Why Is this Crime Acceptable?

There was a very disturbing article last week in the local news. In a nearby small town with a population of only 38,000, a woman was arrested and charged with capital murder – in the stabbing death of her 8-year old son. Understandably, this has rocked the entire community.

In response to the statement released by the police department, people have offered up prayers for the officers and first responders who encountered a very horrifying scene. They have commented on the difficult situation of the teachers and parents explaining to other children why their friend and classmate will no longer be at school or on the playground. Many people have described how dreadful and hard this little boy’s life must have already been for it to end in such a horrific way.

But most comments center on what should done to this woman, someone who would do such a gruesome and hate-filled thing to her own child. Some have suggested sending her straight to the electric chair. Some have said she should already be executed, or that maybe other prisoners should “take care of her” in prison. Some blame it on the drugs she must have been on. Some say drugs or not, no person should ever harm an innocent child.

One commenter said, “No remorse for someone that murders, especially a child…your own child.” Another said, “What in the world caused her to kill her own child?! This is just awful!! Who does that! And why…that poor baby.”

Those last two questions are probably what everyone is asking in the aftermath of such a terrible tragedy and unnecessary loss of an innocent life. What would cause a mother to kill her own child? And who would do such a thing?

According to Guttmacher Institute, in just 2020, there were 930,160 other mothers who chose to kill their own children. And between 1970 and 2019, there have been 63,459,781 other mothers who have killed their own children. They just chose to do it in utero.

To repeat the question posed about the local arrest, what in the world caused them to kill their own children?

There usually are plenty of reasons offered as an attempt to explain away killing your own child. But it really all boils down to the same underlying issue. The life of the child was no longer important to the mother; the child was not wanted, just like the poor child stabbed to death by his mother in this small Southern town.

Given the reactions to this woman who stabbed her son, one would think that a mother killing a child is repulsive and vile. Certainly, this kind of action shouldn’t be accepted or allowed, right? Well, according to the recent Supreme Court ruling, if a state wants to continue to allow mothers to kill their own children, then they can. Currently, 37 states allow mothers to kill their children.

But why should the response to abortion be any different than the response to this woman arrested for murdering her son? When people are outraged that a woman could stab her 8-year-old son to death, shouldn’t they be just as outraged when a mother does that to a baby still in her womb? Does it make it less offensive because with abortion, instead of the mother stabbing the child to death, the mother pays medical personnel to pull her child apart limb from limb? Apparently, our culture finds that to be an acceptable way for a mother to kill her child.

Maybe it is because our culture has grown numb to what abortion really does. One article written by Pew Research discusses the methods of abortion with such terms that it almost doesn’t sound like anything horrible has happened. It describes the abortion pill as a method to “cause the uterus to empty.” What is really happening is nutrients are cut off from reaching the baby, and then early labor is induced to force the baby to be delivered prematurely. “Emptying the uterus” is killing the baby.

The other methods of abortion are described as a “suction process” or a “dilation and evacuation.” Both methods pull the baby apart, piece by piece, one with suction and one with forceps, and extract each body part. This is no less gruesome a scene than what the first responders encountered with the woman who stabbed her son. Why are we appalled at one, yet applauding the other?

Instead of recoiling at the horrifying process of abortion, people proudly shout their abortions and encourage others to do the same. Instead of being disgusted and shocked at the idea of a woman killing her own child, like the reactions in this news article, people are demanding mothers have the right to continue killing their children if they so desire – as long as the child hasn’t been born yet.

And there are probably many people reading this who have unfortunately made that decision to end their pregnancy and take the life of their unborn child. Even with such a tragic decision, there is forgiveness available only through Jesus Christ. According to God’s Word in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You can find peace in your hearts even after abortion through confession and forgiveness that comes through Jesus.