I believe that the quote has a valid opinion, but on the other hand, understand that people cannot always provide for a child, or may have a medical problem which could cause them harm is they went through with a pregnancy. They should be allowed the freedom to choose whether they want an abortion, but should only use this as a last resort. Careless pregnancies should not happen, as people should take more care, and use contraceptives.
If what God says is right, and what he does sets a precedent, then why does he kill? In the story or Noah, God wiped out the whole world (except for a few people and animals), just because it did not please him that the world had turned out the way it did, as it was not what he had planned. In these actions, is God not doing the same thing as a woman might do when she has an abortion? She is terminating her pregnancy because it is not what she wants, it is not what she planned, and she is unsure whether she will like the outcome. If God can do this, it must be right to abort a pregnancy, and therefore be deemed acceptable to the Christian religion.
Another quote taken from Psalm 139;13 in the Christian Bible states “Thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb”.
A Christian believer would say this quote is saying that God is greeting you from the moment of conception.
I believe in the meaning of this quote, as an embryo begins forming from the moment of conception, and is immediately a life form.
In the first letter of Corinthians, verse 3, lines 16-17, the Christian bible quotes “You are God’s temple. Anyone who destroys God’s temple will himself be destroyed, because the temple of God is holy; and that temple you are.”
This is saying that the ultimate decisions of life or death are only to be made by God, not humans, and that humans do not have the right to decide who should live or die.
Religious View’s on Abortion
Sikhs, Roman Catholics and members of the Church of England all have different views on abortion. This is as their God (s) and holy books teach them from different aspects.
The most lenient of views are that of the Church of England. In their view, all life is a gift by God, so most Christians are against abortion. In the view of the vicar, abortion is like war, it is not a good way to solve a situation, but is sometimes the best way out of a bad situation. This could be when the foetus is confirmed as handicapped, it may be the best option to abort the foetus. A Church of England vicar would support anyone who came for counselling, no matter what their decision on abortion may be. They would prefer the mother did not have an abortion, and in the case of a social abortion, where a person may not be able to offer the child their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, warmth), they would prefer her to have the baby, and offer it for adoption.
Followers of the Church of England have a wide range of opinions on abortion, and most are flexible in their approach. Some believe that abortion is wrong under any circumstances.
The religion with the strongest views on abortion is the Roman Catholic Church. They believe that human life is present from the beginning of the pregnancy, as they do not have proof that it is not.
They believe that even the unfertilised egg has the status of a human being, and that motherhood is the supreme ideal. Abortion to them is murder. They feel very strongly that the foetus is alive, so if a woman late in her pregnancy has a miscarriage, they will perform a funeral. Earlier miscarriages are not given a full funeral, but are still considered to be a child.
Finally, the Sikh religion has similar views to that of the Church of England. They consider that a medical abortion is acceptable, and even advise abortion if it is felt that a woman’s life is at risk due to pregnancy.
They believe that life starts at conception, as the soul enters the body, and that general abortion is not acceptable.
Arguments for and Against Abortion
Anti-abortionists believe that a foetus is a human being from the moment of conception, and if left alone, will develop into a human being. Their belief is that a foetus is a life form, and has the same rights to life, as any other human being.
They may base their views on religious beliefs, as Roman Catholics believe that a life is present from the moment of conception, or it may be that they have strong beliefs on personal grounds.
They also believe a foetus showing signs of physical or mental handicap has the same rights as a healthy foetus, as just because a child has a handicap, does not mean they cannot lead a healthy and rewarding life, and bring joy to a family.
Tests on a foetus will show if it has a disability, but cannot always show how severe the disability may be. With the fear of a severely disabled child being born, prospective parents may feel they are unable to cope, and that abortion is the only option available to them. They may have an existing family unit, and a disabled child could put too big a strain on their life.
On the other hand, the disability of the child could only be mild, and an abortion may not be necessary, and anti-abortionists feel that this is a valid reason for not aborting the pregnancy.
All babies have the right to be provided with their basic needs e.g. food, clothing, warmth, love and shelter. Someone unable to provide these needs may feel they have the right to abort their pregnancy, as bringing a child into this situation would be unfair on the child.
A young adult not planning for a baby, or not living in their own home, or without a job, may feel they cannot bring a child up properly, as they would not be able to afford to pay for the child’s needs.
People against abortions would say that someone in this situation should carry the child to full term, and have them adopted, rather than ending a life.
Pro-life campaigners feel strongly that many abortions are due to unwanted pregnancies, which occur through lack of education about contraception, or through carelessness. They believe better education, would prevent many of these pregnancies.
It is felt that a woman left pregnant as a result of rape, has a valid case for abortion within some religions. The Church of England, and Methodist churches say that abortion in this circumstance is ‘the lesser of two evils’. It is felt that a child born of a rape would be a constant reminder to the mother of her rape, and may cause her trauma and mental instability. She may want to show the child love and affection, but find this difficult because of what had happened to her.
Anti-abortionists may again feel that this type of pregnancy should go full term, and that the child should be put up for adoption. They would say that it is not the fault of the child that they were conceived in traumatic circumstances, and that they should have the right to life.
Conclusion:
In conclusion I feel that abortion should be allowed, as it is a woman’s right to choose.
In cases where the mother’s life is at risk due to pregnancy, I feel abortion is an acceptable, and also when a child is diagnosed with a severe disability.
Personally, I would not want to abort a pregnancy if I was unsure how severely disabled the child would be. It may be that it would only be born with mild learning difficulties, or a mild handicap, and could have a good quality of life. However, I can fully understand that someone may want to abort their pregnancy in these circumstances, as even though the child may be born with a mild handicap, it could also have a severe disability.
On the issue of teenage pregnancy, I can understand their need to have an abortion. I believe the difficulties arise because of the many social issues that can effect their decision; one being their parents may not be supportive, or willing to help them. They could be thrown out of their parental homes, and left to take care of the child alone. In this case, it may be better for them to consider aborting the pregnancy. If a pregnant teenager was to finish her education at school, they could encounter prejudice, and find it hard to get through day-to-day life. If they are too young to work full time, they could not support a child financially or run a home. They would be unable to provide the child with it’s basic needs.
It may be in some cases of teenage pregnancy, there would be support from parents, and they would help them raise their child.
The decision for a young person to have a child, is a very hard one, as they would need to support of others, in order to be able to raise their child. Because of these factors, I feel that teenagers should have the right to abort their pregnancy.
However, I disagree with abortions for some social reasons. Someone who has a decent home, and is able to provide for a child, should not abort their pregnancy, as they should be capable of raising their child.
A child’s life should not be taken away, just because it is an inconvenience.
