This year once again, I taught William Pitt the Younger’s speech urging the British Parliament to immediately end the horrific slave trade.
Having been the youngest British Prime Minister ever at age 23, Pitt delivered this speech as a seasoned statesman. He’d long been part of an effort–along with William Wilberforce to end slavery, child labor, animal abuse, and abortion.
Wilberforce is the one best remembered for his unflinching efforts to stop the slave trade. Little mention is made today of the other successes these Christian men made–particularly about abortion.
The fight to end abortion centers on the idea of protecting society’s weakest members. Women had little power to affect current events then, and as always, children are any culture’s weakest members. Abortion exploited both women and children–as it does today.
But that early morning in 1792–the debate had lasted all night–was when Pitt called on the ministers of Parliament to stop the exploitation of a particular people–to end the slave trade right then.
It was a matter of national pride, after all. The world was changing. The push for Christian morality was a rock rolling down a mountainside and gaining speed. Pitt called his fellows to be first–to lead the world–to set the example.
In between William Pitt and Alfie Evans came Britain’s crown jewel of National Health Insurance. For the British, criticizing NHS is like sibling rivalry. One can criticize one’s own brother but will not tolerate others doing the same. Citizens of the UK criticize it among themselves. But the British government doesn’t want outsiders to do the same.
From CBN: “The hypocrisy in the way the British treat the NHS is worth noting but really isn’t surprising. Internally, the Brits rip it up one side and down the other for its shortcomings, which are many. It is, after all, socialized medicine, and it works in some ways and not in others. But criticizing the NHS is off-limits to foreigners and even to British Prime Ministers.”
And so NHS did not work for Charlie Gard or Alfie Evans, children who died from lack of care–at the least–from the NHS.
In both cases outside nations had offered to provide medical care, but the UK used its courts to tell parents they did not have the right to make medical decisions for their own children–even at no cost to the British taxpayer.
So Charlie Gard died and now Alfie Evans is also gone.
Public outcry over these cases has been great. We can hope the UK will find the will of Pitt the Younger and end the practice of letting children die–even encouraging their deaths.
May the NHS hear the cry of the people. May Britain lead the world in showing respect for the lives of its weakest members.
William Pitt did not win the day in 1792. It would take fifteen more years before the slave trade would end and more years to end slavery. Pitt did not live to see these victories.
For the sake of Britain and the world, for the sake of the children, may his spirit rise again in the heart of England.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Restoring the Shattered
Yes I agree that the little children should be protected and given access to the chance for survival. We should love one another.
It seems pretty basic. Amen. Thanks for reading and commenting! God bless!
Sad. Praying for God’s comfort to surround the family.
Amen. Prayers for the family, the nation, the world! God bless and thanks for reading and commenting!
So very, very sad. May God step in and comfort the family just as Mimionlife states. May He also begin to change what appears to be a systematic problem.
Amen. Thank you for that word. God bless!
I just read your last post, and hearing all of the details within this update truly breaks my heart. I have been praying for the family and their loved ones. May God reveal blessings through this trial.
Sydney Meek | meeklyloving.com
Thank you, Sydney. God bless and amen!
This is horrific! His poor parents! What a world we live in, one where parents are forbidden to accept the help of Italy and the Pope himself, simply because the UK health system wants to promote euthanasia of children with disabilities and wants this particular child to die. This is truly heartbreaking!
Heartbreaking, indeed. Thank you, Melinda.
Thanks for your bravery in speaking up about this topic! It’s a tough subject, but we need to talk about it.
Hi Nancy!
I read your blog post with interest. As Christians, we have a unique possibility to set an example on how to live life because no other system we’ve seen in the world has delivered a better-unified suggestion to the moral fundamentals than Christianity.
God bless,
Edna Davidsen
As darkness encroaches, Edna, we must be the light. Thank you!
It’s such a reminder that regardless of the systems in place, we so often fail “the least of these,” don’t we? When I lived in a country with socialized healthcare, I loved it because I rarely got sick or needed it. Similarly, I rarely use our privatized healthcare now. But for those whose circumstances are outside the norm, systems fail and we are faced with all those inadequacies. Thanks for so thoughtfully reminding us of this…
A system that works best when it’s not needed is a poor system. There are so many better ways than socialized medicine. The church is one of those ways, but we need to step up and do our part. I don’t think we’ve been doing that. Thanks for reading and commenting! God bless!
I would love to see the church step in practically. You are so right – this is our role…
Annie, I always thought the government has taken over this ministry from the church. As I was researching for my book, I realized the church had let it go. The government was trying to fill the void.