Under a number of earthly laws,
legitimacy is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to
each other and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. On
the other hand, illegitimacy (or being a bastard) is the status of a child
conceived outside wedlock.
The consequences of
illegitimacy were predominantly in relation to rights of inheritance to the presumed
father's estate as well as being entitled to bear the father's name or title.
It also had consequences on the right of the mother and child to obtain support
from the alleged father. Today however, many countries including have
through legislation abolished any legal disabilities of a child born out of
wedlock.
Apart from the legal angle,
let us seek deeper insights on this matter in the light of the Eternal Laws of
God. We are not here for the first time as all of us have experienced past
earth lives. By the workings of the Natural Laws, the condition into which one
is born at this time depends on the way one has lived in past earth lives. The
time of birth and the circumstance into which each one is born is carefully
guided by the operations of the Natural Laws. This ensures that we are born
into conditions which will achieve what our souls need for their redemption and
further development.
Apart from the child who is
offered an avenue to develop by being born to this world, all those who are
close to the child stand to benefit from the newcomer. Parents, brothers and
sisters if any and those that come in contact with this child are offered an
opportunity to be blessed. They can take these tremendous opportunities to
redeem their own past misdeeds through acts of love towards the child. This can
be by taking good care of the child, educating him and nursing him in sickness.
It can also be by showing the child good example which of course can help one
to drop bad habits.
If we consider what has been
stated thus far and that the purpose of our emergence on earth is to gain the necessary
maturity that will lead us back to our spiritual origin, then childbirth will
have a deeper meaning to us. We shall be compelled to regard each birth as a
blessing from above offering the person born and all those who are connected
with him an opportunity to advance spiritually.
Instead of dwelling on the
circumstance or how a child is born, we should rather show gratitude to God for
the mercies He grants anew with every single birth!
