Abortion
Lee is a female social worker who volunteered to work at a clinic near her home area in Oregon. She is twenty-five years old and not married. She has been a regular social service delivery attendant who aims at enhancing delivery of better services to her community. According to her, the work she does is her passion because she does not receive any salary. After engaging in a sexual affair with her male workmate, she got pregnant. However, she had not decided on the action to take because of various reasons. First, the man responsible for the pregnancy was already married. Besides, she emanated from a Christian background and both her parents would condemn the action. Lee was caught in a dilemma of aborting the pregnancy or keeping it.
Despite her profession as a social worker, whose role to be committed to clients and their free decision making processes is a crucial one, it does not however directly conform itself as for or against the permissibility of abortion. However, a major role in which is vowed by the practitioner, is towards the promotion of saving lives and making lives better in a large variety of ways for those whom seek it or who are in need of it. Ultimately, this idea of “saving lives” through social work and social justice was indeed one of Lee’s incentives. Alongside Lees personal/religious beliefs on the other hand clearly and most certainly condemned the action of abortion. Both platforms perceive it as killing because an innocent life is terminated. Besides, Lee emanates from a country where there is a heated debate concerning the legality of abortion. The debating sides look into the morality of the matter. It is worth mentioning that Lee was faced with a controversy because of the relentless advice she received from her friends. They were convincing her to get rid of the pregnancy because of the stigmatization she would get from the society. Despite her Christian morals and beliefs, she was still afraid of the rejection she would get from her parents and the society.
However, she knew that she was a Christian and hence could not involve herself in any form of human demeaning actions like abortion. Abortion was against her Christian faith as well as one of the main principals of her social profession that ultimately looks saving lives of those generally more or less, societally troubled. Globally, the issue of abortion is among issues that have an eminent moral dilemma. It is because of this reason that most countries are still debating on whether to legalize the action or not. According to the most extreme oppositional side, life begins at conception. Therefore, committing an abortion is similar to killing or murdering a person. Conversely, it is those in contrary support to the idea that committing abortion is murder whom may argue that an abortion should be tolerated under circumstances in which directly interfere or cease focus on the well-being of the pregnant woman and her freedoms.
Therefore enhancing abortion can indeed be seen as a positive facilitation to the well-being of society. For instance, there are women who unwillingly get pregnant. Besides, some of these are not in a position to take care of their babies once they are born. Some of these children end up on the street as street kids. In this case, Lee was not in a position to bring up the baby on her own. She was still living with her parents and was not receiving any form of income. On the medical arena, although the state of Oregon and its statutes of abortion are seemingly Liberal and protected in the state constitution for the lawful allocation of abortion; Oregon’s Right to Life association which is a direct affiliate of America’s oldest and largest national pro-life organization The National Right to Life Committee and of the Roman Catholic Church, conforms that all of society deserves advocation. It is a direct advocate towards the right to life not being denied or abridged under present law. It is crucial to the organization that society must work to successfully re-establish protection for all innocent human life by means of abortion.
Ethical Issue Statement
As earlier mentioned, some countries have enacted various bills that consider abortion as illegal. However, some are still debating on the ethicality of the matter. The situation has caused an eminent moral dilemma in the society. It is the large and seemingly rising percentage of state Anti-Abortion & Pro-Life affiliates whom have advocated legal measures that prevent abortion and have a major negative social and psychological impact on woman with, all-around, very limited means. Hence would it be truly ethical to deliver a baby that one would not have the ability to provide the basic needs? The main issue being that the child would be faced with many problems throughout his or her life.
Moreover, it is against the teachings of many Catholic/Christian religious movements to participate in life-taking activities like abortion. In her church, Lee knows that it is against her religion to abort. She knows that she has committed a personal predicament towards the law of her religion that directly questions the protection of human life query. According to Lee’s personal beliefs, she has gone from the ethical consideration that spells protection of human life at all costs and forbids abortion. Therefore in her case, it is pertinent to mention that it is morally unethical to kill an unborn baby without a valid reason. According to research, the life of a human being starts after conception. It is at this point that a new life is initiated with an aim of growing and developing. Like any other person, the fetus needs protection because it has a life. In fact, it can be proven that that a fetus is similar to a person. First, it feeds through her mother so that it can grow. Besides, just like a normal human being, it excretes by releasing waste. For the above reasons, it is correct that to commit abortion is equal to killing a human being. The assertion proves that executing the act is morally unethical (Allhoff, & Vaidya, 2008).
Possible Answers/Resolutions
Clearly, Lee is faced with a moral dilemma. She has to make a decision of whether to keep the pregnancy or commit abortion. The social and in many cases medical profession, faithful to the major role in which is vowed by the practitioner, towards the promotion of saving lives; ethics prohibit the action unless otherwise . It is also the perception of alternate religious faiths just like Christianity, which perceive abortion from a pro-life perspective and do not encourage it among its members.
If she decides to commit abortion, she would be guilty of killing the fetus. She would have failed to protect the sanctity of life. The notion means that human life should be protected under all circumstances. Besides, she would have also participated in causing physical pain to her life. In the later years, Lee is likely to be subjected to remorse over the actions she has taken, hence damaging her physical life. It was not necessary for Lee to accept to abort the fetus since she not only broke the law that protects life but also against the ethical concerns of life by doing this (Church of England, 1993).
Regarding her situation, Lee should make one brave decision. She should confess to both her parents and the responsible workmate that she was pregnant. The reason is these can help her out of the situation. However, she should be ready for any outcome. If they turn her down, she should find other means to protect her pregnancy and deliver the baby.
The other possible solution to this situation is that offered by pro-choice thinkers on abortion. From this perspective, abortion is not supported but Lee has the right to make a decision that she thinks would ensure a great future. In such a case, Lee has not committed any unethical activity (Lunneborg, 1992). Other considerations taken by these thinkers are that abortion should be allowed in the case that the pregnancy is likely to interfere with the life of the mother, and maybe if the pregnancy was because of rape cases.
Analysis: Relevant Facts, Ethical Values/Principles, and Consequences
Most societies consider abortion as illegal because it entails the destruction of an innocent life. The U.S is among countries that prohibit the termination of human life for no valid reason. Before considering the situation of the mother, it is always relevant to consider that situation and right of the unborn, which is either a mass of cells or a fetus. The other fact that can be considered in the case of Lee is that she has the right to protect her life from any harm. No one knows the outcome of her carrying the baby in her womb, as there is always the possibility in which it may risk her life. The notion warrants the removal of the unborn to protect the life of the host (Church of England, 1993). This is another fact that has made some countries and societies to consider abortion as a legal procedure. It is pertinent to mention the moral ethicality of Lee’s decision is justified her intentions.
With consideration of ethics, killing in most cases can be described as purely unethical, something that should not be committed by Lee. One would try to argue that the carrier of the baby has a right to determine her way of life including deciding whether to keep the fetus or eradicate it. Nonetheless, ethical concerns will always force such people to take maximum responsibility for the sex life, and hence take up what its results bring forth. In such a case that the life of the mother is at risk, ethics will consider the removal of the fetus. Nonetheless, ethics rarely caters for cases that happen without the consent of medical personnel who will work under the guidance of the legal framework to propose an abortion. For the case of Lee, she was capable health wise, unless further revelations reveal otherwise, to carry the baby and not commit abortion (Church of England, 1993).
The religious groups and the communities or societies normally give values and principles governing abortion. It is very rare to hear of communities that promote abortion under normal circumstances. Nonetheless, some religions are pro towards abortion while others have a complete neglect and denial of this act. The ethical basis of all situations is based on the society in which one lives. Considering her society, Lee should not choose to commit abortion. Her values and beliefs acquired from her Christian background should be the foundation of every decision she makes (Lunneborg, 1992). If she aborts, Lee serves as a person with no immediate values and principles that will guide her to avoid terminating the life of the fetus (Lunneborg, 1992). Evidently, the society plays a significant role in establishing the ethical basis of every action. All members of the society should use this as a framework for making all choices.
The consequences of abortion are varied. These consequences are grouped under post-abortion syndrome, which could be physical, emotional, mental, psychological and even medical challenges that a person will go through. Some of the other consequences are the death of the fetus, which is a traumatizing occurrence to many people, possible damage to the reproductive system of the mother, and the general damage to the health status of the person. In some cases, death has taken away the victims in the case that the right procedures are not followed to carry out an abortion. On the side of the ethical and legal concerns, the debate that is still going on in the world as regards the legality and illegality of abortion shelves many people from making impounding remarks on this issue (Church of England, 1993). Nonetheless, abortion strictly goes against Lee’s professional pledge and commitment towards saving lives and of course in this particular scenario, protecting and promoting natural female health and safety. While the generally unrestrictive abortion laws of the state of Oregon hold less confliction towards the action of abortion, the conduction itself is still considered illegal under some certain special considerations not only in the USA but all around the globe. From both a legal and religious perspective, the breakage of this ethical consideration can indeed be very harmful to the victim.
Statement of Resolution
References
Allhoff, F. & Vaidya A. J. (2008). Professions in Ethical Focus: An Anthology Paperback. Broadview Press
Church of England. (1993). Abortion and the Church: What are the issues? : A report. London: Church Pub. House.
Lunneborg, P. W. (1992). Abortion: A positive decision. New York: Bergin & Garvey.
Murray, Kate. “Social Workers save Lives”. We Are Not Child-snatchers or Do-gooders | Kate Murray. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Dec. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
Oregon Right To Life. “Oregon Right To Life”. Political Action Committee; State Laws in the U.S.A. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
