Richard Ho Lung - Diary of a ghetto priest
The Roman Catholic Church and many Christian bodies all over the world, constituting close to more than one-third of the world's population, and Muslims, who constitute another 21 per cent the world's population, are against abortion. There are many other religions, including Hindus and the religions of the entire continent of Africa, who are against abortion. Abortion is simply, but clearly put, against natural law. It is unnatural because it is murder.
In a Ministry of Health questionnaire printed June 8, 2006, the first questions asked is thus stated:
"The law of abortion in Jamaica is a very restrictive law. Do you believe that law is fair and just to women of all classes and in urban and rural areas in Jamaica?"
The response, which has been prepared by the Roman Catholic Church, a body of people to which I belong, represents the voices of many people, particularly the common man or woman, who cannot or will not articulate his or her own opinion:
A crime
"The law defines procured abortion as a crime against humanity and defines the unborn child as a person, according to law, and hence protected by law. It flows out of several fonts of legal, medical and religious wisdom.
"This question is both a deceptive way to propose about a fundamental legal matter and a radical departure from the common traditions and values of the Jamaican people. It is truly shocking that a government commission should have formulated this question, as such, since it glosses over fundamental concepts of law and morality upon which societies are built and injects ideology into a very serious debate about human rights.
"First, this question also states the law as 'restrictive'. Criminal law, by its very definition, is restrictive - of lawless elements of society - and, presumably, we all benefit from legal restriction of lawbreakers. It would be better to have described this law as protective of innocent persons since the law's very name means that it is protecting innocent persons from criminal actions. The labelling of this law as "restrictive" appears as an ideological attempt to brand as somehow discriminatory, which, in essence, is an unfair posture in evaluating a law.
"Second, this question insinuates that one type of 'person' is unfairly treated by this law which was meant to protect all classes and types of legal persons. Unborn women are included in the protection provided by this law. Canvassing opinions about whether this law is 'fair and just to women of all classes and in urban and rural areas in Jamaica' is much like asking a teenager whether laws restricting drug use by teenagers are fair to poor teenagers.
"In reality, the law restricts a harmful practice for all citizens and is devoted to protecting the common good of society. Individuals, and even groups, may not like the restrictions placed upon criminal behaviours, but these restrictions are meant to protect them from lawless elements of society."
In the brothers and my own encounters with women who have aborted, there is the terrible experience of having murdered the child of their womb.
Ignorant
These women are not Catholics, nor are they Christians or churchgoers. I suppose the abortionist would call them ignorant. But the law of God is written in the hearts of men and women, not in their brains.
Many abortionists are brainy, monied, and profit-seeking. I pray that medical personnel would not seek further business in this so-called effort at 'women's rights'.
On a recent retreat at Mt Tabor in our mountains, where Missionaries of the Poor pray, work and meditate, and offer counselling to the broken-hearted, the Family Life Commission, conducted under the Archdiocese of Kingston, a reconciliation weekend for simple women who have aborted.
They reported that these women were overwhelmed by medical people to terminate their pregnancies. I pray that these doctors of death would refrain from doing so.
The Very Rev Fr Richard Ho Lung, MOP, is founder and superior general, Missionaries of the Poor; for feedback, columns@gleanerjm.com.
