Children are conceived through the intimate togetherness of a man and a woman. Each of us spent the first 9 months of our lives in intimate connection with our mother as we developed in her womb. These two profound connections-father with mother, and mother with child-are the fountainheads of human life. Without these connectons, civilization perishes.
Abortion violently shatters the mother-to-child connection. In contemplating abortion, one or both parents view the unborn child as an obstacle blocking their progress, and decide the death of the child is the way to remove the obstacle. According to current research, some 64% of abortions involve coercion-meaning the mom really didn't want the abortion, but others forced her decision. Neither the view of a child as an obstacle, nor the (often coerced) decision to abort a child, coincide with the spirit of "ubuntu"-a Xhosa/Zulu word defined by the Oxford Dictionary of English as "a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity." "Abortion", says Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, "rests on enmity where there should be welcome." Father Pavone continues:"We end abortion when we help mom and dad to trust that the child is not an obstacle to their fulfillment. Rather, both child and parents find their fulfillment in giving themselves to each other in love."
Swazis are known as friendly, welcoming people. May Swazis preserve this reputation by extending kindness, compassion, and hospitality-ubuntu-to all members of society. Let us lavish special care on those moms with unplanned or difficult pregnancies, that they may extend ubuntu to the children still developing within them. No to abortion; yes to ubuntu, yes to life.
Rudy Poglitsh
rpoglitsh@live.com
more letters at http://letterstotheTOS.blogspot.com
