MONROVIA: As the outcry against the possible passage of a bill to legalize abortion in the country gains traction, the President emeritus of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), who is also General Overseer of the New Water in the Desert Pentecostal Church Bishop Kortu Brown has been rallying support for Liberians to oppose the passage of an Act of Legislature before the lawmakers and said such bill if passed into law will lead to an increase in the loss of innocent babies in the country.
The prelate, at the same time, called for the intervention of the religious leaders in Liberia to make their voices loud and clear against the determination of the 54th National Legislature to permit abortion, under the laws of Liberia. He also called on all Liberian citizens to visit a website dedicated to raise awareness and fight against the passage of the law on www.StopLiberiaAbortionBill.com to ask their Senators to vote against this horrific Bill.”
The clergyman expresses fear that such a move, on the part of the legislature to give legal approval to abortion, will serve as a catalyst that would increase the rate of abortion to about 40,000 deaths on an annual basis in Liberia.
“A change from allowing abortion in exceptional circumstances to allowing abortion on demand would lead to the lives of thousands of innocent babies being lost to abortion in Liberia every single year. This is a low estimate; the actual number could be much higher,” the tough- talking clergyman asserted.
Bishop Brown’s assertion comes as members of Liberia’s Religious Council have strongly criticized the Swedish Embassy and others for lending support to local advocacy institutions that are advocating for “the legalization of abortion in the country.”
According to Bishop Browne, the Swedish government’s action to support the legalization of abortion amounts to a direct attack on Liberia’s deeply-rooted cultural and religious values and traditions.
He termed the Swedish government’s support to make abortion legal in the Liberian nation as “imposition of Western Values.”
But, Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, Urban Sjöström, defended the call by his country. He noted that Sweden remains steadfast in supporting pro-choice activists and funding campaigns that advocate for the legalization of abortion in Liberia.
“Yes, Sweden supports decriminalization of abortion, as recommended in WHO’s 2022 Abortion Care Guideline, which recommends the full decriminalization of abortion,” Sjöström maintains.
“Sweden recognizes that this is a complex issue in Liberia and in many countries and respects the views of the leaders of faith-based organizations in Liberia,’ the EU Diplomat added.
The Swedish embassy, along with other international organizations, has been keenly supporting the legalization of abortion through their sponsorship to local pro-abortion campaigners and funding campaigns that are aimed at changing Liberia’s current laws.
Under Liberia’s current laws, abortion is allowed in exceptional circumstances – where the mother’s life is at risk, rape/incest/felonious intercourse, and disability of the fetus. These are rare situations.
The Public Health Bill, which the Senate is currently looking at, seeks to scrap Liberia’s current abortion laws and replace them “with an extreme law that allows abortion, for any reason, on demand, up to when the baby in the womb is at 14 week gestation.
The proposed change to Liberia’s abortion laws comes at a time when most countries on the African Continent forbid abortion except in extreme cases such as the life of the mother, rape/incest, and fetal disability.
Most countries in the world likewise prohibit abortion except in extreme circumstances. Only a few African Countries allow abortion on demand.
According to Bishop Brown, the religious community has estimated that legalization of abortion in Liberia would lead to the death of 40,000 babies every single year.
This is a conservative estimate, as the actual number could be much higher, he said.
The data, Brown and colleagues added, demonstrates that the bill would introduce a very big change to “our legislation here in Liberia” and would directly lead to the deaths of “thousands of innocent babies through abortion in Liberia.”
“This bill would introduce a very big change to our legislation here in Liberia and would directly lead to the death of thousands of innocent babies through abortion in Liberia.”
Bishop Brown: “Please take action now and contact senators now via www. StopLiberiaAbortionBill.com and ask them to vote against this horrific bill.”
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