Christian Doctors Group Seeks Passage of Abortion-Fetal Pain Bill

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 1, 2006   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Christian Doctors Group Seeks Passage of Abortion-Fetal Pain Bill Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 1
, 2006

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A national organization for pro-life doctors today urged passage of a federal bill that would inform women considering an abortion about the potential pain experienced by their babies after 20 weeks of development.

The House of Representatives is slated to vote on the bill Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

The 17,000-member Christian Medical Association says no matter where members of Congress stand on the issue of abortion, they should agree that women deserve complete information about abortion before having one.

"One thing both sides of this issue should be able to agree upon is that women should be fully informed about the medical science concerning their developing babies," CMA CEO Dr. David Stevens said in a statement LifeNews.com obtained.

"Women deserve to know exactly what an abortion involves for their baby," he explained. "Imagine the heartbreak a woman would experience after being led to believe that her 22-week developing baby is simply a ‘blob of tissue’ only to learn after an abortion that her baby likely experienced excruciating pain."

"The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act states the medical science and requires that women be fully informed before proceeding with an abortion," Stevens added.

Dr. Stevens said the science behind the measure is "clear and compelling."

He said there is substantial evidence that by 20 weeks after fertilization, unborn children draw away from certain stimuli in a manner which in an infant or an adult would be interpreted as a response to pain.

Dr. Gene Rudd, an obstetrician with the CMA agreed and pointed to existing federal laws that seek to diminish the suffering of animals.

"This bill cites laws protecting animals from inhumane treatment, while a developing human has no such protections," he said. "What does this say about our blindness to the humanity of our developing babies?"

The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, H.R. 6099, also requires abortion practitioners to offer the mother a chance to give the baby anesthesia beforehand.

The House will consider the bill under the "Suspension Calendar" which means the legislation needs a two-thirds vote in order to pass.

Whether the bill receives the necessary two-thirds vote, consideration of the measure provides pro-life lawmakers the first real chance to start a national discussion of the pain babies feel during abortions.

Other pro-life organizations have endorsed the bill including the Family Research Council, Christian Medical Association, Southern Baptist Convention (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission), Concerned Women for America, among others.

ACTION: Contact your member of Congress and urge strong support for the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act. You can call any member at 1-202-224-3121 or go to https://www.house.gov to look up your representative.

Related web sites:
Christian Medical Association – https://www.cmda.org