Life needs protection from womb to tomb

Faithful of Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family participate in an anti-abortion walk in Nairobi on October 11, 2014. We condemn women for abortions but fail to acknowledge that abortion is a society failure. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The right to life should begin in the womb and end with the tomb, with every aspect of life in between protected, enhanced and secured.
  • The Nation report also tells us that in 2012 up to 120,000 women were treated for unsafe abortions in this country.

Groucho Marx once said that there are two things that can’t be avoided in life, paying taxes and death.

Death is the great equaliser, yet we all make valiant efforts to postpone that critical moment.

Families sell their last acres of land to acquire life-saving treatment for their loved ones while hospital negligence that causes avoidable deaths is now considered an outrageous scandal.

The measure of any society is how it responds to avoidable deaths like hunger, negligence, road accidents and killings.

Ultimately, the litmus test for the 2010 Constitution is how it protects and enhances human life.

Improved services mean a better quality of life for everyone.

But humanity often expresses inconsistencies in its respect and protection for human life.

We condemn extra-judicial killings but tolerate mob justice.

We say everyone has a right to life but still retain the death penalty on the statute books.

Every year, 57 million people die globally, but it is estimated that a similar number of abortions are procured annually.

SUPPORT THEM

Somehow, abortion is not deemed an avoidable death. 

We spend huge amounts to ensure safe delivery of our children but turn a blind eye to those denied entry into the universe.

The right to life should begin in the womb and end with the tomb, with every aspect of life in between protected, enhanced and secured.

Yet, how sad to read in last week’s Saturday Nation the story of ‘Sarah’ who, out of shame at the prospect of being an unwed mother, felt the only way out was to procure an abortion.

She feared rejection by her family and church, and afterwards as she grieved over her decision and loss discovered that there was no forum in her faith community to listen, embrace and support her.

We condemn women for abortions but fail to acknowledge that abortion is a society failure, starting with the father of the aborted baby.

The Nation report also tells us that in 2012 up to 120,000 women were treated for unsafe abortions in this country.

It is not enough, however, to promote the right of women to free, safe, quality family planning methods.

We also need to ensure as a society that every child born into the universe will be welcomed unconditionally, regardless of the health of the baby or the status of the mother.

In that way women are supported to carry their babies until delivery even if they never wanted to get pregnant.

LET'S DO MORE

In any case, how many of us can honestly say that our parents planned our families.

I imagine most of us were unplanned but welcomed and loved. 

Put another way, if a woman cannot meet all the challenges of motherhood then society must.

Pope Francis recently announced that all priests will have the power to absolve the sin of abortion.

He in the process extended his mission of mercy. 

However, mercy by churches and society must go beyond forgiveness.

We must find ways to accommodate, support, embrace and welcome women who cannot cope with the responsibilities of parenthood.

There must be space in churches for forgiveness but also healing, restoration and parental support.

Only then can will the number of avoidable deaths reduce.

[email protected] @GabrielDolan1