What is the value of a baby before and after birth?
Abandoning babies was a common and widespread practice in ancient Rome. It was not a marginal phenomenon, but rather an integral part of Roman family planning and social structure. Quite a few were collected by people who took in foundlings, only to sell them later as slaves or prostitutes. It is historically documented that Christians saved the lives of many of these babies, thereby protecting them from enslavement and sexual exploitation.
This pattern of behavior changed with the growing influence of Christianity. The belief that the supreme being of the universe loves every human being and recognizes each person as made in God’s image even while still in the womb led to a radical moral reevaluation. In the year 374 A.D., under Emperor Valentinian I, the abandonment of children was finally prohibited by law and made a punishable offense.
Over the past 25 years, 2,755,346 abortions have been performed in Germany. This amounts to an average of 110,213 abortions per year. Medical data show that 97% of these children would have been completely healthy at the time of birth. The reasons for these abortions were medical indications in 4% of cases, criminal indications (e.g., rape) in 1%, and personal reasons—such as financial concerns, relationship conflicts, or completed family planning—in 95%.
In Roman pagan society, abandoned children were not considered to have any intrinsic value. The killing and starvation of babies was generally accepted in the eyes of the public and under the law. Today, a similar attitude is evident toward abortion as a mass phenomenon. Parallel to this development, knowledge of biblical teachings—such as the Ten Commandments and the Christian view of humanity—has been lost in many circles. The consequences are a brutalization of society and an egocentric outlook on life that is very reminiscent of ancient Rome.
German society is missing 2.7 million people. The pension problem would be much less pressing if the aborted children were still alive. Many of the 100,000 vacant positions in the transportation industry could be filled, and countless small businesses in the skilled trades would not have to close due to a lack of young workers. Man will reap what he has sown. So it is written. And so it will always be. Crimes remain crimes in the eyes of God, regardless of whether the majority of a people condones or even encourages such wrongs.
No abortions are performed at Diospi Suyana Hospital. In addition to our Christian faith, the Hippocratic Oath (460–370 B.C.) also prohibits physicians from participating in abortions of any kind. My wife Martina and I took this oath along with other young doctors in Johannesburg in the summer of 1993. Thus, our dedication to the needy and defenseless patient—and our unconditional solidarity with babies before and after birth—is rooted in Christianity and Hellenism.
It makes a world of difference whether we acknowledge God as the absolute standard or seek to be the measure of all things ourselves. The damage the new atheists have caused in this regard is appalling. The final pages of the most important guidebook of all time (the Bible) state that the day is coming when the books will be opened. At that moment, at the very latest, every person will have to give an account of their deeds and words. /KDJ
