The deliberate and callous killing of innocent unborn children is without question one of the gravest moral issues of our time – perhaps the most important one. In Australia some 100,000 babies are murdered each year, with 45-50 million slaughtered annually worldwide.
Here in Victoria some 20,000 poor little babies are mercilessly cut to pieces, poisoned, burned or butchered each and every year. And in 2008 one of the world’s most liberal abortion laws was passed: the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 (Vic). Ever since then the annual March for the Babies has taken place to keep this in remembrance and to protest against it.
In every way this was an atrocious law. Every single one of the amendments which would have softened it even a little was knocked back. Indeed, there were some 60 amendments all up and not one of them made it through. Consider just a few of these:
– providing support-counselling for women.
– providing information on the health risks of abortion.
– the right of healthcare workers not to participate in abortion or refer for abortion.
– banning late-term and partial-birth abortion.
– mandatory reporting of suspected child/teenage victims of sexual abuse when a suspected abuser takes them to an abortion clinic.
– notifying the custodial parent of a minor seeking an abortion.
– requiring abortionists to provide an anaesthetic to the unborn child being aborted.
– protecting the life of a child born alive after an abortion.
– providing legal protection for an unborn child seriously injured during an assault on the mother.
The refusal to allow any of these through shows how calloused and hard-hearted these politicians were. Hitler would be proud of such legislation. He too used the law, and the medical and scientific communities, to implement his nefarious agenda.
Pro-life forces are of course working to turn all this back. Especially of concern are sections of the law such as section eight. This places obligations on health practitioners who may have a conscientious objection to abortion:
“(1) If a woman requests a registered health practitioner to advise on a proposed abortion, or to perform, direct, authorise or supervise an abortion for that woman, and the practitioner has a conscientious objection to abortion, the practitioner must –
(a) inform the woman that the practitioner has a conscientious objection to abortion; and
(b) refer the woman to another registered health practitioner in the same regulated health profession who the practitioner knows does not have a conscientious objection to abortion.”
Thus the jackboot of the state crushes any conscientious objections here, and doctors and others must refer for an abortion whether they want to or not. As Senator Julian McGauran wrote at the time: “This new law has flagrantly stripped away the rights of doctors to decline any involvement in an abortion. The legal requirement of a pro-life doctor to refer a patient to a pro-abortion doctor cannot be dismissed as inconsequential. Nor can it be argued that the pro-life doctor is uninvolved in the final act. Under the new law, they must be involved.”
And it is not mere theory. Already we are seeing cases of health care workers being dragged before the courts for daring to stand on their own conscience. Here is how one recent story goes: “A doctor risks being deregistered because he allegedly refused a referral for an Indian couple who wanted to abort a healthy unborn baby girl at 19 weeks, simply because they wanted a boy.
“Dr Mark Hobart, 55, has been under investigation by the Medical Board of Victoria for five months, accused of having committed an offence under the state’s controversial Abortion Law Reform Act of 2008. His patient and her husband requested a sex-selection abortion after an ultrasound determined their fetus was female.
“They only wanted a boy, the husband told Dr Hobart, who, as a practising Catholic, had a conscientious objection to providing the abortion. Under Victorian law, he was obliged to refer the patient to a doctor he knew would terminate the pregnancy. But Dr Hobart doesn’t know any doctor who would agree to abort a healthy baby for sex selection reasons. ‘The general response from my colleagues is disbelief and revulsion,’ he said.
“In any case, a referral is not necessary for an abortion. Hobart’s patient independently procured the abortion a few days later. Neither she nor her husband made any complaint. But Dr Hobart now finds himself subject to a star chamber inquiry by the Medical Board of Victoria.”
As mentioned, pro-lifers are working on overturning this horrific legislation, especially section eight. In the meantime, the annual march for life continues. The next one takes place this Saturday in Melbourne at 1pm. Meet in Treasury Gardens, and show your support for the unborn, and your opposition to this diabolical law.
Everyone who cares about life should plan to be there. Indeed, I have spent quite some time seeking to put together an exhaustive list of every legitimate reason why you might not be at this march. Here then is my final listing:
-I died last Tuesday.
-I am in chains in a Saudi dungeon.
If that is you, then you are excused. Otherwise, I expect to see you there. We must show mass support for the cause of life, and we must let our politicians know just how bad this law is, and how it must be overturned. I remind you of the words of Bonhoeffer:
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Classic example of Australian (feminist) women, not just the ones who are actively feminists, but those who support them who take advantage of the law to advance their own diabolical agenda. They are as bad as Hitler, or maybe worse. They are modern days Nazis – any “good” thing feminists do has an ulterior motive. They are evil to the core, even worse than Islamic radicals who beat their wives. I wonder how they would feel if you asked them how they would feel if their mother considered aborting them.
Janice Tooh
The greater tragedy, in my view is that we taxpayers are all guilty of this great crime against our children because our taxes are used to murder the innocent.
As an example, if you pay someone to kill for you then who carries the greater guilt – the assassin or the employer?
As each of us taxpayer donates, so to say a portion of our money towards paying the abortionists then can we deem that it is us that is guilty for the murder of these babies?
John Abbott
Thanks Bill for this article, the figures are staggering in Australia, and here in Britain. I wonder at God’s patience, but justice for all the babies will come, and soon. Sadly the mothers who kill their babies think they have got rid of the ‘problem’ and don’t call themselves ‘mothers’, but of course they are still mothers and always will be, except they are mothers of the child they killed.
Carol Parker, UK
Thanks Bill for this article, the figures are staggering in Australia, and here in Britain. I wonder at God’s patience, but justice for all the babies will come, and soon. Sadly the mothers who kill their baby’s think they have got rid of the ‘problem’ and don’t call themselves ‘mothers’, but of course they are still mothers and always will be, except
they are mother’s of the child they killed.
Carol Parker
Yes sadly quite so Carol.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill – I’ll be there.
Annette Williams
Give to Caesar, what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Caesar misused the funds he received in taxes but it was still the right thing to pay taxes.
We pay our taxes but it is the government’s responsibility to use them appropriately.
It is our responsibility to pray for our leaders.
Matt Vinay
Thanks Matt. But we actually do not have to fully settle for evil here in this fashion and just be resigned to our fate. It is a common practice to engage in conscientious objection with our taxes: that is, withhold some of our taxes to refuse to become complicit in gross evil, such as funding abortion. This was often done for example during the Vietnam War years ago, and there is a case to be made for it here. Of course you then must face the consequences of your actions. But I speak to this more fully here:
A friend of mine from Germany (she doesn’t read English well) asked “Why do you march for barbies? Don’t you have enough public parks facilities?”. We all giggled, but we explained to her about the Australian abortion laws. How abortion is legal up to full term, for any reason without mandatory counselling. Well she was horrified, and became very angry. She is a nurse back in Germany and she said our abortion laws are appalling. She was in disbelief.
Josh Ferrara
See you there. My wife and I are coming down from Mackay in North QLD. We umm-ed and ah-ed about coming down last year, but did not. I guess it’s the frustration about not seeing the conservative government overturn the law, despite concerted attempts by some politicians of our acquaintance to do so. And what has happened to Dr. Hobart. In QLD, we are unlikely in the immediate future to see such draconian laws here, but realise that “eternal vigilance” is the price we pay for such “relative freedom.”
Graeme Cumming
Good on you, Bill!
You might like to send a March for the Babies special invitation to all the board members of Victoria’s largest clinical waste company, SteriHealth. After all, these men are professing Christians (and even elders and key figures in some of the largest churches and organisations in Melbourne, such as City Life Church, etc). Surely they would encourage others to attend the march?
Oh, but I should add, SteriHealth – which these board members happily preside over – has been collecting and incinerating aborted babies for many years, and, in fact, is still doing so, since the horrific situation was even made public in February 2011.
Now, while these well paid directors might profess (when, or if, questioned) that their company is “gradually winding down” its abortion involvement, I just wonder, though, whether they would have managed to stop this activity sooner, if it was their own aborted grandchild (heaven forbid!!!) being thrown in their SteriHealth incinerator?
Thanks, Bill, for your commentary and invitation to march for unborn babies on Saturday.
Several years ago I visited Dachau, a former Nazi death camp just outside Munich where many Jews died.
I wandered around that terrible place in silence, my mind numbed with disbelief that anyone could kill so many millions of innocent people only because their crime was that they were Jewish.
Some 12 months ago, and along with 30,000 others, I marched to protest at the violent rape and death of an innocent woman, Jill Meagher, as well as to protest against violence towards women.
I shall march on Saturday, to protest against the slaughter of babies whose only crime is that they are babies.
John Ferwerda
See you there Bill
Jamie Bowman
I applaud all those who are coming from a long way away to be there.
If anyone will be traveling by car via the south coast of NSW and has a spare seat in their car, I would gladly come, but that is for me the only way to get there.
Anyone who would be able to do that can contact me via this website.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Saturday 12 October 2013
What an experience the march for babies was today!
We came with our families, our toddlers and our teenagers, our seniors too were there and we all came in peace and goodwill, to express our objection to babies being killed because they were babies. We all chanted for government to change the current law permitting such slaughter.
We were met by those who opposed us. They were vicious and angry and hurled the foulest of verbal abuse at us. They screamed the vilest obscenities in our faces and threw eggs at us. Some actually succeeded in snatching a few of our placards and I saw one being burnt. We did not retaliate. We just took it all. The police linked arms several times to break-up attempted scuffles. I was glad they were there to protect everyone and to keep law and order, because I was fearful of a melee erupting. I noticed that at times my legs felt like they had turned to jelly because of what I was facing.
Some 12 months previously, I had marched with 30,000 others to show solidarity in opposing the violent rape and murder of Jill Meagher. There were no scuffles then; no yelling, no verbal abuse. How different it was today!
To all of you who marched with me today, I thank you in Jesus name, and may God give us all the courage to continue to show his love for all people.
John Ferwerda
Hi Bill
Could I use this article or sections of to use as a call to march in my church on Sunday.
Abortion is indeed similar to the Nazi Holocaust.
http://blowthetrumpet.org/AbortionandtheHolocaust.htm
Sid Avery
Classic example of Australian (feminist) women, not just the ones who are actively feminists, but those who support them who take advantage of the law to advance their own diabolical agenda. They are as bad as Hitler, or maybe worse. They are modern days Nazis – any “good” thing feminists do has an ulterior motive. They are evil to the core, even worse than Islamic radicals who beat their wives. I wonder how they would feel if you asked them how they would feel if their mother considered aborting them.
Janice Tooh
The greater tragedy, in my view is that we taxpayers are all guilty of this great crime against our children because our taxes are used to murder the innocent.
As an example, if you pay someone to kill for you then who carries the greater guilt – the assassin or the employer?
As each of us taxpayer donates, so to say a portion of our money towards paying the abortionists then can we deem that it is us that is guilty for the murder of these babies?
John Abbott
Thanks Bill for this article, the figures are staggering in Australia, and here in Britain. I wonder at God’s patience, but justice for all the babies will come, and soon. Sadly the mothers who kill their babies think they have got rid of the ‘problem’ and don’t call themselves ‘mothers’, but of course they are still mothers and always will be, except they are mothers of the child they killed.
Carol Parker, UK
Thanks Bill for this article, the figures are staggering in Australia, and here in Britain. I wonder at God’s patience, but justice for all the babies will come, and soon. Sadly the mothers who kill their baby’s think they have got rid of the ‘problem’ and don’t call themselves ‘mothers’, but of course they are still mothers and always will be, except
they are mother’s of the child they killed.
Carol Parker
Yes sadly quite so Carol.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill – I’ll be there.
Annette Williams
Give to Caesar, what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Caesar misused the funds he received in taxes but it was still the right thing to pay taxes.
We pay our taxes but it is the government’s responsibility to use them appropriately.
It is our responsibility to pray for our leaders.
Matt Vinay
Thanks Matt. But we actually do not have to fully settle for evil here in this fashion and just be resigned to our fate. It is a common practice to engage in conscientious objection with our taxes: that is, withhold some of our taxes to refuse to become complicit in gross evil, such as funding abortion. This was often done for example during the Vietnam War years ago, and there is a case to be made for it here. Of course you then must face the consequences of your actions. But I speak to this more fully here:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2009/05/06/abortion-and-civil-disobedience/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
A friend of mine from Germany (she doesn’t read English well) asked “Why do you march for barbies? Don’t you have enough public parks facilities?”. We all giggled, but we explained to her about the Australian abortion laws. How abortion is legal up to full term, for any reason without mandatory counselling. Well she was horrified, and became very angry. She is a nurse back in Germany and she said our abortion laws are appalling. She was in disbelief.
Josh Ferrara
See you there. My wife and I are coming down from Mackay in North QLD. We umm-ed and ah-ed about coming down last year, but did not. I guess it’s the frustration about not seeing the conservative government overturn the law, despite concerted attempts by some politicians of our acquaintance to do so. And what has happened to Dr. Hobart. In QLD, we are unlikely in the immediate future to see such draconian laws here, but realise that “eternal vigilance” is the price we pay for such “relative freedom.”
Graeme Cumming
Good on you, Bill!
You might like to send a March for the Babies special invitation to all the board members of Victoria’s largest clinical waste company, SteriHealth. After all, these men are professing Christians (and even elders and key figures in some of the largest churches and organisations in Melbourne, such as City Life Church, etc). Surely they would encourage others to attend the march?
Oh, but I should add, SteriHealth – which these board members happily preside over – has been collecting and incinerating aborted babies for many years, and, in fact, is still doing so, since the horrific situation was even made public in February 2011.
Now, while these well paid directors might profess (when, or if, questioned) that their company is “gradually winding down” its abortion involvement, I just wonder, though, whether they would have managed to stop this activity sooner, if it was their own aborted grandchild (heaven forbid!!!) being thrown in their SteriHealth incinerator?
But this can be read about else where:
http://abortsa.com/?p=172
see page 3 of http://www.righttolife.com.au/files/RTL_news_2012_SepOct.pdf ; etc.
Trevor Grace
Thanks, Bill, for your commentary and invitation to march for unborn babies on Saturday.
Several years ago I visited Dachau, a former Nazi death camp just outside Munich where many Jews died.
I wandered around that terrible place in silence, my mind numbed with disbelief that anyone could kill so many millions of innocent people only because their crime was that they were Jewish.
Some 12 months ago, and along with 30,000 others, I marched to protest at the violent rape and death of an innocent woman, Jill Meagher, as well as to protest against violence towards women.
I shall march on Saturday, to protest against the slaughter of babies whose only crime is that they are babies.
John Ferwerda
See you there Bill
Jamie Bowman
I applaud all those who are coming from a long way away to be there.
If anyone will be traveling by car via the south coast of NSW and has a spare seat in their car, I would gladly come, but that is for me the only way to get there.
Anyone who would be able to do that can contact me via this website.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Saturday 12 October 2013
What an experience the march for babies was today!
We came with our families, our toddlers and our teenagers, our seniors too were there and we all came in peace and goodwill, to express our objection to babies being killed because they were babies. We all chanted for government to change the current law permitting such slaughter.
We were met by those who opposed us. They were vicious and angry and hurled the foulest of verbal abuse at us. They screamed the vilest obscenities in our faces and threw eggs at us. Some actually succeeded in snatching a few of our placards and I saw one being burnt. We did not retaliate. We just took it all. The police linked arms several times to break-up attempted scuffles. I was glad they were there to protect everyone and to keep law and order, because I was fearful of a melee erupting. I noticed that at times my legs felt like they had turned to jelly because of what I was facing.
Some 12 months previously, I had marched with 30,000 others to show solidarity in opposing the violent rape and murder of Jill Meagher. There were no scuffles then; no yelling, no verbal abuse. How different it was today!
To all of you who marched with me today, I thank you in Jesus name, and may God give us all the courage to continue to show his love for all people.
John Ferwerda
Hi Bill
Could I use this article or sections of to use as a call to march in my church on Sunday.
Many blessings
Jörg