'Selective Reduction' Abortions Increasing: Children Have Become Commodities

By Deacon Keith Fournier
12/24/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The Incarnate Word of God became a human person, living life at every age and stage

'Fetal reductions are most commonly conducted by inserting an ultrasound-guided needle through the mother's abdomen and into the uterus, injecting a potassium chloride solution into the chosen fetus or fetuses, stopping their hearts.' They are increasing in number. They are being done by parents who simply do not want twins. Our children have become commodities. Time for Catholic Action.

The Incarnate Word of God became a human person, living life at every age and stage, in the real womb of a real mother. He is identified with every child, at every age and stage.

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CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - On Friday December 10, 2010, an article written by Tom Blackwell appeared in Canada's "National Post" entitled "When is Twins Too Many?" The article told the story of a couple who are part of a growing trend in Western culture:

"Like so many other couples these days, the Toronto-area business executive and her husband put off having children for years as they built successful careers. Both parents were in their 40s - and their first son just over a year old - when this spring the woman became pregnant a second time. Seven weeks in, an ultrasound revealed the Burlington, Ont., resident was carrying twins.

"It came as a complete shock," said the mother, who asked not to be named. "We're both career people. If we were going to have three children two years apart, someone else was going to be raising our kids. ... All of a sudden our lives as we know them and as we like to lead them, are not going to happen."

"She soon discovered another option: Doctors could "reduce" the pregnancy from twins to a singleton through a little-known procedure that eliminates selected fetuses - and has become increasingly common in the past two decades amid a boom in the number of multiple pregnancies. Selective reductions are typically carried out for women pregnant with triplets or greater, where the risk of harm or death climbs sharply with each additional fetus.

"The Ontario couple is part of what some experts say is a growing demand for reducing twins to one, fueled more by socio-economic imperatives than medical need, and raising vexing new ethical questions. Experts question whether parents should choose to terminate a fetus just because of the impact the child would have on their lives, and note that even more medically necessary reductions can trigger lifelong angst and even threaten marriages. The mother said the Toronto doctor who eventually did her reduction performs several a month."

If you recoiled upon reading about this couple choosing to "reduce" - kill - their daughter or son it is because you still have a conscience. However, there is no moral difference between the choice of this couple and the willful abortions committed every day for any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy in the United States of America and throughout the West. The action of taking the life of an innocent child in the womb is intrinsically evil. It also violates the Natural Law Right to Life making it a crime, even if the positive law of a nation fails to recognize the existence of that Right to Life.

The article interviewed a "counselor" who strives to "help" these parents. She explained she does so in "a nonjudgmental way." She admits that the trend "saddens and scares" her, and asks, "Is this a healthy thing? We have to ask these questions: Where does it stop? When do children become a commodity?"

The woman who killed her child said she had "no regrets, and believes the option should be openly available to all parents expecting twins." Here are her exact words, "I'm absolutely sure I did the right thing. I had read some online forums; people were speaking of grieving, feeling a sense of loss. I didn't feel any of that. Not that I'm a cruel, bitter person ... I just didn't feel I would be able to care for (twins) in a way that I wanted to."

Tom Blackwell spoke with a New York City obstetrician who has changed his views on performing such "reductions". He has decided to expand his practice of selectively killing children in the womb, what he called the "procedure." He explained, "In North America, couples can choose to have an abortion for any reason". Blackwell ended the article noting how the killing of the children is accomplished, "Fetal reductions are most commonly conducted by inserting an ultrasound-guided needle through the mother's abdomen and into the uterus, injecting a potassium chloride solution into the chosen fetus or fetuses, stopping their hearts."

We probably do not want to consider what is really happening here just days before Christmas when we pause to remember the birth of the Child who changed the course of human history. However, we must do so if we ever hope to recover our National soul and respond to the meaning of the Holy Day we celebrate. The Incarnate Word of God became a human person, living life at every age and stage, in the real womb of a real mother. He is identified with every child, at every age and stage. "Selective Reductions" are targeted raids on children using chemical weapons to kill them. They are now entrenched in our current culture of death.

For example, they are a part of In Vitro fertilization. On June 20, 2008 the Vatican released an instruction called "the Dignity of the Human ...

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1 - 10 of 30 Comments

DLL
10 months ago
The less everyone thinks that human life is of any real value,the more the laws of the land will be modified to encourage the termination of the all life that is thought to have no viable value. The throw away commodity driven society will throw away that human life that demands care or the responsibility of the individuals caretaker,or of any governmental driven insurance healthcare program. The expense of bringing up multiple birth individuals,or those with handicaps,will incur great expense for the caretaker,as government driven healthcare insurance program's won't help to cover expenses. I believe that economic fears are what govern all of these unjust life taking policies. It seems that there is no injustice that be entertained as feasible if it is a matter of pure economic factors. This is why Christ proclaimed that one can not serve both God and mammon.
ryan
2 years ago
Watch this video of an actual abortion taking place- if you can stomach it. Share it, it has relatively few views.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nff8I2FVnI
vance
2 years ago
Maria, BINGO! You hit the nail on the head.
Maria
2 years ago
What is happening to the world? First kill unwanted babies next kill unwanted elderly and disabled!! We have become Nazi Germany!!!
Anne
2 years ago
Darlene, yes and no. The Legalization of Murder (abortion), or any other sin, causes it to expand exponentially - since society begins to think its OK. The average person becomes complaisant and tolerates the sin. Complaisancy itself is sinful (see your CCC). Since 1973 the USA has had OVER 1 MILLION abortions every year, approximately 50 MILLION. Regarding individuals, in the case of Catholics we look to our own Diocese Bishop for a moral compass, however since all Bishops do not faithfully do their job, - Read your "CCC 2nd Ed" and the Bible, follow the Pope and research topics on the Vatican web site. With the help of God, the Souls we save may be our own and those we love. Each of us is commanded to LOVE our NEIGHBORS and Three of the 'Spiritual Works of Mercy' are: admonish sinners, instruct the uniformed, counsel the doubtful.
Peter
2 years ago
'Abortion' is a word of many meanings, in our language, (english). As regards the word 'abortion', and Only, where it concerns the 'conception of human life'.
To the limited extent of my knowledge, there are two kinds.
1. Natural abortion ,i.e. 'miscarraige' or 'stillbirth', due to natures will, or design.
2. 'Induced' abortion; i.e. a word used by human beings.
Induced abortion is simply "Murder" by design, and 'legalised' by man-made laws.
In many parts of our world we hold 'opinion polls' to garner potential human reaction
to the passing of these so called 'Laws'. If the population are deemed to be in favour
of same, these laws are invariably passed, and written into law by the 'Legal Profession'. So we can all legally say "It has to be right bacause the law says so".
How disgusting can the human race become, before we choke on the stench of our own lies.? These may sound harsh words, but have to be said.
JeanCatherine
2 years ago
Darlene

See Priests for Life Website and pass on thanks.
Darlene
2 years ago
We are always blaming some else for abortion. Abortion are requested and preformed by those who want it. This will not change until people realize the act is wrong. That person has to realize that is wrong. People are always going to have choice even if Roe vs Wade is over turned. Women will go back to the old ways of backroom doctors. Everyone wants to be able to tell someone what to do but at the end of the day people will make a choice and it will be their choice. What we need to do is to continue to PRAY and not JUDGE. God will JUDGE them accordingly. We will save what lives we can but many still will be lost. Because we have not educated the masses about options such as adoption.
Pete
2 years ago
Abortion at any stage is MURDER. Killing for convenience is an abomination. When are US Bishops going to deal with the mortal sins of SCANDAL of our Catholic POLITICIANS and JUDGES ? ? ? And then if necessary, deal with their Mortal Sins of heresy, schism, and apostacy.
Barbara Stewart
2 years ago
Yes, I agree that the "State" does not care one hoot about the mother, let alone the child.
Over many decades I found out that the small group of people attempting to organize a New World Order want to murder five billion (yes, that's billion with a "b"!) and have a world of a very few elite extremely wealthy (i.e. trillionaire wealthy each) and two billions penniless serfs serving them for about three dollars a day, in total slavery, with no rights and no "right to life" at all. Apparently this all started in the 1800's maybe way earlier, with Freemasonry and Luciferian doctrines. So getting rid of aborted babies would just be in line with this. We women were so duped. Please pray for any and all who fell for their line. And please pray that God will give everyone the graces to not throw rocks at the women (and men) who have been duped into erroneously thinking that it is all right to murder the baby in the womb - please pray that God will lift people up to HELP the woman (and man) to have the baby, to support and feed and care for it, to pray for SPIRITUAL PROTECTION on the couple and the baby, since as one Christian man evangelist said, he is against abortion, but he does believe that abortion is demonically driven.
So do I. Ranting won't help. Only prayers, masses, rosaries, the scapular, alms, tithes, fasting and going to help as actions or corporal mercy will help to stop this murder of the baby's body and of the woman's and man's souls and sensibilities. Please pray for the souls of those who have already committed abortion and are in anguish. Where were you and I when they needed help? We are our sister's keeper. Or are we?

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