Population conference

Population conference

I have been closely following the news coming out of the
International Population Conference in Cairo as published by The
Jakarta Post. However, I find that the Post has so far not
carried the message sent by the Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa to
the Conference. In this message, she has called for a fight
against abortion and has described it as the greatest destroyer
of peace in the world. "If a mother can kill her own child, what
is there to stop you and me from killing each other? The only one
who has the right to take life is the one who has created it,"
she said.

"God has created a world big enough for all the lives He
wishes to be born. It is only our hearts that are not big enough
to want and accept them." Describing life as the most beautiful
gift of God, she said "It is painful to see what is happening
today in so many places around the world; life being deliberately
destroyed by war, violence and abortion."

Assuring that she would take in all those children of unwed
mothers, she said: "If there is a child that you don't want or
can't feed or educate, give that child to me. I will not refuse
any child. I will give a home, or find loving parents for him or
for her."

"We are fighting abortion by adoption and have given thousands
of children to caring families. And it is so beautiful to see the
love and unity that a child brings to a family." So far about
3,000 children have been adopted from the Shisu Bhavan run by
her.

"If all the money that is being spent on finding ways to kill
people was used to feed and house them, how beautiful the world
would be. We are too often afraid of sacrifices we might have to
make," she has stated in her message to the Conference.

Let us hope that this International Conference on Population
concludes its deliberations taking into consideration the moral
aspects of abortion. And Mother Teresa's message aptly deals with
this issue.

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta