Abortion - The Pro-life versus Pro-choice Debate

Surname 1 The Immoral Act of Abortion Introduction The topic about abortion conveys the rights and wrongs of intentionally ending a pregnancy prior to normal childbirth. Abortion can also be described as the intentional killing of the fetus in development. This is an agonizing topic for both women and men facing the moral predicament of ending a pregnancy; where most people are in favor or against whereas a few are not sure what to do. Research shows that if abortion is legalized, it will generally lead to considerable decline in injuries and deaths (BBC Ethics Guide para 3). However, another group suggests that even after allowing abortion as a legal action, women can still have a risk of affecting their psychological well being negatively. The debate that concerns abortion starts with the ethical condition of the fetus. Since the fetus has specific rights, women do not have freedom to conduct abortion. The fetus is considered to be an element of the genetic species namely Homo sapiens. In this case, any attempt to destroy a human being intentionally is immoral and mostly viewed as murder. I stand as a “Pro-life” and believe that the right to life ought to always prevail over the right of an individual to equality. I believe that life starts immediately when an egg and a sperm come into contact. As the fetus develops, it gets a right to life. People must therefore accept the fact that there is right to life even for a fetus.

Buy this excellently written paper or order a fresh one from ace-myhomework.com

Surname 2

Abortion Abortion is the process of ending a pregnancy by use of medicine or surgery. The choice of ending or carrying a pregnancy is very personal. Abortion revolves around a number of essential ethical issues such as the nature of rights, relationships, just to mention a few.

Some people argue that abortion does not free women at all, but rather gives the society an opportunity not to provide to women’s needs. Women need access to financial and social equality as mothers, as well as a workplace or institutions that recognize the desires of mothers (Jeffrey 290). This can be the provision of flexible schedule along with maternity leave. There are those individuals who go up against abortion and say that abortion can damage a woman’s physical as well as emotional health in the long-term (Jeffrey 291).

My position does not necessarily mean anti-abortion. My views are as well anticipated to have suggestion for the conduct of a physician past those that relate to abortion. My responsibility as an opponent of abortion is to ensure that the fetus is not harmed regardless of the circumstances through which the mother ended up becoming pregnant (Quinn 26). As soon as man engages in sexual activity that leads to pregnancy, he should be ready to take responsibility for the pregnancy and the subsequently child. No man should demand for an abortion so as to get away from his responsibilities.

Those who oppose my opinion argue that abortion is good since it is a means of decreasing the population. They believe that abortion has been in the past used to regulate population growth and also considered to be “breach of human rights”, hence becoming a criminal act. People with a range of hereditary defects used abortion in the past to avoid children.

That was then; in present day, this is regarded as a subject of public policy and a “breach of

Surname 3 human rights”. It should also be noted that there are those that would prefer a specific gender of the baby. There are parents who would prefer to have a baby girl and/or vice versa. In case she discovers that the fetus is male, she might decide to bring the pregnancy to an end. This is as well considered to be an illegal act (BBC Ethics Guide para 5). Before any legal organization shows that murder (abortion) has taken place, it must have evidence exceeding any notion of doubt. The evidence could be a body or satisfactory body tissue.

Contraception and responsibility Sometimes it might be tricky in incidences where someone uses contraceptives. In case a woman gets pregnant, she might argue that it is right to get rid of the fetus since she took preventative measures to ensure that she does not get pregnant. I argue that everyone must take responsibility of their own cause. In this case, the mother should not attempt to abort.

It is actually not possible for a mother to survive without economic support. This is why some abortion human rights activists believe that abortion should be included as the rights of a pregnant woman. They consider that a pregnant woman has the right to make a decision on whether to end or maintain her pregnancy. Whatever the choice is made, certain legal, economic along with social actions must be availed in support of the pregnant woman (Jeffrey 98). As a pro-life proponent, I maintain that human life is incepted at conception and that the fetus is an ethical individual that deserves to live and have protection in the society. I therefore oppose medical measures that disrupt the process of pregnancy.

Pro-life primatologists should as well be given a chance in the field. The condition of the fetus is a philosophic or spiritual debate and not a scientific position. Though feminists are regularly exposed as individuals who drum for the right to abortion, this can be argued on both sides (Jeffrey 287). It must be noted that it does not necessarily mean that women's rights

Surname 4 supporters are for abortion. However, there are some who encourage practical solutions that lead to abortion. Though a woman’s body is prone to pregnancy, this does not give her the privilege to decide what to do with her body (Marquis 184). The fetus in her body is a complete person and should be treated as such. I insist that it should be clear and understood that abortion does harm the whole fetus; in this case, a separate and exclusive individual.

Some activists say that abortion does not free women and it does not give the society the opportunity to cater to the needs of women (Quinn 26). They argue that women need to be given a chance to survive socially as mothers and are not free access to fetus termination for equality.

They also argue that the government would get the chance to spend in support of mothers if there was no access to abortion (Quinn 27).

I believe that individuals should be responsible of the results of their actions. Abortion is immoral more so where the mother engaged in sex willingly. If someone voluntarily goes on an act that results in the existence of a fetus, then he or she has the responsibility of safeguarding the life of that fetus (Farhat 207). Abortion complicates the terrifying pain that rape victims go through. It is very rare to find incest victims willingly consent to an abortion. Though they view this pregnancy as unwanted, they take the pregnancy to be a way of exposing the abusive person.

In the long run, the pregnancy becomes a threat to the person responsible for it. This is why most of the perpetrators will try hard to force the incest victim to get rid of the pregnancy.

Moral personhood “Human life” refers to an entity of the biological human genus. It can also be defined as a being that possesses specific human characteristics in the human genetic code. Some of the characteristics include the ability to think, to visualize, as well as communicate. A being on the other hand is a “moral person”; this means that one that has privileges as well as duties.

Surname 5 Abortion is considered to be murder, whether life is official or not. The fact that a possible life has been terminated before being given the opportunity to live, it is clear that no one has the right to decide whether a baby lives or does not.

Pro-life institutions have images that demonstrate how terrible abortion is. No one has the right to misuse or take for granted the seed that God plants. Whether someone aborts in a secret place or not tell anyone about it, the truth shall always be revealed. This can be done through circumstance, shame, or mistake. Other than terminating life, abortion is known to bring complications which end up making the affected individuals to regret all the days of their lives.

Women should be empowered on how to conduct themselves so as to reduce the instances of rape. This will thus lower the rate of abortion in general. Ending a pregnancy out of will is also wrong; it does not matter how one gets pregnant. Support groups as well as counseling are avenues through which women can be assisted. It is also important to meet other women who went through a similar ordeal; this helps one to stop feeling left out. It also helps you gain insight and ideas so as to make the right decision.

Abortion carries with it a number of complications as well as high risk of death in the course of the procedure. Anyone who drums against abortion is very concerned with safeguarding of human life and the health of the same. Pregnancy is all about bringing a new life in to the world. It is debatable that a woman should have ethical responsibility to the fetus. May be this commitment is not sufficiently strong to do away with abortion as an alternative, but it may have the strength to limit when to choose abortion ethically. Since a fetus has the same DNA as a human being, it is classified as human being as well. A fetus stays alive because of its attachment to the womb. In this case, the right to life lies upon the decision of the woman.

Surname 6 It must also be noted that there are political as well as religious views to moral debates regarding abortion. These should be well understood at all times. Ending a pregnancy is always an intricate matter since no one makes a decision with a lot of ease (Moira et al. 515). It must be noted that abortion touches significant and ethical issues like the nature of a person, individual relationships, the state’s power over personal decisions, just to mention a few. This means that the case of abortion must be considered seriously as a moral debate. People must identify a variety of issues that are involved and talk about them free of prejudice (Moira et al. 516).

Religious values cannot be converted into the basis for laws that are applicable to each and every citizen. People should approach this debate in an open manner and readiness to learn from other people who might have different perceptions. This would make it possible for people to have an affirmative impact on others. It may also give us a chance to make little progress in regard to the matter. Religious views on abortion; whether a woman has the preeminence to decide concerning pregnancy, are not quite consulted. The Church states that “life begins immediately a female egg is fertilized by a male sperm”. The church further states that each new life is not a prospective human being, but rather a being with potential (Moira et al. 517). Pope John Paul II described abortion as murder. He further said that people live in a way to suggest that God does not exist. Fathers too have the right to be close to their babies. However, there are instances that compel a woman to compromise and abort. This is perceived as morally wrong since it hurts the father.

A man can lose the right to become a parent if a woman so decides. If a woman misleads a man and tells him to accomplish certain issues in order to become a father, then there is an understanding (Parke & Broyy 78). If the man does all that he is told, then it would be wrong for the mother to intentionally prevent him from being a father. There are times when a woman

Surname 7 deceives a man and ends up getting pregnant by mistake. Sometimes she might fail to come clear, especially when she is not ready to have a family. A man would be deprived his right to a child if the woman aborts the unborn child when the man is delighted about it. There are other occasions where a woman engages herself in a relationship just to hurt a man. She might be doing this and pretend to love him, knowing that she does not want the baby. These actions as well as the deception cause extra harm to the father (Parke & Broyy 81).

I consider that abortion is murder despite other people’s opinion about when life starts official. Terminating the life of a potential life before it gets an opportunity is really tormenting.

When the father does not want anything to do with the child, then it is the mother’s call. There are states where men are denied the right to compel a woman into abortion (Parke & Broyy, 82).

However, this does not necessarily mean that they will escape responsibility. If the mother decides to carry on with the pregnancy and delivers the baby, the father has to cater for upbringing of the child. This is also applicable in cases where the father advocates for an abortion.

Pro-choice View on Abortion These are “supporters of abortion rights” and consider deliberate abortion to be acceptable in some circumstances. “Privacy right implicit” is the precise right of a woman to decide whether to terminate or keep pregnancy as stated in the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments (Jeffrey 301). However, some constitutional clauses give a woman the right to terminate her pregnancy. For instance, the Fourth Amendment indicates that citizens have “the right to be secure in their persons” (Jeffrey 302).

Pro-Choices keep on saying that abortion can only be a crime (murder) if a fetus is identified to be a person. However, it is known that fetuses can be recognized as persons the

Surname 8 moment they are available at birth. There is however another group that observes abortion to be a male plot. Most of them are in favor of abortion (Jeffrey 305). This group of people argues that the public must realize that men have wrong motives when drumming for abortion. They have an argument that men observe pregnancy as a barrier to having sex. They go further and suggest that it is pertinent that abortion be freely accessible if men are to get full sexual freedom. In this case, sex freedom is viewed as having sex without taking responsibility. In this group, it is evident that men support abortion so as to keep on exploiting women.

Feminists of the 19th century were against abortion because they saw it as a reason for men to engage in irresponsible sex. There are women's rights supporters who perceive that women should be given full access to legal abortion, especially those who are mentally and physically challenged. There are those who do not understand what happens so as to get pregnant. May be she has no education about sexual intercourse. In a case like this, the mother could have less responsibility of her actions. They go on further and say that banning abortion puts women at great risks (Jeffrey 305). Moreover, they say that this would be a basis for inequality and discrimination since it is not a danger faced by men. They also suggest that abortion should be available at no cost because the poor will suffer discrimination with their lives at risk.

The pro-choice say that pro-lifers do not have the right to “force” a woman to make her decision in regard to the life of a baby (Quinn 26). They go on and say that abortion is legal, and that it would still be an alternative if it was not a legalized act. There is also the case of rape pregnancies. Many victims of sexual violence give birth as a way of obtaining healing (Quinn 27). However, there are those who decide to terminate on the basis that they do not want to deliver a rapist’s child.

Surname 9 A research conducted by the Guttmacher Institute confirmed that about 68 percent of women argued that they have no resources to cater for the children. Twenty-seven percent of them said that the only option they have is to terminate the pregnancy. Twenty percent mentioned that due to health reasons, they could not carry on with the pregnancy. Thirty-eight percent said they were young and could be they were hiding pregnancies from their guardians; some are even directed by their parents to end their pregnancies (Moira et al. 310). Despite these truths, there is still not enough reason why another person should have the discretion to end the life of another human being, especially the innocent fetus which is voiceless.

Conclusion The debate between pro-life and pro-choice has a tendency of overlooking the reality that most women, who engage in abortions, do not engage in it out of choice. Some are forced to abort due to unavoidable cases; they consider abortion to be the safest option other than having the baby. I must conclude by saying that abortion is evil, illegal and in-human. I feel that abortion is murder and that if a criminal on the street should not commit murder, then a mother should not either. The mother can have control over her own body, but a fetus; a life in the mother's body is a whole different topic and goes beyond what the mother should have a right over. The fetus should not have to pay for the mother's careless mistakes, and even if abortion puts the mother at risk or she got pregnant by rape, I still do not think it is moral.

If people want to regulate the population, then they should stay away from unwanted pregnancies or unprotected sex; this is better than proceeding to abortion. There is always a question of whether it is ethical or unethical to force someone to carry on with a pregnancy. If lawful abortion is done away with, then women will be forced to carry pregnancies till the time of delivery. Almost in all cases, pregnancy takes place as a result of sexual activity; therefore,

Surname 10 everything about abortion must consist of the subject about the ethics of sex. It is agreeable that pregnancy is a most probable end result of engaging in sexual activity, especially where contraceptives are not used; hence mothers should take full responsibility and not terminate the pregnancy.

Surname 11 Works Cited BBC Ethics Guide. "Abortion", BBC. 2012. Web. 06 April 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/ Farhat, Moazam. “Feminist discourse on sex screening and selective abortion of female fetuses.”

Bioethics, 18.3 (2004), p 205-220. Print.

Jeffrey, Blustein. “Doing what the patient orders: Maintaining Integrity in the Doctor-Patient Relationship," Bioethics 7 (1993), p 289-314. Print Marquis, Don. “Why abortion is immoral.” Journal of Philosophy, 86 (1989), pp. 183-202. Print.

Moira, Stephens, Christopher Jordens, Ian Kerridge and Rachel Ankeny. “Religious perspectives on abortion and a secular response.” Journal of Religion & Health, 49.4 (2010), p 513535. Print.

Parke, D. Rose and Broyy A. Armin. Throw away dads: The myths and barriers that keep men from being the fathers. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1999. Print Quinn, Warren. “Abortion: Identity and loss”. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 13.1 (1984), pp.

24-54. Print.