Letter to My Representative Concerning Midwifery

In the state of Delaware, it is very easy (legally speaking) for a mother to murder her unborn child. However, midwives are criminalized for helping mothers give birth. Since God’s Word is not the standard for the laws in our land, this sort of arbitrary absurdity ensues. Below you can read a letter (dated June 6, 2014) I sent to my representative. Mr. Scott is on the Health Committee and is one who is stalling this bill in the name of concern for the “safety” of women and children.

Dear Representative Scott:

I am writing to ask you to support HB 319. While I disagree in principle that the state should ever criminalize someone for helping mothers give birth to children, this bill is the first step to remove the threat of that unjust criminal charge from many midwives in our state. The state is preventing these midwives from doing good to Delaware families.

The Word of God says woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Unfortunately, our state government calls good that which God calls evil, and calls evil that which God calls good. The Word of God says in Romans 13, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (v. 3-4). The problem is our government is doing the exact opposite: punishing those who would do good and endorsing those who do evil.

The state government has no authority to criminalize the good conduct of midwives helping bring children into this world. The state criminalizes these women because they do not meet the state’s requirements concerning midwifery. At the same time, the state calls good that which God calls evil—endorsing the murder of unborn children at local abortion mills. It is disingenuous to stall this bill any longer under the guise of concern for the health of mothers and children. I do not trust the state for one second to have the best interest of my family in mind. If the state truly wants to protect life, representatives should be fighting to make the murder of unborn children (i.e. abortion) illegal or impossible.

It should not be a crime under any circumstance to help a mother give birth to her child. The state has overstepped its God given authority and is now acting as a terror to those who do good, and all the while supporting murderers who do wrong.

As a father, I do not look to the state for medical advice or family advice—clearly the state is incompetent for such matters. Nor do I seek the input of state endorsed “medical professionals.” I do not need the state or the state’s representatives to make these decisions for me or my family. Children are a blessing from the Lord, not from the state.

I urge you to change your mind and support this bill fully. Women will continue to have homebirths despite the pedantic delays of those who profess concern for the wellbeing of these children and mothers. Allow these fathers and mothers (who have chosen to treasure life rather than murder their babies) complete freedom to choose how and with whom to deliver their babies.

Lord willing, I will be in the next meeting. I hope and pray you change your mind and support this bill on the principle that the state has no authority to criminalize good conduct.

A slave of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Chris Hume