It is also clear that by allowing abortion, society is taking the easy way out. Some of the grounds for abortion e.g. risk to the mother’s mental and physical health and to her existing children are social rather than medical and have in practice brought about: ‘abortion on demand’. Anti-abortion campaigners think that we should be concentrating on improving the quality of life in society. Many young girls feel that they need to have an abortion because they aren’t financially able to look after a child. Personally, I believe that they should get more help from the social services and housing executive and then there would be less chance of them feeling that they need to have an abortion.
A frequently asked question is: ‘Does the baby feel pain in an abortion?’ The pain mechanism has been found to be functioning in the pre-born child as early as 45 days after conception. Abortion does cause pain. In the film, "The Silent Scream," an actual first-trimester abortion is seen via ultrasound. The baby can be seen repeatedly moving to dodge the abortionist's suction instrument, and her heart rate doubles. As she is dismembered, her mouth opens in a silent scream. Anti-abortionists believe that abortion is violence - against pre-born children, and against the women in whose bodies the violence takes place.
A lot of women seek abortions because there is a great risk that their child will be born with serious mental or physical abnormalities. However, some people with the most awful handicaps can lead happy, creative and fulfilled lives. Also, every aborted foetus is a potential human being, you never know, they could be a Beethoven or a Marie Curie. Beethoven was born deaf and his parents had inherited diseases. Also, his brothers and sisters were all born with disabilities. Yet he went on to be one of the most famous music composers in the world.
The supporters of abortion believe that if a woman is raped and becomes pregnant then an offering an abortion is practical way of helping her but in fact only about 1% of abortions are related to rape. So therefore, abortion is unnecessary. Anti-abortionists are convinced that abortion is discrimination against the weak. Just because an unborn baby can’t speak doesn’t mean that any human can take advantage and treat it any old way. Unborn babies are unique, different and have potential personalities. How could anyone want to take this life away?
On the other hand, supporters of abortion believe that the law on abortion does not go far enough and that abortion should be made more readily available. The supporters of abortion have many arguments for abortion. Firstly, an embryo is a cluster of cells which is a potential human being, not an actual person. A foetus is only a potential life but there can be no argument about the humanity of the woman. Therefore an abortion is not the murder of a human being.
Also, each woman should have the right to terminate the baby if she wishes, as taking control of your own fertility is everyone’s right. There is no such thing as 100% safe and certain contraception and so women still need abortions. As well as that, abortion should be legal to prevent any dangerous and unhygienic ‘back-street’ abortions. Even if abortion were a crime thousands of women would still risk their lives and health in back-street abortion clinics.
An expectant mother may realise that the task of raising a child would be unbearable and so it would be better if she didn’t have it. Of course, abortion is never an easy thing to do but no-one is better suited than the woman concerned to make that decision. Doctors have no special moral or ethnic training which makes them fitter than pregnant women to make these sorts of decisions. It should be purely up to the woman whose life is going to be change whether they want the baby or not. Some mothers feel they do not want the child even once it is born but every child has the right to be a wanted child. Abortion saves thousands of children from being unwanted and saves society from many problems and so should be available. Some people suggest that the mother should have the baby but then give it up for adoption if they do not want but it is easier said than done, it is more of a trauma to give up a child for adoption than having an abortion.
Abortion should be made available for women suffering under extreme conditions e.g. rape or if their life is at risk. If a woman is raped and becomes pregnant then offering an abortion is a humane and practical way of helping her. Rape is a hard enough thing to have to cope with never mind the extra stress of having a baby. Also the mother would most likely not want anything to do with the man who raped her but yet he would still be the father of her baby. It wouldn’t be fair to put anyone in that situation. Also, no society has ever been known where abortion has not existed in some form, whatever the male secular and religious leaders have said.
A moderate view on abortion suggests that abortion should be allowed under special circumstances, e.g. if the mother has been raped, or if the mother’s life would be at risk if she continued with the pregnancy. Presbyterians and Methodists are two examples of religious groups that have a moderate view.
After looking at the arguments for and against abortion I have come to the conclusion that I agree with anti-abortionists and that I think that abortion is wrong. The Bible states in Exodus 20:13: ‘Do not commit murder’. In the Bible, an unborn baby is seen as a human life with feelings and a personality. I am a Christian and so I agree with the Bible view-point. However I don’t think that abortion is just a matter of ‘religion’ -it is about murder, injustice and the denial of human rights. The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child states that children need protection before, as well as after birth. Therefore I believe that abortion is a gift to today’s society.
