“You can’t force a rape survivor to carry a pregnancy to term.” Many believe this is a compassionate statement that proves justification for abortion, even by many who consider themselves pro-life.
Any woman who is a survivor of rape has suffered one of the worst forms of violence and injustice. She needs concrete help from her community to find safety, to receive justice, and begin healing. Social services and Laws must be improved to help and protect women, in addition to improving a culture that abhors and prevents rape and incest.
We must understand that abortion does nothing to give the women the healing she needs and deserves. Abortion does not erase the rape or undo the violence. If a baby has been conceived, abortion would then subject a woman and her child to another act of violence. Many rape survivors have testified that abortion is an obstacle to healing after rape. Instead, abortion compounds trauma and is violence to another innocent victim.
Now considering her baby, we have to ask the question, is someone’s life really worth less than anyone else’s because of the way they were conceived?
If you were shown two ultrasound photos and was told one of these babies was conceived in rape, and the other baby was conceived in a stable marriage, would you be able to point out which one was which? No, because your circumstance does not determine whether or not you are human.
If a two year old was conceived out of rape, and the mother had a difficult time with this toddler because he reminded her of the rapist… would we say that she can kill her toddler? No, because we should not kill innocent human beings, and especially not for another’s crime.
Under our current laws, we do not even give rapists the death penalty because our Supreme Court has determined that this punishment for this crime is “cruel and barbaric” (Kennedy v. Louisiana). To put the child to death is to give a rapist more rights than an innocent baby. That is certainly cruel and barbaric.
Abortion starves, tears, dismembers, crushes, and kills a living human being. Abortion is not a solution, much less a compassionate one. Rapists need to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Love and support need to be given to both the woman and her child.
Stephanie Reynold, whose own mother was a victim of rape, explains this viewpoint further in the video below.
Please consider sharing your story. You can help the people of Louisiana know how to love and protect women and children, who have survived sexual assault, against the additional trauma of abortion.
