Introduction
Elective abortion is considered one of the most influential, controversial, and legally active areas in the field of medicine. Elective abortion is the interruption of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation at the woman’s request for reasons other than maternal health or fetal disease. Abortion first became legalized due to the Supreme Court ruling in the Roe vs. Wade case, which found that women as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. This landmark decision and controversial ruling changed the foundation of abortion within the United States, and has created the current political debate surrounding the subject. There are many arguments for and against …show more content…
The overwhelming majority believes that the Bible clearly prohibits taking the life of an innocent person, and if an unborn child qualifies as innocent then the Bible states it is forbidden. Though the Bible does not explicitly discuss abortion or its morality, Christianity has many different interpretations of the Bible and will continue to be divided over the subject of abortion.
Ethical Arguments in Favor of Abortion
The ability for women to choose what they believe is right pertaining to their own body is incredibly significant to an individual’s civil liberties. When considering the reasons for choosing an abortion the majority of women believe that they simply cannot care for the child properly. Of course, one must argue that the necessary precautions need to be taken in order to avoid unwanted pregnancy, but in order to understand abortion one must ignore these circumstances and interpret the individual’s reasoning for choosing to abort regardless of how they were impregnated. “Of the women procuring abortions 85% are either not married or not in a significant relationship. The following reasons have been offered by women for the choice of …show more content…
Christianity has provided many different interpretations of elective abortion to millions of people in the United States. “Of the women procuring abortions, 65% self-identify as Christian.” (Christian Bioethics, 187) Although the majority of women receiving abortions identify themselves as Christian, religion does not always give us a clear sign of its importance towards the public’s view of abortion. “The small amount of literature on the relationship between religion and attitudes on abortion does not give us a clear indication of the importance of religion in determining attitudes on abortion.” (Sociological Analysis, 243) One thing that most people can agree on is that the Bible explicitly says that killing prohibits taking the life of an innocent person. The Bible also does not recognize the difference between an unborn child and a child that is born; this tells us that the Bible would consider any form of abortion as taking an innocent life. When one determines that the fetus is a person and therefore is considered an innocent life, the argument surrounding the morality of abortion becomes clear. “It seems likely, therefore, that church-based social networks among religious conservatives and Catholics provide the strongest plausibility structures for the conservative stance on elective abortion.” (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 190) So we
Elective abortion is considered one of the most influential, controversial, and legally active areas in the field of medicine. Elective abortion is the interruption of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation at the woman’s request for reasons other than maternal health or fetal disease. Abortion first became legalized due to the Supreme Court ruling in the Roe vs. Wade case, which found that women as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. This landmark decision and controversial ruling changed the foundation of abortion within the United States, and has created the current political debate surrounding the subject. There are many arguments for and against …show more content…
The overwhelming majority believes that the Bible clearly prohibits taking the life of an innocent person, and if an unborn child qualifies as innocent then the Bible states it is forbidden. Though the Bible does not explicitly discuss abortion or its morality, Christianity has many different interpretations of the Bible and will continue to be divided over the subject of abortion.
Ethical Arguments in Favor of Abortion
The ability for women to choose what they believe is right pertaining to their own body is incredibly significant to an individual’s civil liberties. When considering the reasons for choosing an abortion the majority of women believe that they simply cannot care for the child properly. Of course, one must argue that the necessary precautions need to be taken in order to avoid unwanted pregnancy, but in order to understand abortion one must ignore these circumstances and interpret the individual’s reasoning for choosing to abort regardless of how they were impregnated. “Of the women procuring abortions 85% are either not married or not in a significant relationship. The following reasons have been offered by women for the choice of …show more content…
Christianity has provided many different interpretations of elective abortion to millions of people in the United States. “Of the women procuring abortions, 65% self-identify as Christian.” (Christian Bioethics, 187) Although the majority of women receiving abortions identify themselves as Christian, religion does not always give us a clear sign of its importance towards the public’s view of abortion. “The small amount of literature on the relationship between religion and attitudes on abortion does not give us a clear indication of the importance of religion in determining attitudes on abortion.” (Sociological Analysis, 243) One thing that most people can agree on is that the Bible explicitly says that killing prohibits taking the life of an innocent person. The Bible also does not recognize the difference between an unborn child and a child that is born; this tells us that the Bible would consider any form of abortion as taking an innocent life. When one determines that the fetus is a person and therefore is considered an innocent life, the argument surrounding the morality of abortion becomes clear. “It seems likely, therefore, that church-based social networks among religious conservatives and Catholics provide the strongest plausibility structures for the conservative stance on elective abortion.” (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 190) So we