When did life become a plaything? Sunday Night, By MaryHelen Swanson

Posted 8/23/01

When did life become a plaything? Sunday Night, By MaryHelen Swanson

Perhaps it began with the legalization of abortion - when our civilization marked its unborn as less than human to be played with, probed, prodded, dissected and extinguished when no longer needed. I must begin by saying I do believe in medical miracles, and that the God I worship has in store for us healing of a magnitude we can never imagine. But, I cannot comprehend what is happening that makes life so meaningless that a couple, apparently unable to have children the natural way, engage the services of a surrogate mother and now reject two infants that come as the result of this ìunionî because they only wanted one.
This eager-to-become-parents couple is saying because there was not a ìreductionî in the number of babies, (thatís killing of one up to 12 weeks) they want neither. And the surrogate mother wants neither. Turning tables on Solomon, are we? Since nobody wants these babies, perhaps they could be used for scientific experimentation or put up for auction on e-bay.
I am totally appalled at what is happening to the sanctity of human life. Throw-away embryos being used for experimentation (and donít for one minute believe there is anything ìdeadî about the stem cells, they may not be able to grow into human beings, but it is living human tissue), discarding babies in garbage cans, aborting fully-formed little beings by murdering them and pulling them from their mothers, often left to die . . . slowly.
What kind of society have we become? Abortions, embryos, cloning? Oh, my. There is so little value of human life - and that is, after all, what every union of a human egg and sperm is to become. So-called scientists, in their God-playing roles, are manipulating the rest of us into believing it is all for the good of mankind. Who are these scientists and what are their objectives? Most recently the three fighting for the right to be modern-day Frankensteins, in the name of finding cures for diseases or helping childless couples, included one who follows a religion which believes we are all clones of aliens and two who are overly worried about ìmenî who cannot make children of their own. Itís not difficult to understand that the idea of money will make greedy people hover over test tubes, searching for a golden goose. I hear the cash register clanging.
People, especially those with fame and, more importantly, fortune, want cures for their diseases and medical conditions and they believe they can buy them, and probably will someday. Will insurance pay for the same for the common citizen? Or senior citizen? Rich men who must have offspring from the loins of their bodies will be the ones who demand cloning. Thatís why I believe itís the love of money - not humanity - that is driving these dehumanizing practices.
For those supposed millions of men who cannot make children, there are millions of men who are - without taking responsibility. It is true or why else would there be more than 100,000 children who need to be adopted, not counting the millions and millions who are flushed away in terminated pregnancies.
And speaking of such, how do we comprehend what is happening in a Wichita abortion clinic these days? Pastors are baptizing the aborted babies. You see what I mean? I donít know where weíre headed. Do you?