Letter exchange: Doctors duel over abortion ethics

Dr Carol Greer wearily trots out predictable arguments often used against pro-life Christian protesters.
An image of a foetus at 12 weeks (to which Dr Hardy refers). It is taken from the NHS website; at that age the heartbeat and other features are visibleAn image of a foetus at 12 weeks (to which Dr Hardy refers). It is taken from the NHS website; at that age the heartbeat and other features are visible
An image of a foetus at 12 weeks (to which Dr Hardy refers). It is taken from the NHS website; at that age the heartbeat and other features are visible

(See previous letter – ‘No one welcomes abortion; some are forced to consider it’, Letters, June 24)

Abortion guilt or grief is real, though, and stalks some women to their life’s natural end.

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I was amazed, while working as an NHS doctor, at how often decades old abortion related guilt troubled some clients, even as their life ebbed away in the final stages of terminal illness.

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Letter to the editor

I never saw a single NHS client, though, who regretted cancelling an abortion. Maternal love has to be one of the strongest forces in the universe, eclipsed only by the bonds of perfect love between the divine persons of the Holy Trinity.

Crushing post-abortion guilt makes sense, when viewed through this lens or prism.

A little over 20 years ago, a crisis of conscience on making NHS abortion referrals, stimulated me to properly examine the robust evidence for Christianity.

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I have never regretted ceasing to make abortion referrals, or coming to faith; and remain indebted to bold pro-life Christians in the Western Isles NHS Scotland workplace.

Ministers or Christians seeking vindication need look no further than the NHS website ultrasound scan image of an unborn child at three months, accompanying the article ‘Biggest Protestant church in NI backs DUP bill on disabled abortions’ (News Letter, May 18, 2021).

Dr James Hardy, Belfast, BT5

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