OPINION; The Reverend Dr Stuart Lange
The ultimate source of every human life is God. Every human being is loved by God, and precious in his sight
In the sixth commandment, God tells us not to kill. In the New Zealand Parliament, however, a majority of MPs in the last Parliament decided it was okay to destroy an unborn baby (if the mother asks for that) and okay to kill terminally ill people (if the ill person asks for that).
Those women seeking abortion may feel they have no option, or may be under great pressure, or may be in a state of significant distress.
In the case of voluntary euthanasia, at least the person concerned requests an early death. In the case of abortion, the unborn baby does not give consent. No unborn baby ever asks to be “terminated”, or to miss out on living their life, with love and joy. No unborn baby ever asks to be clinically destroyed in the womb.
Abortion law “reform” in 2019 has led to a 37% increase the number of New Zealand abortions: in 2024 there were 17,785 abortions (about 50 every day).
Under the current legislation, if babies survive abortion (as about one per week does), they are denied medical care, and just put aside and left to die.
Many medical personnel and hospices who on conscience or other grounds do not want to have anything to with abortion or euthanasia find themselves under increasing pressure within the health sector.
Should we just accept all this, and move on? Should we adapt our beliefs, values and consciences to align with majority views, and the new legislative status quo? Should we decide that at this time nothing can be done, and just keep our values to ourselves?
Or should we continue to hold (and give peaceful, respectful, compassionate witness) to our biblical convictions that life is the sacred gift of God? Should we work and pray for such outcomes as much better (and less pro-abortion) education for young people about choices and options, less bias in government funding, strong support for mothers who choose against having an abortion, mandatory life-saving medical care for those babies which survive abortions, and robust rights of conscience for those medical staff and hospices who do not want to have any part in abortion or euthanasia?
Later this year we should vote for candidates who genuinely respect both the sanctity of human life and medical practitioners’ freedom of conscience, and who will seek possible ways to improve the current situation. Also, after the election, we must resist the inevitable attempts of some to liberalise the scope of the current euthanasia law.
