> Unreservedly. When you begin by recognizing that God is the author of life, then the rest becomes academic. That child did nothing to warrant being murdered. The actions of the rapist are the criminal ones. The mother is the victim. The child is a precious gift from God, a new life given unto the mother and her family.
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>Rick, this is inhumane. I'd even go so far to say this is a cruel and vicious position.
>You're denying the woman the choice of determining who will be the father of her baby.

The mother can choose who will be the father of her baby. It is just that in this case the biological choice was made for her by circumstances.

It is not the fault of the child in any way, shape, or form. The child is completely innocent in this case, and it is insane reasoning or rationale to exact punishment upon the innocent. While the circumstances of the pregnancy are undesirable, God will provide what is necessary to raise that child for all people who seek after God. He really is in control and will send armies of helpers to help the God-seeking woman raise her child, the precious gift from God.


>Do you have a daughter? God forbid, if she fell into this position (and again, I hope it never does)....
>but if she did, are you going to tell her that she doesn't have a choice in the matter?

I do not have a daughter. I have a 10-yr old son.

I would instruct anyone, my son and daughter included, that all life comes from God, and that while we cannot control the actions of those around us, we can control our responses to those actions.

My son and daughter would also be taught that this world is not our Home, and that God is in control of all things, and that no crime (such as rape) will ever go unpunished. They would be taught that we surrender our will to His, and that our desire to exact revenge or vengeance is stayed, in favor of trusting in Him that vengeance is His, and that He will repay.

Evil people will always be with us. Our response to evil actions is not to be evil actions, but rather love, forgiveness, and instruction toward the same. Jesus says it this way in Revelation:

Revelation 22:10-12 - Amplified Bible (AMP) - "10 And he [further] told me, Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book and make no secret of them, for the time [a]when things are brought to a crisis and the period of their fulfillment is near.
11 He who is unrighteous (unjust, wicked), let him be unrighteous still; and he who is filthy (vile, impure), let him be filthy still; and he who is righteous (just, upright, in right standing with God), let him do right still; and he who is holy, let him be holy still.
12 Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit."

We are not going to stand before men on that last day of judgment. We are going to stand before God. And He has given us sufficiently to know what to do in this world in the time He gave us here to sort it all out for ourselves, based on who we are. Those who enter into Hell will go there with full knowledge of what they are doing, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not. But on that last day of judgment, all people will stand naked before God, stripped of this sinful flesh, stripped of the enemy's evil spirit influence prompting our minds to consider sinful things. We will be cold, alone, naked before God, and He will see through us like perfect glass. Nothing will be hidden. And as we stand there giving an account of our life, each of us will convict ourselves wholly, to the point where we are weeping and gnashing our teeth in anger at ourselves, and sadness over the realization of what's coming ... forever.

It is why God is patient and long-suffering. He is giving all men the opportunity to repent before that day comes. And He sends men like me out into the world to teach people about that coming day, their need to repent, to come out from among the world, and be saved.


>I've heard religious people claim, in response to the question of a woman being raped and becoming
>pregnant, that the woman should "make lemonade from lemons". That viewpoint literally infuriates me.

It is because you do not seek or know God, Kevin. You are only seeing things through your flesh-based eyes and flesh-based reasoning mind. You are not in pursuit of the truth, so it will always elude you ... until you begin to truly pursue it, then it will be found.