Abortion Miniseries: Won't sombody please think of the children?!

Abortion is a topic I would hesitate to bring up with young kids. It probably just isn't part of the "sex talk" I'd be willing to explain to a child under 10. Not that I frequently tell children about sex or abortion. Parents would be out their minds to allow that to happen. But if a 8, 9 or 10 year old asks me what abortion is, I'd hesitate. And then run away. Anyway. Back to the conversation with a person who doesn't approve of abortion within any circumstances. A quick recap: I talked to a guy named "Peter" who is against abortion and wishes for it to be illegal under any circumstances at an anti-abortion rally. He sees the world as being very black and white, and likes it that way. 

Peter argued that there were 100 kids "missing" from this provinces grade one classes this year. I’ve heard a similar statistic in the documentary “Jesus Camp” (2006), in which children are told that one third of their friends are not there that evening, because they never had the chance to be born, due to abortion. The numbers and ratios aren’t the same, but the message is still there: people who have abortions are kidnappers and murderers.

 At the age of 7 and 8, children most likely don’t understand conception, pregnancy and birth- how can we expect them to understand just what abortion is? We can’t! Even if we put it in the simplest terms possible, something is going to get lost in translation. If all we tell them is “those people over there murdered your friends” (or some variation of this sentiment), their concept of these complex ideas gets turned around into “those people are wrong, we are right.” This is why it scared me a little to see young kids running around at the “People who wish to have abortion made illegal under any set of circumstances” rally. Do they understand what they’re rallying against? Can a child grasp what an abortion is? They have no idea of the social anguish and heated debates the very concept brings. They are fed an "us versus them"  version of the many sided debate. They are taught that people who fight for choice are wrong under all circumstances. Most people will say that parents have the right to teach their children whatever they please. But when those children are too young to even understand what they're rallying against, that's just not fair.

 Children in the Jesus Camp documentary, are taught that there is a person formed from the time of conception until they die a natural death. I suppose if you believe that, that’s up to you and your family, but why the lies about how a fetus is biologically formed? Lou Engle, the man spouting the “facts” about the development of the embryo/fetus? He has these kids thinking that if one were to cut open the womb of a pregnant person at any time, they will see a child, ready to play and be friends with the Evangelical Christian children awaiting its arrival. And that's just deceiving.

Maybe for a real project I'll try to come up with an explanation of conception, abortion and birth that I'd be willing to present to a 10 year old.