Abortion is very common in India – readily available and cheaply performed. It’s often referred to as “getting cleaned out,” which softens and obscures reality.
Often, a woman doesn’t understand what’s being done to her and her baby. Presentations for women by Christian doctors and pro-life workers on prenatal development and abortion methods have proven to be effective.
Abortion is often used within marriage as a way for couples to limit the number of children or avoid having too many daughters. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 girls are aborted every month in sex-selective abortions!
Sadly, many pastors and lay leaders avoid mentioning this difficult and controversial topic in their Bible preaching and teaching. The sin of abortion is practiced within the Christian community in almost the same proportion as secular circles! This is why the pro-life message is so difficult to accept, and offensive to many of people.
Interestingly (and sadly), some of those leading the opposition to sex-selection abortion are non-Christian feminists. The police and government are also doing their part to stop illegal abortions (sex selection), but it's not enough. There must be a change of heart toward the unborn, and girls in particular.
“Missionary C,” who has been working quietly in India for years, believes that this terrible sin – so commonly accepted and rampant among those who claim the name of Jesus – has compromised Christian witness and is the reason the Good News is not accepted as in other societies. As it says in Proverbs 6:17, God abhors the murder of the innocent and will not bless those who practice it. “This is why they are not set free by the truth.”
Ultrasound, as we know, can be a tremendous tool for pro-life education, but in India it’s the machine that determines whether murder will be done. “They see a perfectly formed baby, kicking and moving but, if it is a girl, she is killed with no mercy.”
Not everyone can afford an ultrasound, so newborn baby girls (and sometimes boys as well) will be killed shortly after birth. Infanticide has been practiced in India for centuries. “C” found that many believe abortion is good because it keeps them from having to kill an infant. They think an unborn child is “not yet a baby.”
Pro-life presentations do little to combat infanticide. People who practice it already know what they’re doing. “C” has found it worthwhile to focus on the woman’s physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of abortion. This is “more touching for them than explaining about the baby's human nature and the sanctity of life. They do care for themselves.”
A pro-life movement is slowly forming in India, with groups holding conferences where they can network and encourage each other. Please pray for these workers. “C” says, “The Lord has taught me through the years that I must be very compassionate at sharing about it.
