Kristent Ressurssenter has submitted a consultation response to the Ministry of Health and Care Services regarding the Consultation – NOU 2023: 29 Abortion in Norway – New law and better services. Our consultation response is based on the fact that a law that potentially deals with an unborn person must be based on a correct understanding of when a human being comes into being and when a human being gains value and thus the right to life. We believe that it is irresponsible to implement laws and carry out medical interventions before these assessments have been made in a responsible and comprehensive manner.
Before politicians decide on new abortion laws, or assess existing abortion law practices in Norway, fundamental human rights assessments must be made by asking two questions:
1) When does human life begin?
2) From when do human rights and the right to life apply to a person?
According to 5,500 biologists at 1,000 universities worldwide, 95% agree on the answer to question 1): Biologists answer that human life begins at fertilization (*), the moment the sperm and egg fuse. At that moment, unique DNA belonging to a new human being is created. The DNA will be the same whether the person lives for 40 days, 40 weeks, or 40 years. The only difference between humans is the time elapsed from conception, as well as the size, shape, and location of the human being.
One could say that this view is universal-Scientifically and through thousands of years of Judeo-Christian theological understanding of life.
But question 2) is not answered in the same way by biologists, because they are biologists. They determine when life begins, not what rights that life has. That task rests with politicians, who must pass laws that directly intervene in questions of life and the right to live.
Until these two questions are clearly considered and answered in a transparent and principled manner, political processes aimed at abortion expansion must stop, and all forms of abortion practice must cease in the meantime.
The consequences of not having this clarified in a thorough, comprehensive and truthful manner could be fatal for many people.
Conclusion:
All forms of self-determined abortion must be stopped until these two questions have been clarified and answered in the Storting. Answers to 1) and 2) must be put to a vote in the Storting to make the convictions of individual politicians visible. Thereafter, all future decisions on abortion law and practice must be anchored in this vote. In this way, it is politically clarified when a human being comes into being and when a human being gains value and the right to life. Based on this provision, the practice of abortion should be abolished.
Any other way of formulating policy and carrying out abortion practices is irresponsible and dangerous to human dignity.
The input is provided by Kristent Ressurssenter, a non-profit organization that promotes biblical truths and a Christian understanding of reality in the social debate about human dignity, family, sex, cohabitation, and gender.
On behalf of Kristent Ressurssenter
Truls Olufsen-Mehus
Project manager
