Zoe's Law

IOPNA was going to leave this 'red-hot potato' well alone, since surely abortion is not an issue among Christians who of course all uphold the sanctity of unborn life..........mmm, but on second thoughts – hey, perhaps it is an issue after all!?

Ourimbah - Christmas Day 2009

So who is Zoe?  Her mother was Brodie Donegan who was seriously injured on Christmas Day 2009 when the driver of a minivan careered into her car.  Brodie was 32 weeks pregnant and trapped for 3 hours then airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, where Zoe was stillborn by caesarian section 2 hours later. The other driver was charged with 'Dangerous Driving causing Grievous Bodily Harm' to Brodie, with her listed injuries including Zoe as a foetus. By law, Zoe's birth/death had to be registered and she be given a proper burial/cremation but under the Crimes Act she was not recognised as a person, having never taken a breath.

Brodie, you and your family have our heartfelt sympathy over the loss of your precious baby. However, you have gone public about this so we are now at liberty to discuss your baby and your proposal to have the laws of New South Wales changed, despite Reverend Fred Nile's introduction of the Crimes Amendment Bill 2011 Destruction of Child in Utero – Zoe’s Law, intended to exempt medical procedure.

Whatever our views on abortion might be, let's first wind the clock back and watch that miracle develop:

The ovum with only 23 chromosomes has just been fertilized, so it is now a zygote with 46 chromosomes - miraculously.                                                                     
Day 2: The single cell zygote now splits into 2 identical cells each with 46 chromosomes - by miraculous 'mitosis'.                                             
On each subsequent day the cells continue to split, forming a morula.                  
Day 5: The identical cells now in a blastocyst begin to 'differentiate' into various body organs and structures - miraculously.                                                                        
After Day 18: The embryo now has its own pulse. (Does Mum know anything yet?)
Day 28: The heart begins to pump.                                                                                 
After Week 8: All major organs and structures of the foetus have formed.            
Week 12: The sex organs are clearly discernible.                                    
Week 18: The foetus responds to stimuli and Mum feels ‘Bub’ moving.                 
Week 20: “Keep growing Bub!”…there's 18 long weeks to go.

On Brodie’s behalf, Mr. Chris Spence MP has now introduced the Crimes Amendment (Zoe’s Law) Bill 2013 (No. 2) on which debate has been deferred:

1.    Applicable criminal offences to an unborn child over 20 weeks gestation or 400 grams weight.

2.    The unborn child to be recognised as a living person.

3.    A younger foetus is not recognised.

4.    Medical procedures or actions by the mother are exempted.

Well Brodie, wasn’t your baby alive before 20 weeks?  
What if the other female driver had also lost an unborn baby? It would not be recognised as a person under amended criminal law but your baby would be. Is that fair?                     
(Oh and by the way, abortion is meant to be illegal in New South Wales unless a doctor believes on reasonable grounds it is necessary to avoid serious danger to the mother’s life or her physical and mental health.)

Now let’s see if this is about recognition of an unborn child as a living person or about the mother’s control with impunity…….                                                 

Brodie says: “She was not my injury. She was my baby. I felt her move…” - fair enough but she also tells us she and her partner Nick are ‘pro-choice’. 
In other words, Brodie thinks she should have the right to have her baby, or get rid of that thing and be exempt from prosecution. She gets to be judge, jury and executioner, choosing whether that new life inside her is a precious baby or just medical bio-waste.                                                         

Seeing she refers to the Biblical expression: ‘eye for an eye’ let’s see what God thinks about a woman hurt “with child, so that her fruit depart from her”…                                                         

“And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life…” Exodus 21:22-23

Like you said, Brodie: “It’s just about recognising the life that was taken.”             

…it’s life that’s taken.

Acknowledgements:  
sbs.com.au   
parliament.nsw.gov.au 
fpnsw.org.au                                                                      
Photo credits: Ourimbah/couriermail.com.au 
newborn/dailymail.co.uk