Faith Doesn’t Demand Death of a Child : Courts routinely intervene in child-abuse cases. This full-term baby shouldn’t be left to die in the mother’s womb.

A Chicago woman is refusing to have a Cesarean section to save the life of her unborn child. Doctors say the baby, who is being deprived of oxygen, will suffer severe brain damage or die unless it is surgically removed from the womb. The 22-year-old mother, a Pentecostal Christian, believes that God will intervene to save the baby and says she is waiting for a natural delivery.

Both the ACLU and Operation Rescue say that the woman should not be forced by a court to give birth two weeks early. The ACLU believes that the government should not intervene because women must maintain complete control over their bodies. At least their twisted logic is consistent with their pro-choice stand on abortion.

But some members of Operation Rescue, who are against abortion, feel that the government should not intervene because one’s religious beliefs and personal faith must always be protected.

Have they all lost their minds?

This mother should be judicially forced to undergo a C-section, now.

For more than 20 years, the pro-life movement has struggled to bring about legislation that would protect unborn life, believing that a woman’s rights should never supersede the right to life. So why is this case different?

“A woman’s right to privacy.”

“Protecting a person’s right to her religious beliefs.”

“Fear of precedent-setting laws.”

“Forced abortions.”

“The erosion of Roe vs. Wade.”

These are just some of the illogical concerns I have heard expressed on both sides, and yet to me the issue is so simple. Life always supersedes individual rights, period.

The Chicago woman, known as Mrs. Doe, should be forced, even if it’s against her will, to deliver her baby. A C-section is a common birth procedure, the only procedure used when vaginal delivery is deemed impossible.

As a Christian, I certainly respect Mrs. Doe’s religious beliefs, and I, too, share her strong faith in Christ and his ability to perform miracles. But God gave us a mind to use wisely. Saying that God will save her baby and thereby rejecting medical technology is, in essence, denying the fact that God gave us medical knowledge to use for our good.

I am reminded of the story about a man standing on his roof during a flood, praying for God to save him. A rowboat comes by and offers to take him to safety. “No thank you,” he says, “God will save me.” Next a helicopter flies over and offers to fly him to safety. “No,” he responds, “God will save me.” Finally, he drowns. When he gets to heaven, he asks why God didn’t save him. “I sent you a boat and a helicopter,” God responds. “What more do you want?”

God sends us tools, but if we refuse to use them, it’s not God’s fault when something goes wrong.

I am sure this mother is not acting out of malice, maybe just simple misguided faith, coupled with naivete and ignorance. But her lack of knowledge is killing her child. While I am concerned about too much government intervention into the lives of individuals, but the government’s job is, after all, to protect its citizens. If that means forcibly removing a child from the mother who is endangering its life, then so be it. We do it all the time, so why the controversy in this case?

If a child is being abused by a parent, a court will step in and remove the child from the home. A Christian Science couple several years ago were charged with murder for refusing to obtain medical treatment for their dying child. When we get to the point where our so-called rights supersede the life of another human being, we have turned the Constitution on its head. Life always comes first, especially when we are talking about the life of a helpless child.

God has performed many miracles throughout history; we are about to celebrate one this week. But to refuse a common medical procedure because of “faith” borders on mocking the very faith that Mrs. Doe proclaims. Many times, miracles occur after all else has failed.

Illinois’ highest court has refused to enter the dispute, and a public guardian for the unborn baby says that he will appeal to the Supreme Court. I truly hope that at least one justice will share my logic or that this misguided mother will come to her senses as we pray for the life of this tiny, helpless child.