As the consciousness at conception determines the kind of soul coming to the womb isn’t abortion desirable during pregnancy after rape so as to avoid unwanted progeny?

Answer Podcast

Question. If a woman is raped then and later becomes pregnant, then the child has been conceived in a very terrible consciousness and therefore the child is likely to be Varna Sankara.
So, isn’t it better that such a child be aborted than be given birth to and lead to unwanted progeny in the world? Answer. You know, we shouldn’t mix different principles without understanding the essential purpose which is there. Certainly, the situation that has been talked about is very sad and at such times one needs to be sensitive, not a utilitarian.
So, and that unfortunate situation that is there, definitely the victim needs all support and sympathy, but certainly the idea that the consciousness at the time of union, at the time of conception or union determines the kind of child that will be born, that should not be used against the child. Suppose a devotee couple had some children before they became devotees. Now, should they stop loving those children just because they were not conceived in good consciousness, in devotional consciousness? That would be terrible if we start applying that principle.
In that way, the point is in every situation we have to understand what is our duty, not what is the karmic complication in that situation. That is also an additional factor to be considered, but the important point is what is the right thing to do, what is the duty? The child who is born, whatever be the circumstances of consciousness in which they are born, the child is not to be blamed for that. We are not meant to judge people according to their past life karmas.
We are not meant to judge people. You know, somebody, I’ve answered earlier in a separate question about how if a woman is raped, now is it, should we see that it is because of her karma, it is raped? That will be monstrously insensitive. We have to think from the justice, from this life’s perspective.
So, you know, the past life conditioning is only one factor that determines the upbringing, that determines the behavior and the long-term destiny of the person. The upbringing, the culture in this family, that also shapes in large way and this can change dramatically if a person is devotionally conscious. So, abortion is actually a murder.
The embryo in the womb is a child and a killing like that is not warranted, is not justifiable under any situation. The only situation abortion is justified is when there is a genuine and serious risk to the life of the mother. So then, at that time, to save the life of the mother, the child life can be sacrificed.
But at other times, it’s a difficult decision, no doubt, but we cannot utilitarianly twist principles. See, the whole point of talking about the consciousness at the time of conception is to encourage people to not reduce themselves and others to mere sexual creatures, to remember that we are spiritual beings and sexuality is one aspect which should be spiritualized, not that our spirituality and our whole personality should be sexualized, which is what happens in today’s society in many ways. So, the point of having a proper consciousness at the time of conception is meant to spiritualize even the activity of sex, but we shouldn’t twist that out of context and apply it in other situations.
So, whatever has happened, the important point is that we choose the right actions now and the child in the womb who is there is not to be blamed and how the mother will be able to raise the child in a way that is possible or respectable in society, whether the child can be given for adoption later, all this will be something which has to be practically worked out. But using the principle of consciousness at the time of birth should never be done as an argument to blame the child. This is called as blaming the victim.
So, just as if a woman has been violated, the woman cannot be blamed for that. Similarly, if a child is born from the conception during such a time, the child cannot be blamed for that. If we blame the victim, then we are completely misunderstanding and misusing the principle of justice.
So, the person who has committed the terrible crime of rape needs to be punished, no doubt, seriously severely punished, but the child should not be blamed. Whatever consciousness a child may be born in, the child is ultimately a gift of God and the child, if raised properly, the child can grow into a wonderful person. And our duty is not to judge people based on what they have done in their previous lives.
Our duty is to understand what is the best way I can act on this life. So, whatever the circumstance the child has come in my life now, now what is the best that I can offer the child so that the child can grow into a wonderful human being and a wonderful devotee. That is what we should focus on.