In South Africa today a judge sentenced Nolan Schoeman to 13 years and his former girlfriend Marissa Rudman to 10 years’ imprisonment for the April 2009 murder of their two month old baby son, Wade.
According doctors reports, Wade had such extensive brain injuries that the swelling had pushed his skull apart. He had lung contusions caused by a hard blow to the body, injuries to both of his feet, bruises on his face and body and two broken forearms and 22 broken ribs.
The social media is up in arms that the estranged couple got off too lightly. I agree.
Here is the conundrum I face.
Every day in South Africa more than 214 babies are murdered, or if prefer, aborted.
Why is a baby human’s life more valuable outside the womb than inside? Does the magic human-fairy sprinkle human-dust on the baby as it passes through the birth canal?
A womb is meant to be a place of safety. Why is it such a dangerous place to be?
You may argue that women have a right to choose. I agree 100%. Women have the right to choose to have sex or not. To use contraception or not. But once those choices are made, there can be no more right to choice life or death for another human being.
You may argue that sometimes the baby in the womb is not the woman’s choice; it is the result of rape. Rape is a horrendous crime and must be treated as such. Rape shatters lives. But is the baby any less human? Does the first crime (rape) in some way justify the second crime (murder)? Can good not come of evil? Can the baby not be given away for adoption?
Unborn babies are crushed, sliced and sucked-out in the name of choice and reproductive rights.
Baby Wade’s violent death would be of no concern to many if it happened a few months earlier while in the womb.
Our country is crying out for an end to rape, we should also be crying out for an end to murder.
Go here for more info.
(In South Africa, any woman of any age can get an abortion by simply requesting with no reasons given if she is less than 13 weeks pregnant. If she is between 13 and 20 weeks pregnant, she can get the abortion if (a) her own physical or mental health is at stake, (b) the baby will have severe mental or physical abnormalities, (c) she is pregnant because of incest, (d) she is pregnant because of rape, or (e) she is of the personal opinion that her economic or social situation is sufficient reason for the termination of pregnancy. If she is more than 20 weeks pregnant, she can get the abortion only if her or the fetus’ life is in danger or there are likely to be serious birth defects.[1]
A woman under the age of 18 will be advised to consult her parents, but she can decide not to inform or consult them if she so chooses. A woman who is married or in a life-partner relationship will be advised to consult her partner, but again she can decide not to inform or consult him/her. An exception is that if the woman is severely mentally ill or has been unconscious for a long time, consent of a life-partner, parent or legal guardian is required.)
Hi. I have not read any updates on the case 🙁 .
when is they due to be released as the legal system in South Africa doesn’t keep perpetrators in jail long?
Hi Gerschwin. I agree. Thank you fror posting that article. I guess the challenge is and will always be to reform our thinking so that it is in line with the Bible’s teaching.
Hi Andre,
I’ve recently read some articles pointing out that the position we (evangelicals)now accept as given, that abortion is not biblical, wasn’t always the official stance. At least in America. I’m not sure what the South African context was like. See Dr. Mohler’s article in the Washington Post here (http://goo.gl/UVj9V).
I must admit I didn’t know about this history. I was indeed shocked. One wonders (at least I did) how it could be that Christians, just like us, could read the same bible and come to different conclusions about something as serious as abortion.
I think this may be something worth analysing and discussing since I think we could be in danger of making similar mistakes in other areas.
That’s the insanity I also can’t get….a mother’s womb is the most dangerous place to be! and a baby has no means of defence….we give it a pleasant name like termination or pro choice. It is murder.