Although Abortion is practiced throughout most of the world and has been practiced long before the recorded history, it still invokes passion and controversy. Abortion raises fundamental questions such as when life begins and what it is that makes us human. In America, abortion is a highly charged issue that involves ethical, religious and political debate. It continues to be a very contentious issue with few signs of abatement.
It is understandable that most women feel abortion is a moral decision for them and a totally personal decision, given their situation. This includes their religious beliefs, health, marital status, genetic makeup, age and other factors.
If a woman decides to undergo abortion, after consulting with her physician and her spiritual advisor, should the government veto her decision?
The answer to this is a whole lot of debate in the U.S., many times even bordering on violence.
Those who are against abortion say that the government should be able to override the decision of a woman and require her to continue with her pregnancy and childbirth. These people base their stance on the strong belief that human life begins at the ovum and spermatozoon stage. This makes a pre-embryo, embryo and fetus all humans that are entitled to the basic human right to live, along with all other human rights.
One of the most insidious examples of anti-abortion advocates is their argument for “post-abortion stress syndrome” in spite of the fact that there is no evidence to prove this. A proposed law in South Dakota would ban most abortions on the grounds that “an abortion subjects the pregnant woman to significant psychological and physical health risks.”
The Roman Catholic Church and many other religious bodies also strongly oppose abortion.
People who argue in favor of abortion say that it is totally the woman’s decision and the government has no right to interfere, or should limit its interference to only very rare circumstances. She should be able to have an abortion if she wants to. They base their stance on the belief that a human life begins after conception when the embryo’s heart starts beating, or when the fetus begins to take a human shape, or when it is born, or it half emerges from the mother, or is completely disconnected from the mother and becomes an independent human life.
In the United States, abortion has been made legal. Supporters of legal abortion say that this legalization resulted in a huge decrease in women dying from abortion and that’s because abortion is not a dangerous procedure any longer, since women do not have to go through self-induced abortions and they are done by experienced physicians.
If we go back to our ancestors, Aristotle taught “delayed ensoulment,” which meant that a fetus in the initial stages was nothing but a vegetable soul and evolves into a human soul later in gestation. This was even called ensoulment and was believed to occur at 90 days after conception for a female fetus and 40 days after conception for a male fetus. In those days, since gender could not be determined, abortion and contraception were not condemned. It was only in the later stages of pregnancy that a human soul is destroyed. On the other hand, Jewish faith generally opposed abortion, unless it posed a risk to the life of the mother. Over the centuries, different stances were taken at different times.
Supporters of abortion argue that the bible is also completely silent on the issue of abortion. The word “abortion” does not appear in any of the biblical translations. They go on to relate that according to the bible, life begins at birth – when a baby draws in its first breath and the embryo or fetus is not a human being. The bible gives the definition of life as “breath” several times.
However, anti-abortionists show basis in the bible for their beliefs, by citing passages or quotes that actually do not use the word abortion or pro-life. They say there are several scriptures in the Bible where God indirectly shows that he is pro-life.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
As far as the United States Political parties are concerned, they have taken different sides, with the majority of the Republicans being pro-life and a majority of the Democrats supporting a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion.
Belief that a human being exists at conception is purely a matter of faith, not fact. Several Christian denominations and religious groups now agree that the bible does not condemn abortion anywhere and that abortion should continue to be legal.
The general feeling is that it is important to find common ground – not by going completely against abortion or “favoring” abortion as the taking of an innocent life can never be acceptable. This has to be dealt with in such a way that it reduces the number of abortions. Abortions can be legalized as far health risks for the baby or mother are concerned and not in other situations.
The debates and discussions will continue as long as there is conscience and as long as life matters.
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Wake up America God is not asleep what so ever you reep you will sow Abortion is wrong when your time is up in this world what will you say to God during jugdement . AND THERE IS JUDGEMENT AND YOU WILL BE JUDGED
that is really mean to do a baby dont get pregant and m=be like oh i dont wan this baby dont be stupid
i dont agree about abortion, they didnt give chance the babies to live with this world.if they didnt like the baby to race or to grow , why they cant give to the couple without baby.or they give to the orphanage..
its very pity the infant or the angles they cant give chance to live this world
Yea abortion is bad but im 14 years old and i got mines .. Is that a problem like really people do it for a reason and a person like me couldnt keep it because i was sexual raped but i bet u aint think about that .. so what if people get them its harmful and its against my belief but i did it because i was experiencing changes in my life and im adopted . I got adopted 3 times and i got adopted at 9 months . I dont even know my father but u know it doesnt matter everyone had there reasons.
You have murdered your child, but God will give you forgiveness if you ask. But don't pretend like 2 wrongs make a right. there is mercy with God, but God is angry when people try to call wrong right. Rape does not allow you to do murder. That's like saying, that someone beat me up, so i have the right to kill someone because i got beat up, but whats worse with abortion is that you aren't just killing someone, your killing, murdering your own family because you don't want the responsibility of a child. There is adoption you know, my cousin was given up for adoption because my aunt was young, and my cousin was so blessed that she lived that she adopted three russian girls. You can repent, and ask God for forgiveness and He will grant you it, but you can't go pretending like it wasn't wrong, as the Bible says, 'woe to those who call good evil, and evil good.'
I know you probably dont want a baby that will remind you of being raped every day, but why would you kill an innocent child for the fathers crime? That baby had a chance to live, it could have been adopted like you, could've had hope like you.
Just reading your post and imagining you speaking these words as you typed them is a prime example of why abortion should remain legal. "..but I'm 14 years old and I got mines" That in and of it self is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. On one hand I'm glad you had the abortion because I have no doubt your child would have been just as dumb and illiterate as you seem to be. On the other hand I hate the thought of you having been pregnant at 14, God only knows how many children you've had since then and chose not to abort them.
first off,i dont agree with abortion,its wrong but i want to remind you that you were talking to a 14 year old girl,have some tact because you have no idea what that little girl went through.i do believe that she should have adopted out ,to give that child a chance but that does not meen that we should treat her this way,she is confused and unexperienced and needs to grow up a little,she may find herself going pro-life like myself.i had children young,i never had an abortion but as i got older i learned a lot more about abortion and the effects that it has on the unborn and the parent.lets try to be real about this and give her support and knowlage intead of critasism.
all i can say is free will. everyone makes their mistakes and everyone should get a chance and if that chance is through abortion then so be it. Abortion is bad, i agree, but it is up to the woman to decide wether they want to keep the baby or not it is their body not yours.
Should've thought it was also HER body, before she gave it up to an irresponsible excuse for a man....Why is it not "Hers", in the sack, but "His" now? I don't know ANYONE that died of virginity....
That's why sex is reserved for grown folks, even if some grown folks still act like kids....kids should still study and get educated, rather than play grown-ups.
PEOPLE have you not seen the pictures of these beautiful lives that have been mutilated and cut up and thrown out into the trash? im sorry but i had a beautiful daughter when i was 16,and i would not have even thought of of abortion as an option i am in depth of the lord for my girls and i am PRO LIFE and as far as i concerned the people who choose to have abortions can dies and fry in hell for eternity!!!!!!!
Abortion is wrong period! No ifs ands or buts about it. That is a baby from the moment of conception through to delivery to the day that person dies later in life it is a baby no matter what i dont care if you were raped incest or whatever. How can you look at those pictures at the begginning of this article and not see the pain in their eyes the pain of the physical abortion and the pain of the not being wanted. If you want to debate me on this then go right ahead i am ready for it. But know that GOd will judge you for what you have doen. you will and shall not escape judgement.
i agree with you,i would love to talk
The "burn in hell comments" are more than a little disturbing. Guess that's Christian love for you.
I myself could never have an abortion unless my life was in danger, but for anyone to tell someone else what they can and cannot do concerning their own health -- that's pretty wrong, too. The mother is the one who will have to live with the decision to abort, keep, give up for adoption, etc.
Life begins at conception, and abortion is very wrong.
DIANA, I am very sorry you went through the pain of rape. I will pray for your healing and well-being...but abortion was not the right decision. That was still an innocent baby, who was a victim just like you were. No one should decide if another person has the right to live or not.
Diana, many people have had abortions, but found forgiveness in Jesus. I PROMISE you, if you repent, if you tell Him you are sorry, He will forgive you and welcome you with loving arms. He won't shun you, He won't hate you...He loves you, even now. He loved you even when you were having the abortion done. He wants you to know He loves you, very very much, and always has....the abortion wast was very wrong, but there is hope. Please, run back to Jesus. He won't turn you away. There are also places that specifically help those who have had an abortion....Rachel's Vineyard is one (rachelsvineyard.org), and another is Silent No More Awareness. There is the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing at 800-5WE-CARE.
Please, I recommend you look into those organizations. They want to help you. And Jesus does too. Trust me, I've done horrible things myself, but I asked Jesus to forgive me and He has. I hope you experience healing and have a wonderful, fulfilled and joyful life!!
And to those who said horrible "I hope those who had an abortion can die and go to hell" stuff...that is an AWFUL to say. If you are Christian, you should be ashamed of yourself. You are wishing a horrible fate on one of GOD'S children. He certainly doesn't want them in hell! He wants them to come back to Him, to heal, to have peace. From those comments, you do not sound loving and compassionate like Jesus is. You condemn, when you should be CONCERNED for women who have had abortions, and even the men who have taken part in them.
I have no problem with religious people who keep their beliefs to themselves. This, however, is one of the many problems I have with the fundamentally religious. They must push their beliefs on anybody who isn't a part of their religion. @Chris Evans Are you really comparing being raped w/ getting beat up, and abortion w/ murder? Any rape victim has every right to an abortion, as do any women who unintentionally become pregnant (i.e. failed contraceptives). This antiquated view on abortion is one of the many reasons humanity suffers from overpopulation. In addition, let me throw this situation out there. Suppose a pregnant woman is told that if she does not have an abortion she will die. Suppose also that she is a doctor who saves lives, and will save countless more lives in the future. The woman can produce more children in the future, but she cannot be brought back to life. Is it, then, ethical to let this woman die for a fetus? And what of the people she would've saved in the future permitted she had the abortion and lived? (Serious answers only, no bible verses.)
first off a doc.cant be 100% sure that a woman will die under any circumstances and if they do than they arent a good doc.i have a friend that went through this ,not a doc,however,she was told that she would not servive the pregnancy if she didnt get an abortion,she did not do it,now her little one is a teen and she and the little girl are both healthy.now if she had had the abortion,the child would not be there today.also,ot to ofend you ,but you should look up some of the woman and men on youtube that where ment to be aborted and it didnt work,there is one woman that her mother tryed 3 times and the baby faught it every time,that woman is an advocate for pro-life,she struggled knowing her mother tryed to abort her but found healing in her own family,im not real religious,just to be clear and my stance on abortion is based on research,take a look at the woman i was talking about,melissa ohden is her name,let me know what you think.