I'm a regular guy; I enjoy looking at a pretty woman just as
much as the next fellow; but it is in adopting the policy of
discreetly looking, but not touching, that we can all avoid a
lot of difficulties. God obviously made women to be beautiful
and attractive to men, so I see absolutely nothing wrong with
admiring what He has seen fit to create for His, as well as
men's pleasure. However, it is in recognizing the boundaries
where we will all do well. Most societies, regardless of how
primitive they may be, have established some system of social
boundaries. If we pass those boundaries, then we must expect
to pay the consequences. In their most simplest form, most of
man's universal laws are merely a reflection of God's primary
and all-encompassing Law of Love, and doing unto others as we
would have them do unto us. We shouldn't do anything which
will harm another person in any way.

Having now examined rape and incest, do any other situations
exist where abortion might be warranted, and even justified?
What about a woman whose life is threatened by complications
during her pregnancy? One example involves what is referred
to as an ectopic pregnancy. This form of pregnancy results
when a fertilized egg attaches itself in a place other than
the wall of a woman's uterus. This kind of pregnancy, which
is rare, usually occurs in the Fallopian tubes. Also known
as oviducts, uterine tubes or salpinges, the Fallopian tubes
are four minute, cilia-lined tubes, (one left pair and one
right pair), which carry the ovum, or eggs, from a woman's
left and right ovaries to her uterus, where they can then be
fertilized by the male's sperm. When a pregnancy occurs in
the Fallopian tubes, it is referred to as a tubal pregnancy.

About ninety-eight per cent of all ectopic pregnancies occur
in the Fallopian tubes. However, please note that ectopic
pregnancies can also occur in other areas; such as in the
cervix, (the narrow neck that is located between the uterus
and the vagina), in one of the ovaries, or in the abdomen.

Regardless of where an ectopic pregnancy occurs, it's viewed
as a medical emergency, because unless it is discovered in
time, and treated properly, it could possibly result in the
death of the expectant mother. This is because a developing
fetus produces certain types of enzymes which allow it to
implant itself in different kinds of tissues. If, as occurs
in ectopic pregnancies, the embryo implants itself anywhere
other than the uterine wall, it can result in tissue damage,
particularly to the surrounding blood vessels, as the embryo
strives to find a sufficient source of blood. The damage can
result in internal bleeding. In about 50% of cases, ectopic
pregnancies can resolve themselves without medical treatment.
This is because the intratubal bleeding serves to expel the
implanted embryo in a process referred to medically as a
tubal abortion.

In cases where an ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed late, and
the intratubal bleeding becomes heavy, or where a Fallopian
tube is in danger of rupturing, or has already ruptured,
quick medical treatment is required, as these conditions can
threaten a woman's health or life. One approach is to use
the abortion-inducing drugs Methotrexate and Misoprostol to
expel the fetus. In more serious cases, surgery is required.
Depending on where the ectopic pregnancy occurs, and when it
is first discovered, it leaves ten to fifteen per cent of
women infertile due to damage to the Fallopian tubes or to
the ovaries, or due to necessary removal of the same. In the
case of abdominal pregnancies, sometimes other organs may
need to be removed as well. It should likewise be noted that
death due to rupture of the Fallopian tube is rare in cases
where women have access to modern medical facilities, so
timely discovery and accessibility is extremely important.

As I noted earlier, ectopic pregnancies are rare, occurring
in about one per cent of all pregnant women. Of those one per
cent, ninety-eight per cent are tubal pregnancies. We've also
seen that half of all tubal pregnancies are self-correcting,
meaning that a woman's body often expels the embryo when it
attaches itself in the wrong place. While some women mistake
this for a miscarriage, in the medical profession, this is
actually known as a tubal abortion. The general consensus is
that all ectopic pregnancies should be terminated before they
become a serious health threat. However, it should be noted
that there have been a few rare cases where both mother and
child have survived such pregnancies. In fact, according to
my research, in recent years, one woman even gave birth to
triplets through surgery.

In light of the above information, what position should we
adopt concerning abortion, when it involves emergencies such
as ectopic pregnancies? Are ectopic pregnancies a justifiable
reason for undergoing an abortion? Obviously, this is clearly
a question which must be answered on an individual, personal
basis. You can't answer it for me, nor I for you. As much as
I personally detest abortion, after serious consideration, I
was forced to come to the following conclusion. If it can be
medically proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that a woman's
life will be in jeopardy if she continues to carry a child,
or if her life is already in jeopardy due to complications
with her pregnancy, then this is one case where I would have
to agree that abortion may be a justifiable option. In fact,
this is the only case where I can see that abortion might be
a justifiable option. Short of a woman's life being in real
danger, as verified by an honest physician, I don't see any
other valid reason for ever considering abortion.

My reasons for adopting this position are the following. As
I explained earlier, if a woman has a family who needs her,
that is, a husband and children, then this is a case where
the needs of the many may possibly outweigh the needs of the
one; that is, the unborn fetus. God has already given this
woman a husband, and possibly other children to care for. If
this is the case, is it right for her to sacrifice her life,
and jeopardize the needs of her family, in order to try to
live up to a personal moral standard, or possibly to meet the
expectations of her church? In a life-threatening situation
such as an ectopic pregnancy, we need to ask ourselves which
takes precedence; the life of the mother, or the life of the
developing fetus. The central question is which decision will
accomplish the greatest good. If a woman refuses to undergo
an abortion, it is possible that both she and the fetus will
die. No good can come from such a decision. Two lives may be
lost, and the remaining family will suffer as well due to the
loss of their wife and mother.

The Bible plainly teaches us "Thou shalt not kill"; so from
a Scriptural perspective, we could conclude that in the case
of a Christian woman, she was willing to sacrifice her own
life rather than kill the unborn fetus. On the surface, such
an act may appear to be a noble gesture; however, if medical
technology is available which can save her life, and if the
woman refuses to avail herself of it, indirectly, is she not
really killing herself, and committing an act of suicide? Is
it possible that her religious convictions are clouding her
common sense? Is it not better to save one life, rather than
to lose both?

As I said, these are difficult questions which we must answer
on a personal basis. In my case, I concluded that unless the
woman has a great deal of faith, and is thoroughly convinced
that God is going to perform a miracle by saving her life, as
well as the life of the unborn child, then regardless of how
distasteful it may be, an abortion may be the more pragmatic
option in a case involving an ectopic pregnancy. In my view,
it is better that the woman survives in order to care for her
family. Not only that, but unless she suffers internal damage
as a result of having an ectopic pregnancy, she may very well
have other opportunities to bear children at a later date. On
the other hand, if the woman dies due to complications which
arise from her ectopic pregnancy, and if they are newly-weds,
the husband will be left without any children whatsoever.

The conflict between personal faith and medicine is complex.
It would be great if we all had the faith to effect miracles
in our lives, but the truth of the matter is that most of us
don't possess that kind of faith; so when it comes to hard
choices such as ectopic pregnancies and abortion, we have to
come to terms with ourselves and recognize the limits of our
faith, and do what is both lawful and pragmatic, even if it
means relying upon a medical procedure that we normally find
utterly repulsive.

It is a humbling experience to recognize that we don't have
the faith that we thought we had. In my own life I have been
faced with this reality on a number of occasions. The most
recent incident occurred more than seven years ago when my
daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Believe me, I
prayed desperately that God would deliver my child from her
affliction. It tore me up inside every time my little girl
had to undergo a blood test or receive an insulin injection.
The idea of her having to endure up to five blood tests per
day, plus two or more insulin injections a day for the rest
of her life was a heavy emotional burden on me. Why was God
allowing my daughter to be afflicted in this way? Surely it
was not her fault. After all, she was just a child. Were my
sins so grievous that the Lord chose to punish me through my
daughter? Had I done something wrong in caring for her which
has caused her body to turn on itself?

I was flooded with questions, emotions and guilt. I begged
the Lord to heal my daughter, but it never happened. In the
end, I realized that my faith was not enough, and that God
must have some reason for allowing this to happen to us; but
to this day, I am still not certain what that reason is. Am
I still plagued by guilt? To be honest, even though several
doctors have told us that there is nothing that I could have
done to prevent my daughter from getting Type 1 Diabetes, I
must admit that, yes, at times, I still do feel the guilt. I
wonder if I am being punished for my sins. After all, as we
are told in God's Word:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 3:23, KJV


Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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