Village Shepherd

It seems that maybe the people of Britain are beginning to enjoy a change of heart over the issue of abortion. Whilst this has never been such a stringent issue in the UK has it has been in the USA, in the run-up to a General Election it has suddenly come to the fore. The subject has been opened by politicians, but prominent church leaders have very quickly waded into the fray.

What has caused this change of heart? Is it simply a useful political ploy or does it really reflect the views of the British public? And why now?

In 1803 any abortion after the first movements of the foetus had been felt, carried the death penalty. By 1929, the Infant Life Preservation Act created a new crime of killing a viable foetus -- any foetus of 28 weeks or over - in all cases except when the woman's life was at risk.

In 1967 the Abortion Act became law legalising abortion under certain conditions, and in 1990 the time-limit on abortions was reduced from 28 weeks to 24 weeks.

The latest proposal is to reduce the time-limit for abortions further from 24 weeks to 20 weeks, because with all the improvements in technology, some babies which are born at 23 weeks are now viable.

Before the Abortion Act came into being, women risked their lives undergoing backstreet abortions. The change in law was designed to give such women some measure of protection and choice, while still maintaining some controls. Under the act, abortion is presently allowed up to 24 weeks on condition that continuing with the pregnancy involves a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or her existing children, which is greater than the risk of having a termination.

In effect, many people have felt that this constitutes abortion on demand and many people, including many Christians, feel uneasy about this especially when they hear that more than six million foetuses have been legally aborted since 1967 and that 92 per cent of terminations last year were sanctioned on the basis of a risk to the mother's welfare, which is the customary code for abortion as a means of birth control.

According to The Daily Telegraph (21st March 05) "the number of voters with an absolute objection to abortion may be small; but the number who feel that the unborn need more protection is very substantial."

Now that ordinary people have seen the effects of virtually unrestricted abortions, some of them have had a change of heart. Originally it was claimed that the Abortion Act would not lead to an explosion in the number of terminations carried out, would not permit abortion on demand, and would close down the back-street abortionists. Only the last of those claims has turned out to be true, so people are changing their minds over the issue.

Something similar happened 2000 years ago. Jesus of Nazareth was said to be a danger to the people. After the raising of Lazarus, the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, "What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." So Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed" (John 11:47-50).

The people were fed plausible lies about Jesus. They were led to believe that Jesus was dangerous, that he was a blasphemer, and that it would be better for everyone concerned if he were to be executed. People believed what they were told, with result that Jesus was executed, apparently with the acceptance of the majority of ordinary people.

But his death resulted not in his extinction as the people had been led to believe, but in his resurrection and that changed everything. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter addressed the Jewish crowds making it abundantly clear that they had crucified the Messiah, the Chosen One sent by God to save and redeem the people.

Peter's words resulted in a change of heart in most of those who heard him speak. For the first time they began to realize that through believing the tales they had been told, an innocent man had been crucified. A man moreover, who had been extremely special and whose like they would never see again.

We're told that they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added to the early church.

Public opinion does make a difference. If three thousand more people had protested against the execution of Jesus, perhaps the crucifixion would never have occurred. If three thousand people make their views on some of life's inequities heard, perhaps there will be a change of heart by those who rule the world.

It is so easy to sit back in comfort and believe what we are told by those in authority over us. But if we believe all we are told without checking the facts for ourselves, we may contribute to injustices, some of which could have a devastating effect on the future of our world.

We need to make up our own minds on a huge variety of issues, from global warming to genetically modified crops to abortion to the scandal of world poverty to the continual problem of world violence. If we find out for ourselves the truth about any of these issues, we too might have a change of heart, and in so doing perhaps we Christians might avert a world disaster.