Why Is Abortion Wrong
This statement is a fairly strong one however when one looks up the Oxford dictionary for both words, are they related? Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy and murder is the intentional killing of a human life whether an adult or a child. If the child is in the womb for seven months (the later development stage) or 2 to 3 weeks (the early development stage) it is still murder making the statement ‘Abortion is murder’ true. There are however, many arguments put forward in relation to what stage a foetus is consider alive or not.
The religious person would put forward the argument that from time of conception the foetus is alive and therefore it is wrong to take that life – ‘thou shall not kill’, being one of the Ten Commandments. According to the religious tolerance organisation, most beliefs of religious groups are the same in that they are pro-life but there is a disagreement on when human personhood is attained. Because of the diversity of views, there are two sides in the …show more content…
religious groups, the pro-life and the pro-choice. The pro-life group are opposed to all abortions from conception to birth, The Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian group in the world with about one billion members teaches that abortions are a form of murder, no matter what the situation or condition are leading to pregnancy. On the other hand, the pro-choice group promotes a women’s right to choose an abortion.
There is no consensus about when abortion is appropriate.
Arguments arise about how morally wrong abortion is. A posted ethics guide on the BBC site debates that killing people is wrong and human life begins at conception therefore the foetus is an innocent human being and killing this foetus is wrong which makes abortion wrong. Whereas, people who support abortion argues that the foetus is not necessarily a ‘person’ with the right to live basing it in relation to a collection of human cells does not have the right to live just because it is of the human species otherwise amputating of a limb is a murder. Another argument is that a pregnant woman has moral rights too which includes the right to ownership of her own body; the right to decide her own future; the right to make decisions without moral or legal intervention by others and the right to life where not aborting the foetus would put the mother’s life or health in danger giving her the moral right to abort the
foetus
The foetus is also referred to as the unborn child. Given that title ‘the unborn child’ is just that, a child but in the womb. Numerous scriptures make no differentiation between the unborn child and the new-born child, should we? For example, ‘The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name (Isaiah 49:1). The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations’ (Jeremiah 1:5). In the New Testament, the Greek word brephos is used to describe the babe John who leaps in his mother’s womb when she meets Mary the mother of Jesus. The word brephos, as used in Scripture, describes the unborn, the new-born and the infant. (1 Peter 2:2, Acts 7:19, Luke 18:15). Can we therefore refer to abortion as murder of the unborn? According to the Pregnant Pause organisation, a number of countries have laws stating that abortion is legal only when it is necessary to save the life of the mother whilst there are other countries, like the United States of America, which legalized abortion in all states for a number of other reasons. One fact that legal abortions have caused is the increasing numbers of unprotected sex and teen sex. Making abortion will comfort them with regards to unwanted pregnancies. Women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence. Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception, to me that is blatant murder. Women have the right to choose whether or not to become pregnant if she had sex of her own free will. She should however, accept the consequences of risks that she knowingly and willingly takes. The woman, therefore, who becomes pregnant should accept the pregnancy and not choose abortion merely as a matter of birth control.
On the other hand, the woman who chooses abortion because of rape or incest, to prevent the birth of a child with serious deformity, mental deficiency or genetic abnormality and to preserve the life or physical well-being of the mother are considered justifiable. I would not look at these special circumstances as blatant murder simply for the following reasons. 1. If the woman who has been raped or her pregnancy is the result of incest, forcing her to go through with the pregnancy caused by this violent act would lead to further psychological damage throughout the rest of her life. 2. The quality of life of the child is also questioned. Unwanted babies are abused, neglected, battered or even killed. Unwanted pregnancy as the result of the violent act of rape may cause women to fail in loving and caring for their babies thus the abortion prevents misfortune of the child
When one looks at the statistics for abortions done and the reasons why, one has to really ask is this act an escape route for social reasons? According to an article in 2011 posted on a site called Buzzle.com entitled ‘Abortion Facts and Statistics’ In the United States, there are almost 3700 abortions per day. 1.37 million abortions were recorded in 1996. Those in the age group 20-24 make up for 32%, teenagers accrue to 20% and girls under 15 totalled 1.2% of the women undergoing abortions. 18.4% abortions are carried out on married women, 9.4% on divorced women and 64.4% on never-married woman. 1% of the abortions are due to rape or incest, 6% due to potential health problems of mother or child and 93% due to social reasons, e.g. child is unwanted.
Daniel J. Martin, M.D., Ltd., clinical instructor at St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri, has said, "The impact of abortion on the body of a woman who chooses abortion is great and always negative. I can think of no beneficial effect of a social abortion on a body." He goes on to say that medically, abortion is the premature, wilful and violent penetration of a system in which nearly every cell, tissue and organ of a woman’s reproductive system has been specially transformed and activated to carry out the function of sustaining and nourishing the developing child and that violation of the integrity of that system can lead to serious complications. The risks caused especially due to underage abortions are infection, hemorrhage, uterine perforation, blocked fallopian tubes and sometimes death due to excess bleeding. Psychological effects range from depression and mental trauma to divorce and even suicide.
The statement of abortion being blatant murder still boils down to a choice based on ethics and one’s religious beliefs. This statement can be debated from now till the end of time with no clear correct answer.
Bibliography
The Holy Bible.
Martin, Daniel J. M.D. , "The Impact of Legal Abortion on Women’s Minds and Bodies," paper presented at the "Human Life and Health Care Ethics" national conference, April, 1993.
Dawson, Jim (BTHMA)& Williams, Ted M.D., (FFPHM). “Is Abortion really murder?” Belmont House Publishing. 1984. http://www.religioustolerance.org/abortion.htm “Abortion Access: All sides of the issue” by Bruce A Robinson, updated 01/09/2012. http://www.PregnantPause.org “Summary of Abortion laws around the world” posted 15/04/2002. http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm “10 Abortion arguments for and against” by Linda Lowen. http://www.youngwomenshealth.org - “Pregnancy – Abortion” written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Boston Children’s Hospital on 14/03/2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/ - “Ethic Guide – Abortion” updated 2012. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-why-abortion-is-wrong.html - “Reasons why abortion is wrong” by Abhijit Naik on 25/3/2011. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/abortion-facts.html - “Abortion facts” by Ningthoujam Sandhyarani on 02/01/2012.
The religious person would put forward the argument that from time of conception the foetus is alive and therefore it is wrong to take that life – ‘thou shall not kill’, being one of the Ten Commandments. According to the religious tolerance organisation, most beliefs of religious groups are the same in that they are pro-life but there is a disagreement on when human personhood is attained. Because of the diversity of views, there are two sides in the …show more content…
religious groups, the pro-life and the pro-choice. The pro-life group are opposed to all abortions from conception to birth, The Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian group in the world with about one billion members teaches that abortions are a form of murder, no matter what the situation or condition are leading to pregnancy. On the other hand, the pro-choice group promotes a women’s right to choose an abortion.
There is no consensus about when abortion is appropriate.
Arguments arise about how morally wrong abortion is. A posted ethics guide on the BBC site debates that killing people is wrong and human life begins at conception therefore the foetus is an innocent human being and killing this foetus is wrong which makes abortion wrong. Whereas, people who support abortion argues that the foetus is not necessarily a ‘person’ with the right to live basing it in relation to a collection of human cells does not have the right to live just because it is of the human species otherwise amputating of a limb is a murder. Another argument is that a pregnant woman has moral rights too which includes the right to ownership of her own body; the right to decide her own future; the right to make decisions without moral or legal intervention by others and the right to life where not aborting the foetus would put the mother’s life or health in danger giving her the moral right to abort the
foetus
The foetus is also referred to as the unborn child. Given that title ‘the unborn child’ is just that, a child but in the womb. Numerous scriptures make no differentiation between the unborn child and the new-born child, should we? For example, ‘The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name (Isaiah 49:1). The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations’ (Jeremiah 1:5). In the New Testament, the Greek word brephos is used to describe the babe John who leaps in his mother’s womb when she meets Mary the mother of Jesus. The word brephos, as used in Scripture, describes the unborn, the new-born and the infant. (1 Peter 2:2, Acts 7:19, Luke 18:15). Can we therefore refer to abortion as murder of the unborn? According to the Pregnant Pause organisation, a number of countries have laws stating that abortion is legal only when it is necessary to save the life of the mother whilst there are other countries, like the United States of America, which legalized abortion in all states for a number of other reasons. One fact that legal abortions have caused is the increasing numbers of unprotected sex and teen sex. Making abortion will comfort them with regards to unwanted pregnancies. Women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence. Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception, to me that is blatant murder. Women have the right to choose whether or not to become pregnant if she had sex of her own free will. She should however, accept the consequences of risks that she knowingly and willingly takes. The woman, therefore, who becomes pregnant should accept the pregnancy and not choose abortion merely as a matter of birth control.
On the other hand, the woman who chooses abortion because of rape or incest, to prevent the birth of a child with serious deformity, mental deficiency or genetic abnormality and to preserve the life or physical well-being of the mother are considered justifiable. I would not look at these special circumstances as blatant murder simply for the following reasons. 1. If the woman who has been raped or her pregnancy is the result of incest, forcing her to go through with the pregnancy caused by this violent act would lead to further psychological damage throughout the rest of her life. 2. The quality of life of the child is also questioned. Unwanted babies are abused, neglected, battered or even killed. Unwanted pregnancy as the result of the violent act of rape may cause women to fail in loving and caring for their babies thus the abortion prevents misfortune of the child
When one looks at the statistics for abortions done and the reasons why, one has to really ask is this act an escape route for social reasons? According to an article in 2011 posted on a site called Buzzle.com entitled ‘Abortion Facts and Statistics’ In the United States, there are almost 3700 abortions per day. 1.37 million abortions were recorded in 1996. Those in the age group 20-24 make up for 32%, teenagers accrue to 20% and girls under 15 totalled 1.2% of the women undergoing abortions. 18.4% abortions are carried out on married women, 9.4% on divorced women and 64.4% on never-married woman. 1% of the abortions are due to rape or incest, 6% due to potential health problems of mother or child and 93% due to social reasons, e.g. child is unwanted.
Daniel J. Martin, M.D., Ltd., clinical instructor at St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri, has said, "The impact of abortion on the body of a woman who chooses abortion is great and always negative. I can think of no beneficial effect of a social abortion on a body." He goes on to say that medically, abortion is the premature, wilful and violent penetration of a system in which nearly every cell, tissue and organ of a woman’s reproductive system has been specially transformed and activated to carry out the function of sustaining and nourishing the developing child and that violation of the integrity of that system can lead to serious complications. The risks caused especially due to underage abortions are infection, hemorrhage, uterine perforation, blocked fallopian tubes and sometimes death due to excess bleeding. Psychological effects range from depression and mental trauma to divorce and even suicide.
The statement of abortion being blatant murder still boils down to a choice based on ethics and one’s religious beliefs. This statement can be debated from now till the end of time with no clear correct answer.
Bibliography
The Holy Bible.
Martin, Daniel J. M.D. , "The Impact of Legal Abortion on Women’s Minds and Bodies," paper presented at the "Human Life and Health Care Ethics" national conference, April, 1993.
Dawson, Jim (BTHMA)& Williams, Ted M.D., (FFPHM). “Is Abortion really murder?” Belmont House Publishing. 1984. http://www.religioustolerance.org/abortion.htm “Abortion Access: All sides of the issue” by Bruce A Robinson, updated 01/09/2012. http://www.PregnantPause.org “Summary of Abortion laws around the world” posted 15/04/2002. http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm “10 Abortion arguments for and against” by Linda Lowen. http://www.youngwomenshealth.org - “Pregnancy – Abortion” written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Boston Children’s Hospital on 14/03/2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/ - “Ethic Guide – Abortion” updated 2012. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-why-abortion-is-wrong.html - “Reasons why abortion is wrong” by Abhijit Naik on 25/3/2011. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/abortion-facts.html - “Abortion facts” by Ningthoujam Sandhyarani on 02/01/2012.