Egypt's "Abortion" Program

After reading again the story of Pharaoh's purge of the Hebrew male children, it occurred to me that he would have preferred abortion to infanticide, but they could not abort without knowing the child’s sex. Thus, the midwives were told to kill male children “on the delivery stool”; the closest thing to abortion.

It appears that the midwives excuse for not killing the male children—that Hebrew women were more vigorous than their Egyptian counterparts and “give birth before the midwives arrive,”—maintained male births and the Hebrew nation continued to flourish.

Developing nations, where the birthrate is high, commonly practice population control by abortion—often pressured by wealthier nations. But abortion in developed countries reduces the birthrate to well below the replacement rate of 2.4 live births per couple. Quebec leads the way with a birthrate of only 1.4.

China and India have a disproportionate male population due abortion or infanticide of females as male children are preferred. This shortage of marriageable women leads to bartering and kidnapping girls for marriage.

Birth is simply a growing event in life, like puberty, the first sexual experience and sickness. Thus there is only a fine line between abortion and infanticide, the latter growing in western nations.

Killing children is recognized as the most heinous of crimes and those who prey on children are the worst pariahs of society. The unborn are the most defenseless of all, yet they are often disposed of with the least regret. In the “Christian” west, we cannot point too many fingers at the king of Egypt.

Polygamy and Adultery

Legalization of gay marriage opens the door to other marriage relationships—in particular, acceptance of polygamy. 

At the time of writing, polygamy exists in the province of British Columbia and it is not pursued by the police. This is partly because to do so would provoke a challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Approval of one alternate form of marriage reduces the defence against others.

Polygamy was practised in Old Testament times, but this and other readings indicate that it was not very satisfactory, recall Hannah and Peninah, 1 Samuel 1:1–7. Both of Jacob’s wives were unhappy, Leah because she was not loved and Rachel because she was barren. While tolerated in the Old Testament, it was illicit by New Testament times when Jesus repeated the creation ideal of one man and one woman, Matthew 19:4–6. 

Polygamy may not yet be a serious issue, but adultery is rampant and repeats all the problems of polygamy—humiliation, jealousy and possible abandonment. The problem, unfortunately, is not restricted to the married partners. It has its effect on their children. 

Hagar’s child Ishmael copied the scorn of his mother, Gen. 16:3–4; 21:8–9, and rival children from David’s wives turned to violence and murder. Similarly, children in adulterous homes often suffer lifelong trauma, and may develop habits of their adulterous parents in adult life. 

The greatest security we can give children is a home that is secure in its parental relationships—where two parents of opposite sex love and respect each other.