about those baby girls being ripped out of the womb? Don't they have any rights?
{Update: My dad told me there are some more details in this and you can read about it here. Rep. Trent Franks, the Arizona Republican, is quoted in the article saying, "I am confident this is not the end, but merely an opening salvo in ensuring the words, 'It's a girl' are no longer a death sentence..."}
Going back to the abortion issue, I guess it all goes back to morality. What is right and what is wrong? "Right" and "wrong" are not relative. God has already set the standards. Humans with sin natures are often uninterested in God's standards. But because humans have chosen to go their own way, 100 million girls are missing. Everyday in America alone, about 3,700 babies will be aborted3. Randomly, it seems ironic that India would go to gruesome means to hide their sex-selection abortions, while America does not go to any means to hide theirs.
I would like to encourage you to check out Protect Our Girls, a project of Live Action, and sign the petition there.
Also, I found this gadget on Talia's blog that shows how many babies have been aborted just in the short period of time you have had this website open on your computer. It is very sobering and if you have a blog and are willing to put the gadget on your blog, that would be wonderful.
I know abortion is not a "light" issue, but I believe that we have a duty to protect the defenseless (Psalm 82:3-4 - "afflicted and needy"? I think so). For those who have not yet gained a voice, we need to be their voice and to stand out against the murder.
{Update} Just found this pic on Live Action's FaceBook page. My point exactly, except in photograph form...
2 Mara Hvistendahl. June 2012 Where Have All the Girls Gone?
3 Christian Patriots for Life June 2012 How many babies...?
Oh. My. Word. This is so, so, sad.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read this post, I knew I wanted to take action to stop abortions, but now I feel convicted to even more. That is so terrible. Abortion is so terrible and horrific and horribly WRONG! Thank you SO SO SO much for posting this. I cannot thank you enough.
Hey Talia,
DeleteI'm so glad this post helped you. That is wonderful. I love your passion and the fact you want to do something against abortion.
Although I've been pro-life, it's only recently that I started being active about my beliefs. I volunteered at a Crisis Pregnancy Center with my friend. We sorted donated clothes and occasionally diapers, or rearranged the clothing racks. It may seem small, but helping the CPC did matter, because they influence women who are considering abortions and save many lives.
Another way to help is to raise awareness about it, which you have already done by sharing the 180 Movie on your blog (which kinda helped me get momentum to post my pro-life note :)).
And of course, another way is prayer. It really seems like our country is going down. Sometimes I feel like there will not be another Christian revival. But we don't know what God's plan is. I know He cares about the missing girls and the millions of babies who have been aborted. So even though we don't know if there will be an awakening or not, we can certainly pray.
Thanks again for your comment, I love your articles as well.
Man. I heard about this as well. Such a sad thing! Everyone of us can make a difference and impact eternity w/ God's help. It breaks my heart to hear about such trama. thanks for posting! Things like this need to be said.
ReplyDelete-Lizzie/Poparcok
Thanks Elizabeth. I totally agree.
DeleteWow. Wow. WOW! This post just breaks me heart! Abortion is murder. It is a CRIME that is LEGAL! Thanks for posting this!! You are helping to make a difference.
ReplyDeletehttp://jumping4jesus.blogspot.com/
Hey Brooke, thank you so much for posting about abortion on your blog! I completely agree. Abortion should not be legal.
DeleteI heard about this too.
ReplyDeleteI think, too, that abortion is a crime. A horrible one.
Honestly, if women don't have the means to care for a child, here in America or over India or Asia or Europe or Africa or Australia or wherever, they should give the child up for adoption.
There are lots of people who cannot have children and are searching to adopt... my aunt adopted a boy from Ecuador, and they love him lots! I love him lots, too!
When I'm older, like at least 25, I'll adopt. I will give a home to a child whose parents could not care for. I've been saying that since I was 6, and I'm 13 and a half now and I still say so.
Klarabelle, I admire you for posting this.
http://thelifeofelizabethjanecole.blogspot.com/
Hey!
DeleteI agree. I don't know if you know this (weird phrase) but I was adopted from China. My birthmother actually left me somewhere where I would be found, and then taken to an orphanage. I was adopted my parents and now live in the U.S. All I can say is I am extremely grateful to my birthmother for choosing life. It was a risk for her to leave me where I could be found, instead of aborting me, but she chose not to, but instead let me be loved by someone else. I don't know if she was a Christian and I don't know if I will ever meet her, but I love her and thank God for her. Let's just say, adoption is amazing.
Now, if someone in China would risk their life to save their newborn baby, it seems kind of ironic that many people in America are so reluctant to give up their babies for adoption, when it is perfectly legal here... Obviously there are people in China who abort their babies, and people in America who let their babies be adopted, but I'm just...saying.
That's so awesome your aunt adopted a boy from Ecuador, and that you also want to adopt. I have the same vision. :)
No problem, thanks for your comment and the link to your blog.