Many people would often say that children should be cherished and nurtured because they will be the voice of the future. They should be given a good life by their parents and they should be protected from all harm, especially as they grow older. However, for some children, they may never live to see the light of the outside world as their parents ‘abort’ their chances of being born into the world without the chance of fighting back. This trend of abortion has earned immense debate between sectors as there are those who call for its legalization since they believe these unborn fetuses do not qualify as human beings while in their early stages, while there are those who see that it is a violation of moral and social norms. Abortion should not be taken lightly because not only is it a mortal sin and a form of murder, it should not be used as a reason to get out of the responsibilities of being a parent.
The first major argument when it comes to abortion is the fact that it is a mortal sin. The Catholic Church – as stressed in the Ten Commandments – advocates the right to life to every human being. The act of abortion is also not mentioned in the Bible because it was “unthinkable” and children are considered gifts from God . They also argue that that the ensoulment of a fetus already takes place after 16 weeks of its conception and considered finished once the mother could finally feel the traces of new life within her. Once ensoulment occurs, that fetus is already considered a human being. If one uses abortion, the Catholic Church also argued that it would be similar to committing two capital sins under two commandments. For the Church, if a person commits or undergoes the abortion process, not only are they depriving the child to live, but they are also subjecting the child to a life without the possibility of being saved. The Church has often cited this argument whenever the issue of legalizing abortion is raised by some factions, cementing the moral norms on how abortion is seen in society. Legalizing abortion would also legitimize the misconception that disabled people (which some use to refer to fetuses) are insignificant to society as noted by these religious groups .
Second, abortion is similar to murder because a fetus is already qualified as a human being once it has been conceived. The heart begins to form immediately once the fertilization of the egg is finished and by six weeks, a fetus would record heartbeats of 100-160 beats per minute. After 40-43 days, brain waves would be detected by a medical scanner. Furthermore, it is argued that a fetus can already feel pain after twenty-two weeks of being conceived. Evidences, as stated in a British medical journal, proves that if a doctor sticks an 8-week-old human fetus in his hand, the fetus would react and move away from a perceived threat. It is also argued that medical procedures, especially like intrauterine manipulations, would cause a significant amount of pain for the child . Experts added that pain and the fact a fetus already has a soul would clearly prove that it is already a human being. Its genetic makeup is also distinctly human and as it grows bigger, the more is it immoral and illegal to abort the child .
Finally, if pregnancy was a cause of carelessness and not taking extra precaution, the woman must deal with the consequences of her mistakes and not consider aborting the child. Many opponents to legalizing abortion often stress that if it is legalized, it would open more possibilities for teenage pregnancy and unprotected sex, which not only would cause health risks but also the chances of these teenagers from attempting abortion. Teenagers are often considered not ideal parents because they are still unprepared for the brunt of responsibilities of having a family, such as taking care of the child, financial stability and others. If they conceived a child at their age, they may not be able to give a child a better life since they are either dropped out from school or cannot continue due to financial incapacity. If one of the couple does not wish to have the child, the other is morally obligated to take responsibility to keep the child and give it a life rather than sacrificing these children as if they are at fault for their predicament. If they do not wish to take care of the child, the couple should still give birth to the child and give him up for adoption rather than killing them outright .
Life is very precious and should not be taken away at any means, especially for children who have yet to see the world outside their mother’s womb. These children should be given the chance to live their life and aborting them would deprave them of their chance to grow and become outstanding members of society. Religion has clearly emphasizes that a fetus is already human by the time he is conceived and if they are aborted, it is similar to killing an innocent human being. Parents or couples who are thinking of aborting these innocent lives should consider available options when it comes to the lives of these unborn children as they should be given a chance to live. Abortion should only be considered if there is a significant medical threat to either the mother or the child that would warrant its use. However, if the reason is not life-threatening, abortion should never be permitted at anyway due to the implications it would have not just for the mother, but also for the child.
Bibliography
Anderson, Kerby. "Arguments Against Abortion." 1 October 2014. Probe Ministries. Web. 18 April 2015. <https://www.probe.org/arguments-against-abortion/>.
Education for Choice. "Abortion and Religion." 23 November 2011. Education for Choice. 2 December 2011. <http://www.efc.org.uk/PDFs/Abortion%20and%20religion%20leaflet%202011.pdf>.
Hadley, Janet. Abortion. New York: Temple University Press, 1997.
Padilla, Reynaldo. Ethics: Principles and Analysis of Contemporary Moral Problems. Quezon City: Rex Publishing, 1993.
Schiff, Daniel. Abortion in Judaism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
