The debate over the rights of an unborn fetus has raged throughout recent history with many good arguments both upholding and criticizing the legality of abortion. Is legal abortion considered murder? What is murder and how do you define when killing is or is not a murder? This debate is a moral and ethical one. Early term abortions should not be considered murder; nevertheless, people disagree about abortion because essentially we disagree about what defines human nature (Head, 2015). First, determine the definition of murder and the differences between it and other forms of killing; murder is the intentional death of another innocent human person (Head, 2015). The criteria defining murder are especially important; all of these requirements should be met in order to consider a death as a
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First, does abortion involve the killing of life? The answer is, yes, 99% of all abortions involve the killing of living content in the womb. Second, does an abortion kill human life? Again, the answer is yes; genetically the fetus is human. Third, during an abortion is the killing of human life done intentionally? The answer is, yes; abortion is done to intentionally terminate a pregnancy. Fourth, is the human life killed during an abortion innocent? This answer can be yes or no depending on the circumstances. If a pregnancy endangers the life of the woman, the fetus is no longer deemed “innocent” and the woman has the right to self-defense. Finally, is the human life killed during an abortion a person? In fact, in the case of a fetus, there is no brain actually present during the first few weeks after conception, so the fetus would not be considered a person. The findings of neuropsychologists have determined that the most rudimentary elements of sentience may begin sometime around the 26th week of pregnancy, which is the beginning of the third trimester (Tucker,
First, does abortion involve the killing of life? The answer is, yes, 99% of all abortions involve the killing of living content in the womb. Second, does an abortion kill human life? Again, the answer is yes; genetically the fetus is human. Third, during an abortion is the killing of human life done intentionally? The answer is, yes; abortion is done to intentionally terminate a pregnancy. Fourth, is the human life killed during an abortion innocent? This answer can be yes or no depending on the circumstances. If a pregnancy endangers the life of the woman, the fetus is no longer deemed “innocent” and the woman has the right to self-defense. Finally, is the human life killed during an abortion a person? In fact, in the case of a fetus, there is no brain actually present during the first few weeks after conception, so the fetus would not be considered a person. The findings of neuropsychologists have determined that the most rudimentary elements of sentience may begin sometime around the 26th week of pregnancy, which is the beginning of the third trimester (Tucker,