One of the great moral issues in Iowa history
If you found a certain type of egg in your backyard and destroyed it, you would be in violation of federal law if the egg was that of a bald eagle. There are no legal consequences, though, for destroying a human fetus up to 20 weeks in the womb. This is one of the great moral issues of our age.
Most Iowans would admit that a human person is more important than any bird. So how can this be?
A unique perspective
Tadeusz Pacholczyk has a unique perspective on this disconnect. He is scientist with a PhD in Neuroscience from Yale University who is also a Catholic priest. Here is his reaction:
Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD
“One example I use a lot when giving testimony before lawmakers involves a 1940 American law protecting the bald eagle. The law states that if you come across a bald eagle’s nest containing eggs and you decide to destroy one of those eggs, you suffer the very same sanctions and penalties as if you had shot an adult bald eagle out of the air.
What is so special about that bald eagle’s egg?
What is inside that egg?
The answer is very simple. It is an embryonic eagle. It is the very same creature that flies gloriously in the sky. Even an atheist can appreciate the cogency of such a law. We are eager to protect all sorts of animal life.
Yet when it comes to our own humble embryonic origins as humans, we go through sophisticated mental gymnastics to tell ourselves that we were never embryos. We are all too willing to sacrifice young humans on the altar of stem-cell research. There is a profound double standard here that people really need to assess and confront.”
Bats are protected by law, why not pre-born babies?
I took a look at the Polk County website today regarding what you do if a bat invades your house. The answer is you can carefully remove the bat as long as you don’t hurt it:
“Bats are protected by Iowa state law, which means it is illegal to capture, harm, or kill any of the nine species of bats in Iowa. However, homeowners have the right to remove them from their property.”
This leads to the Heartbeat Bill in the Iowa legislature. The bill would outlaw human abortion at the point at which the heartbeat is detectable, which can occur as soon as the 5th or 6th week upon fertilization.
What a double standard!
Why are we debating a double standard that protects rodents and birds, but not the next Mozart, Einstein, or Mother Teresa?
Every single Democrat opposes the Heartbeat Bill. Every single Republican in the Senate supports the bill, but a number of critical votes among House Republicans are wavering.
They are fearful of losing their next election if they stand up for human life in the womb. Some of these men have stated that they are “undecided.” This brings to mind a quote from the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen:
“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.”
One of the great moral issues of our time
The Heartbeat Bill is a great moral issue in the history of the state of Iowa.
If these men don’t have the courage to stand up for the little guy in the public square, maybe they need a boost from you. Contact them. Let them know they’re not alone, that they stand with thousands of Iowans who embrace the dignity of human life and insist that Iowa law honor our heritage. Contact them now. Send them a link to this blogpost. Let them know that we have an army of prayer warriors praying for them and this bill. If they don’t believe it, here is a small sampling.
Remind them that God is with them, as Isaiah so eloquently stated long ago:
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
[Iowans for LIFE speaks, blogs, educates, and evangelizes on the dignity of human life from fertilization to natural death. We do it on a tight budget. Every DONATION is a big deal to us no matter how small. Support the cause today. Donate. Thank-you!]
[subscribe2]