The abortion issue is very controversial; there are many voices against it as well as for. But what the abortion actually is? It is a purposeful termination of pregnancy with intention other
Jasmin Belkarty
Religious Education Coursework
Sanctity of life is the equality of being sacred or holly; it is a gift from God; it makes every single human being to be special and sacred and as such should be treated.
The Bible says: 'So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them' *1
So if we all come from God and have something of God's nature in us, or at least capacity to show God's nature, how it is possible to kill something so special, especially a child?
The abortion issue is very controversial; there are many voices against it as well as for. But what the abortion actually is? It is a purposeful termination of pregnancy with intention other than to produce a live born infant or to remove a dead fetus.
One of the opinions for abortion is 'If the anti-abortion movement took a tenth of the energy they put into noisy theatrics and devoted it to improving the lives of children who have been born into lives of poverty, violence, and neglect, they could make a world shine.' *2 . The opinion may seem right and reasonable but an other opinion worth considering, this time against abortion, is 'It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so you can live as you wish' *3. However, can the fetus in mother's womb be called a child?
When the personhood begins? When it is all right to kill it, and when it is too late?
There are many different opinions at this point. Most people believe that personhood begins at conception. That is, a newly formed zygote is a full human being and must be protected as such. It has the rights, including the right to not be deprived of its own life.
Scientists define that a moment when human life begins is when a unique DNA code is formed, it is shortly after conception. The conception is fertilization of a woman's egg by a man's sperm.
Based on Biblical theme, some people believe that personhood begins when blood first appears in the pre-embryo at perhaps 18 days after conception.
Other opinions on the case are:
- When embryo loses its tail and look vaguely human
- When a fetus' face beings to look fully human
- After 21 weeks gestilation
- When a fetus is viable
- When fetus half-emerges from his/her mother's body (Jewish teaching)
- At birth; when the fetus becomes apart from his/her mother as a newborn.
So the dilemma, when the fetus becomes a child, and up to which point human have power to kill it as a non-human so therefore do not consider it as a murder, is still an arguable issue.
People should have a right to decide according to their morality and religion, nevertheless "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want." *4
Bill Clinton, however, said 'I have always believed that the decision to have an abortion generally should be between a woman, her doctor, her conscience, and her God' *5
So now, I would like to explore the religious points of view. I have chosen to discuss Islamic teachings, as they are the closest to my own.
Islam does not permit abortion under normal health conditions, and considers it an elaborate act of killing an innocent person, which is heinous crime under any law.
In the Qur'an, Allah says 'Do not take life- which Allah has made sacred- except in just cause.' *6
Abortion could be allowed for a woman's health sake, and that too when properly suggested by some responsible specialist/physician.
Under normal health conditions, and particularly when the fetus is developed enough (that specialists consider it a live body), abortion amounts to deliberate killing and therefore, not allowed.
Abortion or even prevention of conception for fear of economic hardships is the negation of the basic article of Islamic faith that God is sole Provider and Sustainer of ...
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In the Qur'an, Allah says 'Do not take life- which Allah has made sacred- except in just cause.' *6
Abortion could be allowed for a woman's health sake, and that too when properly suggested by some responsible specialist/physician.
Under normal health conditions, and particularly when the fetus is developed enough (that specialists consider it a live body), abortion amounts to deliberate killing and therefore, not allowed.
Abortion or even prevention of conception for fear of economic hardships is the negation of the basic article of Islamic faith that God is sole Provider and Sustainer of every living soul. That being the reason, the act will be un-Islamic.
Seeking abortion for no "good" reason at all, and saying that the "mother" or "father" just does not want that baby - is inhuman and cruel thinking. No sane, believing person would allow that.
If even the conception is the result of extra-marital union or forced rape, abortion is not allowed, because the innocent baby to be has the right to life, which cannot be denied. The biological parents - both or either one - or else the society/state are responsible to take care of such "un-wanted" or illegal births.
Authentic specialist medical opinion can be obtained to ascertain if there was any serious danger to mother and child, and that there was no other way to save the mother's life, but through abortion. That seems only one condition, where abortion could be considered, again under the guidance of some learned scholar of Islamic Law.
In Qur'an Allah also says 'A soul cannot die except by Allah's permission, the lifespan being fixed as if by written contract'*7; 'Allah fixes the time span for all things. It is He who causes both laughter and grief; it is He who causes people to die and be born' *8
So abortion is not allowed in Islam, unless it is to save mother's life. Some situations when the pregnancy or child might be handicapped include:
Ectopic Pregnancy: In a normal conception, sperm fertilizes an ovum in one of the woman's two fallopian tubes (a.k.a. oviducts). The fertilized ovum then moves down the tube and implants itself in the wall of the uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo becomes lodged in the duct. Initially, there is no problem. However, as the embryo grows, it will become too large to be accommodated by the duct. Unless the woman obtains immediate medical care, she will inevitably die of an internal hemorrhage. Ectopic pregnancies happen in about one per 4,000 pregnancies, and about one per 65 in-vitro fertilization pregnancies. The normal medical procedure is to cut the fallopian tube, remove the developing embryo, and stop the bleeding. The embryo inevitably dies due to a sudden termination in the woman's life support services.
Uterine Cancer: Very rarely, a pregnant woman is diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. From a moral standpoint, this situation is similar to the previous example. However, in this case, the fetus would not be threatening the life of the woman; the cancer would. The normal medical response would be to surgically remove the womb and its contents, including the cancerous growth and the fetus. Unless a late-term fetus was involved, it would inevitably die - again because of lack of life support.
Multiple pregnancies: New methods are now coming into common use to help infertile couples conceive. These involve in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and ovary stimulation techniques. Unfortunately, the procedures are somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes they produce too many simultaneous pregnancies -four, five or even more fetuses sharing one womb. Often, all of them cannot come to full term and be born together; they will be born so prematurely that their survival is questionable. They may survive but be seriously disabled. Physicians have introduced the technique of "fetal reduction" to handle such situations. A number of the fetuses are selectively aborted. This reduces the number remaining in the womb to a manageable level, so that all have a good chance of developing fully before being born.
Summarizing, the Islamic teachings treat mother's life as sacred, as it allows abortion to save her life. Islam also regards the sanctity of life of the un-born child, as it does not allow abortion if for example the mother was a rape victim or simply do not want to have the baby. Islam protects its holly and sacred live.
In England, however, the majority of people are Anglicans, a denomination of Christians, and their points of view are more liberal than Muslims'- which I discussed above or Roman Catholics', another denomination of Christianity. Roman Catholics do not allow abortion even if the child's of mother's life is handicapped.
For most British women, access to abortion is relatively straightforward. It would also probably be true to say that the anti-abortion lobby has no chance of persuading this or any government to ban abortion. Instead, where opponents of abortion are now most active is in relation to certain sorts of abortion, which are regarded as more problematic than normal. Some of the opponents present opinions, which may be considered as extremist "Because I believe that abortion is murder, I also believe that force is justified in an attempt to stop it." *8 said a member of Christian Identity, an extremist sect whose primary belief is that white people are God has chosen people, said it and everyone else is doomed to an eternity in Hell. Christian Identity also preaches the evils of homosexuality, prostitution, abortion, and general sexual unseemliness of all sorts.
In British law were many changes on the abortion case. Generally has been legal in England since 1967. The law allows a pregnancy to be terminated up until the 24th week if two doctors agree that there is a risk to the mother's physical or mental health and without time limit if the danger to the mother's life is high or the child is likely to be born with a disability. In 1974, 119,000 legal abortions were carried out in England and Wales. By 1995, this figure had risen to 154,000.
Here are some facts about changes in the British law on the case.
Prior to 1803 English Common Law permitted abortion provided it was carried out before 'quickening', the point reached at about 20 -24 weeks when it was believed the soul entered the body. Abortions performed after quickening were an offence under British Common Law, but there were no fixed penalties and the woman having the abortion was not necessarily held responsible. After 1803 the laws pertaining to abortion radically altered and termination became a criminal offence from the time of conception.
The Offences Against The Person Act 1861
In 1861, Parliament passed the Offences Against The Persons Act. The 1861 Act Section 58 made abortion a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment from 3 years to life even when performed for medical reasons. No further legal changes occurred in England until 1929. The 2 following laws provide the exceptions to this 1861 Act.
The Infant Life Preservation Act 1929
In 1929, the Infant Life Preservation Act amended the law stating it would no longer be regarded as a felony if abortion was carried out in good faith for the sole purpose of preserving the life of the mother. The Act made it illegal to kill a child 'capable of being born live', and enshrines 28 weeks as the age at which a fetus must be presumed to be viable. Importantly the Act vested doctors with the power to decide when abortion is legal in certain cases when the life of the mother is threatened. (NB. It is a criminal offence to abort a viable fetus of whatever age.)
The Abortion Law Reform Association of 1936
In 1936, the Abortion Law Reform Association was formed because of feeling that abortion legislation in its present state was unsatisfactory. The Abortion Law Reform Association recommend that the law should be made clear, as the 1861 Act still on the statute books deemed abortion illegal under all circumstances, while the 1929 Act stated that abortion was legal when it was performed by a medical practitioner who was 'satisfied that the continuance of the pregnancy was liable to endanger the health of the expectant mother'.
By 1966 public opinion relating to abortion gathered momentum, as it was felt by many people that there was a need for clarification and reform on abortion law. It was the feeling of society that legalizing the operation for medical professionals was the only way in which the tragic social problems of illegal abortions could be prevented.
The Abortion Act 1967
The Abortion Act of 1967 came into effect on the 27 April 1968 and permits termination of pregnancy by a registered practitioner subject to certain conditions. Regulations under the Act mean that abortions must be performed by a registered medical practitioner in a National Health Service Hospital or in a Department of Health approved location - such as British Pregnancy Advisory Service Clinics. An abortion may be approved for the following reasons:
. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
2. The termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
3. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
4. The continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of any existing children of the family of the pregnant woman.
5. There is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped, or in emergency, certified by the operating practitioners as immediately necessary-
6. To save the life of the pregnant woman
7. To prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
Later in 1990 amendments to the 1967, Abortion Act came into force through the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990(HFEA).
Section 37 of the HFEA later made changes to the 1967 Abortion Act in making the time limit of abortion 24 weeks under statutory grounds C and D. Statutory grounds A, B and E are now without time limit.
Recent Developments
In May 1996, 'The Termination of Pregnancy Restriction Bill' was given its first reading in the House of Lords. The Bill, if passed, would have amended the Abortion Act of 1967 so that to perform terminations on the sole ground of a diagnosis of Downs Syndrome would become illegal. The Conservative Peer Viscount Brentford introduced the Bill into the House of Lords but a second reading was not requested and the bill never became law.
Although inconsistent and contradictory in its early legal development, the introduction of the Abortion Act of 1967 clarified the position on abortion and to this day provides the prominent statutory framework on which abortion is based.
The abortion is legal, but as statistics show, it is not used to abort those pregnancies when child or mother are handicapped. Only 1,900 abortions (1%) were under ground E, risk that the child would be born handicapped.
The total number of abortions was 185,400, compared with 181,600 in 2003, a rise of 2.1% , the age-standardised abortion rate was 17.8 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44 (17.5 in 2003)
The abortion rate was highest, at 31.9 per 1000, for women in the 18-19 and 20-24 age groups
The under-16 abortion rate was 3.7 compared with 3.9 in 2003. The under-18 rate was 17.8 compared with 18.2 in 2003
82% of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, just over half (51%) took place in the independent sector under NHS contract
88% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 60% were at under 10 weeks
Medical abortions accounted for 19% of the total compared with 17% in 2003.
The statistics can be summarized by word of Mother Teresa:
"If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people to not kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want."
Sources:
To produce the piece of coursework I had to collect information about the case.
My main source of all information was the Internet and the booklet- coursework planner, which we have received from R.E. teacher.
Bibliography:
On the bottom of each page, I have included bibliography.
I have noted where does the quote come from or who said it. I have found all the quotes in the Internet and the coursework planner.
