UPDATED: Mothers have no relationship with their unborn child?
- Sep 1, 2009 -
A federal court in South Dakota has stretched reason to its limits in holding that women considering an abortion must be told that the abortion will kill their unborn child, but that they can’t be told they have an existing relationship with their child in utero.
In an earlier 8th Circuit Court ruling (2006), judges said it must be disclosed to mothers “that the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.”
But I am perplexed how in her August 20, 2009 ruling, Judge Karen Schreier of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota could assert that the mother does not have to be informed that their unborn child is “related” to her. Odd.
Planned Parenthood petitioned the court to issue a temporary restraining order to forestall South Dakota from suspending or revoking its license to perform abortions because of state claims that it violated a law requiring doctors to tell women that abortion ends a human life.
In rejecting Planned Parenthood’s argument, Schreier said abortion facilities must inform women considering an abortion the abortion will kill a living human being. That’s honesty.
But Schreier agreed with the 8th Circuit Court ruling that held that these women do not have to be told they they have an existing relationship with their child because, as the 8th Circuit Court said, these disclosures “could be found to violate both the First Amendment rights of physicians and the due process rights of women seeking abortion.”
She also wrote compelling doctors to tell women abortion may increase their risk of suicide is “untruthful and misleading.” Related news story.
I recently discussed the conundrum presented by this court decision:
To hear more about this perplexing decision, visit the Richard Land Live! Web site.