Kermit Gosnell, Notorious Abortionist, Dies in Prison
Kermit Gosnell, a Pennsylvania abortionist who was convicted of killing three infants, passed away in prison last week at 85. Some might think, “Well, abortionists kill babies; surely others have killed more.” However, Gosnell’s case stands out because it involved infanticide—he killed babies who were already born. This highlights a crucial point: those engaged in the abortion debate must recognize that an unborn child is indeed a human being with rights.
Gosnell’s actions expose a dark side of American culture, a reality many prefer to ignore. They also reflect a divine oversight that some perceive as judgment for wrongdoing.
Even the staunchest advocates for abortion rights usually don’t support infanticide outright. Most people draw a line at birth. Peter Singer, a philosopher who endorsed infanticide, faced backlash as many believed he was taking the abortion argument too far—pushing the logic to expose its absurdity.
A grand jury concluded that Gosnell likely murdered hundreds of infants, yet many bodies were never recovered, having been destroyed. Witnesses described horrifying scenes where, upon signs of life, Gosnell would use scissors to sever the spinal cords of these babies. Investigators uncovered a chilling mess in his clinic, including fetal remains in various containers and a grotesque lack of cleanliness.
This leads me to ponder a couple of questions: How could anyone cause such suffering to innocent babies? And what does it imply about our society?
In Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov,” Ivan questions how God can exist while children suffer. Adult suffering might seem justifiable in a twisted way, but the misery of children shakes him to the core. Gosnell’s crimes would have driven Ivan into a profound existential crisis. Where was God in this horror?
But maybe we should ask, where were we?
Gosnell’s narrative has shed some light—albeit barely—on the topic of infanticide. Had he limited his actions to killing unborn babies, many people would have turned a blind eye to his clinic. This irony exposes a culture that derides God’s justice while permitting practices that allowed Gosnell’s clinic to operate.
What could be more sinister than that?
Some Democrats defend late-term abortions with justifications reminiscent of Singer’s. They cannot distance themselves from Gosnell, as they seem to reflect the same moral confusion. But the larger question remains: What does a society that normalizes the killing of unborn children look like?
Gosnell’s actions illuminate something unsettling about American culture, something that deserves more introspection. They underline a need for moral reckoning, chronicled throughout the messages of Old Testament prophets.
America has seemingly ignored the lessons of dignity learned from the evils of slavery. Many arguments that once justified slavery are being revived to rationalize abortion—suggesting that some lives lack legal rights, that they are somehow inferior, reliant on the will of others. Such language may shift, yet the underlying moral logic remains unchanged.
This logic has only grown more disturbing. Initially, Roe v. Wade was positioned as a matter of medical privacy. We were told it wasn’t the public’s place to know what transpired between a woman and her doctor. Sympathy was sought on behalf of unwanted children, who, it was argued, would suffer a bleak existence. Yet the conversation has shifted. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s famous essay comparing pregnancy to an unwanted violinist’s life support has been co-opted to justify abortion at any stage as a woman’s right over her body.
But as Ivan would argue, “Yes, but you’re dismembering a baby.”
What awaits a culture that views pregnancy and infants this way? Continuing population decline? Perhaps, yes, along with a dehumanization that seeps into daily life. Yet there are also divine consequences. Gosnell represents one such product. For decades, America has tolerated the brutalities of baby-killing, but Gosnell forced a confrontation with those horrors, revealing the logical extremities of denying personhood beyond the womb.
We cannot straddle the line between good and evil. People either possess rights or they do not—this holds true from the womb to hospice care.
It’s time for a change.
As a pastor, I find this story tragically solemn. Gosnell didn’t simply vanish with his death. He must now answer before God for the innocent lives he took. The children he murdered haven’t disappeared either—they remain as silent witnesses to his actions. One day, those involved in abortion will confront those they helped destroy.
This truth ought to compel us all toward repentance and the seeking of mercy.
