COVID has changed just about everything, it seems. It has changed the way we interact (Zoom, anyone?), the way we work and attend church, the way we have weddings and funerals and even our vocabulary (i.e. social distancing, isolation, quarantine, contact tracing). There is one area of American life, however, which COVID has not managed to change: abortion.
Months ago when the pandemic first hit the United States, many health systems put elective procedures on hold to ensure that precious healthcare resources would be available for those identified as the most vulnerable among us: the elderly - especially those living in long-term care group settings – and those with serious underlying health conditions. This seemed to make sense when working to combat this novel virus. Except for the fact that abortion was deemed to be an “essential component of comprehensive health care” by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The World Health Organization further classified abortion as essential to women’s rights and health.
Essential? It is essential to provide a way for arguably the absolutely most vulnerable (the unborn) among us to continue to be legally killed on the one hand while we literally shut down our entire nation – schools, businesses, churches – and nearly cripple our economy in order to protect others who number among most vulnerable populations? Why are we going to desperate measures to protect some while others get no protection at all? This just doesn’t seem right. Don’t get me wrong: COVID-19 is real. It is a virus that can be dangerous – even deadly – to those who contract it. Nobody chooses to get COVID. There are thousands of families who have lost loved ones. They may not have been allowed to see their family members during their last moments on earth and may not have been able to observe normal grieving rituals such as funerals and memorial services due to COVID restrictions. There has been immense loss of life and livelihood as a result of this pandemic.
But, what about loss related to abortion? Let’s start with loss of life. Since the first week of March, it can be estimated that as many as 613,571 lives have been lost as a result of abortion. There have been approximately 240,000 deaths due to COVID during that same period of time. Both are huge numbers and represent tragic loss. The virus, however, will eventually abate. Abortion does not show signs of slowing in any significant fashion. Remember: abortion is fatal for the >99% of babies, while 97 – 99.75% of people infected with COVID-19 will recover.
And what about the losses that are difficult to quantify? For women who regret their abortions, so much is lost. They lose motherhood first and foremost. They also report loss of emotional and spiritual health. Many feel all alone, fearing the judgement of God and man. Some realize the depths of their own depravity – exactly what they are capable of – and largely lose themselves. Abortion – which seemed so full of promise – ends up to be an empty shell and the losses continue to mount.
Finally, there is an ironic (if not tragic) connection between abortion and COVID. Pharmaceutical companies from around the globe have been racing to develop vaccines to protect against COVID. Several have used fetal cell lines from fetuses aborted decades ago. This is not a new practice. Vaccines currently used to protect against varicella, hepatitis A and rubella were also created using the same fetal cell lines. Two of the COVID vaccines currently in trials (AstraZeneca, Janssen and Johnson & Johnson) will use the fetal cell lines in ongoing production of vaccine. Pro-life Christian ethicists[i] acknowledge this dark side to vaccine creation, but provide thoughtful logic to encourage use of the vaccines if other options are not available. I would encourage you to visit www.cmda.org or www.lozierinstitute.org to read these opinions for yourself.
In no way are my words here meant to minimize the reality of COVID and its aftermath. I hesitated for months about writing this. However as we continue to hear about the ‘most vulnerable among us’, I would encourage us all to continue our efforts to make abortion unthinkable in our world.
Blessings –
Kay
[i] See: Christian Medical and Dental Association, Charlotte Lozier Institute
