Science in Christian Perspective

Letter to the Editor

Disagrees with Spinka

Carl A. Konschnik 
10207 Ridgemoor Drive 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20901

From: JASA 30 (September 1978): 144.

I wish to comment on the article "Society and Abortion" by Harold M. Spinka (Journal ASA, March, 1978). Because I believe that it is dehumanizing to crush innocent human life within its mother's womb, I must express my horror and sadness at the merciless extermination of over a million unborn human lives annually in our country. It is astonishing to me that Spinka's sought after "sober understanding" takes little note of these tragedies. Nor do I believe that it is either fair or accurate to describe the position that I, as well as many others, take on this issue as "extreme emotionalism." I would rather that the author had the ability or willingness to distinguish between those who clamor to kill innocent lives and those who plead to save them.

The tone of Spinka's article appears to be basically unchristian. It is not in keeping with the mind of Christ to kill unborn human offspring. In many respects the article is unreasoning and misleading. To cite one example, he states that St. Augustine "held that to kill a formed fetus 40 days or older is homicide." This leaves open the interpretation that St. Augustine would not have objected to killing a fetus prior to 40 days after conception. Yet such an interpretation would be far from appropriate. It is clear from Augustine's writings that he condemns all direct abortion after conception as a damnable sin. This strong condemnation should have been stated.
A basic conclusion of Spinka's logic is that "we should be grateful and thankful for the additional guidance and direction provided for us in this complex problem by the U.S. Supreme Court." On the contrary, the abortion decision of January, 1973, by the U.S. Supreme Court is a moral and ethical disgrace which denies the most basic of human rights to members of our human family here on our home shores. Until we as a nation refuse to accept the attitudes and practices of abortion, we will remain a people of faulty conscience, little truth, imperfect laws, limited justice, no righteousness, no holiness, no peace and no proper order.

While we work together for the betterment of mankind using democratic principles, let us not favor the opinions of a purely secular person over a religious one. Nor should we discount the input to public policy formation of persons whose basis for human betterment is their perception of the mind of their Creator.

Finally, I would like to add that in all spheres, but most especially in the moral and ethical spheres, we really do have one man rule. A Christian must never forget, but always profess with the author of Philippians that "Jesus Christ is Lord." He is our guide and our ruler.