(RightWing.org) – While modern science has a prominent societal role, it isn’t an end-all. Noted philosopher, historian, and psychologist William James famously quipped in his book “The Varieties of Religious Experience” that truth as we perceive it is typically only that which has yet to be disproven. He pointed to previous absolutes like the belief that the world was flat as proof an example of his theory.
Inversely, James also pointed out that faith-based things like belief in God and the power of prayer have remained unchanged throughout human history. Taking his writings as a whole, one could reasonably assume he would have supported the sanctity of human life as an example of the importance of the religious experience playing a vital role in society.
A recent report shows the importance of putting that ideal into practice.
Doctor Advises Pregnant Woman to Abort!
On September 6, The Epoch Times published a heartwarming (and heartwrenching) article about the life and times of a nearly six-year-old girl living and thriving due to her parents’ unwillingness to heed a doctor’s advice to abort her. Their story serves as a shining example of the importance of standing your ground, following your heart, and doing what you believe to be right — despite the odds or the protestations of others.
Retired preschool teacher Heidi Murphy and her second husband live in Amesbury, Massachusetts, with their daughter, Sajjona, the youngest of Heidi’s six children. The couple said they were surprised to learn of Heidi’s pregnancy in April 2017. She was 48 at the time, making it an at-risk pregnancy.
They made the roughly one-hour trek to nearby Boston for their first ultrasound. To their horror, the couple’s OB/GYN advised them that their unborn child could have Down syndrome. “You deserve a good life,” he declared, adding, “you can… get an abortion.”
Heidi recounted her horror at the doctor’s callous response. She remembered crying with her husband. She also recalled looking at her OB/GYN and telling her she wouldn’t terminate her pregnancy. “God put this baby here for a purpose,” she told the physician. “We are having the baby,” she proclaimed, adding, “God doesn’t make mistakes.”
Baby Sajjona Thrives Thanks to Her Parents’ Faith
The family went through several trials and tribulations following the birth of their baby girl, Sajjona, on October 3, 2017. For example, she weighed only three pounds, nine ounces at birth. She had several holes in her heart, and doctors diagnosed her with Edwards syndrome, a genetic abnormality that causes developmental delays. Another OB/GYN told the Murphys their infant’s condition was “incompatible with life” and predicted she only had “two weeks to live.”
Nevertheless, Heidi and her husband never gave up hope. Heidi told The Epoch Times that nowadays, Sajjona is enjoying her life to the fullest. “She does everything [other] children do,” she related. She attends Sunday school, has friends, and enjoys taking walks.
Heidi said she believes God sends children like her daughter down to Earth from Heaven to teach others “love, kindness… understanding, and acceptance.” She attributes the decision not to abort Sajjona to her “faith,” adding it “kept [them] from giving up.”
What an amazing testament to life and a living testament to the importance of balancing the religious experience with a healthy dose of skepticism regarding the advice of others.
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