Believers could become “second-class citizens” in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan 12, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The famous Brazilian legal scholar, Yves Gandra Martins, has published an article in the Jornal do Brasil denouncing the government’s effort to approve abortion, which he says will make those who believe in God second-class citizens in Brazil.

Martins began his article praising a 1980 law that protects turtle eggs.  “A person who destroys one single turtle egg commits a crime against the animal and could be imprisoned.  This is very praiseworthy,” he said.  “What isn’t though is the destruction of human beings in the maternal womb, as proposed by Representative Jandira Feghali, for any reason, up to the moment of birth and without any punishment for the doctor, the woman or those who collaborated in the abortion of the unborn.”

The government’s proposed law would allow abortion on demand throughout pregnancy.  Martins noted the paradox of establishing that “the killing of a human being in his mother’s womb one minute before birth would not be a crime.  One minute later it would be considered homicide.”

Martins said arguments in favor of the measure put forward during public debate were without basis and were limited to attempts to discredit those opposed to taking the life of the unborn.  He also stated the measure was “unprecedented” and that it appeared that only “agnostics” and those who represent “the god of reason” were the only ones permitted to make such decisions for the country.

“Those who believe in God are second-class citizens,” he continued, “while those who do not believe are first-class and get to make life and death decisions about other human beings.  Thus we see the rebirth of the worst period of the Moscow dictatorship in which those who believed in God could not aspire to any relevant position of public service,” he noted

Martins concluded his article expressing hope that “the good sense of legislators will certainly not allow the approval of a measure defending the right to indiscriminately kill the unborn, which has originated in the deep-seated prejudice that only agnostics and unbelievers can control the destiny of the country.  It can be understood, given this mentality against the Creator, why in Brazil turtles are treated better than humans.”