Monrovia — Dr. Monique Wubbenhorst, former Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau of Global Health at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has strongly rejected the justifications often made for abortion, particularly those promoted by doctors and other stakeholders in Liberia and around the world.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Speaking at a three-day assessment and performance review workshop on the Mano River Union Basin Faith Community Campaign for comprehensive sexuality education, Dr. Wubbenhorst emphasized that abortion should never be embraced. She argued that it intentionally kills a child and can threaten the life of the mother.
The event, held at the New Water in the Desert Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Brewerville, outside Monrovia, was centered on the theme: Performance Review on Protecting Life and Family.
Dr. Wubbenhorst noted that while abortion is often justified on medical grounds, its true intent remains the destruction of an unborn child. She further explained that when abortion is performed to save a mother’s life, it does not constitute abortion in her view, as the intent is not to kill the baby.
“We have no right to destroy what God has already made,” she said. “Abortion is never safe; it kills a child. How can that be safe for anyone, even the mother?”
Dr. Wubbenhorst decried what she called the lies being perpetuated by some medical professionals and advocates of abortion. One of the most common justifications she addressed was the claim that women have the right to control their bodies. She questioned how an unborn baby could be considered a part of a woman’s body, arguing that while women bear the responsibility of carrying a child, they do not have the right to terminate that life.
She also rejected the assertion that abortion is a human right, insisting that no one has the right to take the life of another person. “We have the right to humanity, but not the right to take away the life of another,” she stated.
Dr. Wubbenhorst further criticized the claim that abortion reduces maternal mortality. She argued that no studies exist that support this assertion and called it a fallacy. Similarly, she dismissed the notion that abortion improves a child’s health, pointing out the contradiction of improving a child’s health by killing another child.
She also refuted the argument that abortion is a necessary choice, insisting that the only choice abortion presents is the choice to kill. “Abortion is not a solution to teenage pregnancy,” she said. “It does not stop teenagers from becoming pregnant; it only kills the babies they are already carrying.”
Dr. Wubbenhorst also spoke against the argument that abortion is an act of reproductive freedom. “Women should not get pregnant and then seek to rid themselves of their unborn babies,” she stated. She further argued that even in cases of rape, abortion should not be considered a viable option.
Additionally, she rejected poverty as an excuse for abortion. Referring to prominent figures like Bill Gates, who were born to unwed mothers, she stressed that one should not destroy what God has created simply because of difficult circumstances.
“Are you God? Do you have the power to end someone’s life? Only God has that power,” she continued, urging people not to take matters of life and death into their own hands.
Dr. Wubbenhorst also questioned the financial motivations behind abortion, asking, “Where does the money go? It doesn’t go to the people. You kill a baby and make money.”
The Importance of People in Development
Dr. Wubbenhorst emphasized that the true wealth of any country lies in its people, urging the West African region to reject abortion in order to spur development. “If Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea want to develop, they need people,” she said. “Development is not about money—it’s about people.”
The Moral Fight Against Abortion
Bishop Kortu Brown, the Lead Convener for the campaign to protect life and family, expressed optimism that Liberia could win the fight against abortion. The former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) and Senior Pastor of New Water in the Desert Assembly, Bishop Brown described the campaign as a just and moral fight against death and destruction in society.
“What is so glorious about killing unborn babies?” he asked, emphasizing that the practice of abortion often results in the injury or death of mothers, while enriching a select few. “Sometimes the mother dies, and someone else pockets the money. Is that how we save lives?”
Bishop Brown reiterated that the best way to save lives is to stand up for them, ensuring that both mothers and children are protected. He called for greater emphasis on securing motherhood to prevent the growing number of women and children dying from abortion.
“We are not against the passage of the 1976 revised public health law in Liberia,” he said, “but we are against any provisions that promote abortion. Let’s stand for life.”
Looking Forward
The ongoing assessment and workshop have brought together participants from Liberia and the four Mano River Union countries, including elderly mothers and female students. The event is scheduled to conclude on January 31.
Both Dr. Wubbenhorst and Bishop Brown remain firm in their stance that life must be protected at all costs and are committed to advocating for a future where both mothers and babies are safeguarded from the harmful effects of abortion.
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