The Perils of Abortion - Coursework Example

The Perils of Abortion Laura Walker First/Second Semester, Section> Outline: Introduction Pro-life: The right to live Pro-women Effects in mental health Pro-choice Conclusion References Laura Walker The Perils of Abortion Abortion is one of the most persistently controversial issues in American culture and politics today. In 1966, abortion was a crime in virtually every state in the union. In 1972, it was still a crime in a majority of states. Since the 1973 national legalization of abortion, competing groups have fought to either restrict or increase access to the procedure, leading to heated debates among political activists, religious organizations, state legislatures, and judges. In the last few decades, abortion has become a much-discussed subject. Approximately 46 million abortions take place each year. That means, on any given day this violent and disturbing procedure happens approximately 126,000 times (Williams, 2001). Abortion is regarded as a wrong doing and against humanity because of hampering the right of a human being to live. it is a mortal sin for no one has the right to put others lives in their hands. PRO-LIFE: THE RIGHT TO LIVE The most basic human right is the right to live. Human life is sacred and inviolable at every moment of existence, including the initial phase which precedes birth. According to Psalms 139:1, 13-16, all human beings, from their mothers’ womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the “book of life” (Anderson, 1997). Many religious traditions have taken a stance on abortion, and these stances span a broad spectrum from acceptance to rejection. There is no single Buddhist view concerning abortion. Traditional sources, such as the Buddhist monastic code, hold that life begins at conception and that abortion, which would then involve the deliberate destruction of life, should be rejected. Early Christians declared abortion a sin; though there is disagreement over their thoughts on what type of sin it was and how grave a sin it was held to be, it was seen as at least as grave as sexual immorality. Classical Hindu texts strongly condemn abortion. The British Broadcasting Corporation writes, "When considering abortion, the Hindu way is to choose the action that will do least harm to all involved: the mother and father, the fetus and society. Although there are different opinions among Islamic scholars about when life begins and when abortion is permissible, most agree that the termination of a pregnancy after 120 days – the point at which, in Islam, a fetus is thought to become a living soul – is not permissible. Orthodox Jewish teachings sanction abortion as a means of safeguarding the life of the woman. Although the Sikh code of conduct does not deal directly with abortion (or indeed many other bioethical issues), it is generally forbidden in Sikhism because it is said to interfere with the creative work of God (OBrien, 2011). One must begin with a commitment never to intentionally kill any innocent human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that life may seem. In other words, the choice of certain ways of acting is always and radically incompatible with the love of God and the dignity of the human person created in His image. The creation of life is God’s will, so as no human in any position has the right to take it. Direct abortion is never a morally tolerable option. It is always a grave act of violence against a woman and her unborn child. All direct attacks on innocent human life, directly and immediately violate the human person’s most fundamental right—the right to life. Moreover, as the family goes, so goes culture. Parents are the primary educators of their children, especially in the important areas of human sexuality and the transmission of human life. It is the responsibility of the parents to guide and mold their children to become good citizens both morally and spiritually. It is this distinctive role of the parents that shape the society towards a respect for human life by first being open to new life themselves; then by forming their children—through personal example. As has been said, there is no such thing as illegitimate child, only illegitimate parents. Parents who are not able to stand by their responsibilities for their children, instead they choose to satisfy their own desires sacrificing the most precious gift of God - the gift of life. PRO-WOMEN Many women suffer post-abortion complications, such as severe muscle damage and damage to the uterine wall, which can lead to scarring, future miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other future medical problems. In addition, induced abortion approximately triples the risk of suicide; women who carry full-term have about 1/2 the risk of suicide as the general female population. Abortion is also related to the increase of chances of breast, uterine and cervical cancer in women (Anderson, 1997). Apart from the other facts about abortion, it is a fact that almost ninety percent of the abortions taking place in the United States of America are illegal. These illegal abortionists work on almost an assembly line basis, and not every product they deliver is top-of-the-rack. Illegal abortions greatly increase the health risk to the mother, apart from the above described situations. Illegal abortions may not be hundred percent hygienic and may create a leeway for hundreds of types of infections and other medical malpractice situations for the mother. Overall, there are a lot of arguments against abortion that proves it not only as a moral sin, but can also create great problems to the woman and the family. The cons of abortion are great and uncountable and women and families must not by any chance consider abortion as an option in dealing with early or unwanted pregnancies. A woman must always bear in mind that abortion is immoral and can endanger her life. For any actions taken, the consequences must be faced. Abortion is not the sole solution to unwanted pregnancy; it is a form of devil’s advocate to draw followers towards sin. EFFECTS IN MENTAL HEALTH The process of abortion has been suspected by some groups of women to have posed higher risk of coping with problems and distress following the abortion procedure. Women who have undergone abortion may experience emotional attachment to the pregnancy, lack of social support, pre-existing psychiatric illness, and conservative views on abortion. These undertakings increase the likelihood of experiencing negative feelings after an abortion (Adler, David, Major, Roth, Russo, & Wyatt, 1990). Cases of attempts in abortion have caused fetal flaws and abnormalities, as well as depression to the mother, which is the most common. PRO-CHOICERS: ABORTION IS A MEANS TO CONTROL A WOMAN’S BODY AND DESTINY Those party belonging to the other side of the coin, the pro-choicers of abortion defend that abortion is a woman’s right to control her body and her destiny (Williams, 2001). This argument, approving abortion in the society is a short-term solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancies and a mere showcase of immorality and loss of humanitarianism. Furthermore, a person’s engaging in premarital sex and unprepared couples must be responsible to face the consequences of their actions. As much as a woman considers abortion as her right, the child has the same and equal right to life. Conclusion Overall, abortion should not be legalized in the society. Each and every person has the right to life and nobody has the authority to take it from the other. The bible is clear in its writings that God who is the creator of life is the only one who has the power to take the life of his people. A woman in the right mind must not resort to consider abortion as the best and only solution to early and unwanted pregnancy. She should consider the ethics and most especially her health status. Always bear in mind, everybody has an equal right when it comes to life. References Adler, N., David, H., Major, B., Roth, S., Russo, N., & Wyatt, G. (1990). Psychological responses after abortion. Science , 41-44. Anderson, K. (1997). Retrieved March 9, 2011, from Leadership U: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/arg-abor.html OBrien, B. (2011). Home: Religion & Spirituality: Buddhism: Basic Buddhist Teachings: Buddhism and Abortion. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from About.com: http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/abortion.htm Mary E. Williams.  "Introduction." Opposing Viewpoints: Abortion. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. August 2004. 8 March 2011. . Read More