South Dakota bans Abortion

The State legislature of South Dakota has voted to ban all abortions save for those performed to save the life of the mother. Doctors who perform illegal abortions would face prison time. The governor has said he will look favorably on such a bill when it comes to his desk. The bill's main sponser, Julie Bartling - a Democrat (!) - said that the state seeks to protect the lives and rights of unborn children.

I thank God that people are working to protect the very "least of these" in our world today. The Christian faith does teach and has historically taught that all human living individuals are created in the image of God and should be respected. In addition science has taught us that embryos are human individuals, genetically distinct from both parents, that are alive and growing from the moment of conception. There is no moment after conception at which the nature of the baby in the womb changes. Only the size and location change as it grows and is born.

If we are a nation that values freedom, then we MUST value freedom of innocents to live. Furthermore, we must balance our emphasis on individual rights with an appreciation of the affects that individual decisions have on others in the community so that all freedoms must be balanced by personal responsibility, and for those of us who claim to follow Jesus, all our freedom must be always exercised the self-giving love that he has shown to us (most especially at the cross).

Obviously this bill will be challenged in court. In fact, it may have been designed to see if the newly (supposedly) right-leaning Supreme Court will overturn or at least qualify the Roe v. Wade Decision. So it will be interesting to see what happens, but as always it will take some time.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185991,00.html