WHY IS ABORTION WRONG?

NOTES1. Who has done abortion before?2. Based on the question being asked, there was no

specification the type of abortion we are to talk on. Abortion could be used in different contexts since it means to terminate something. One could abort: a journey a pregnancy a vision an academic pursuit a mission a marriage

3. Using the general knowledge of the word abortion and its usage in everyday life, we would base our emphasis on the abortion that deals with pregnancy.

4. Who told you abortion is wrong?5. Why do people abort?6. Who really is committing the abortion? The boy,

the girl or the doctor?7. A woman who was raped finds out she is

pregnant for the person she doesn’t know and she then decides to carry out an abortion, is it wrong for her to go for an abortion? Suppose she is raped by more than a man, is it wrong for her to go for an abortion?

8. If a woman is being raped by the person she loves finds out she’s pregnant and isn’t ready to carry a child (keep the baby or ready for motherhood) at that time, is it wrong for her to go for abortion? Suppose her lover isn’t ready to take responsibility, could she go for abortion?

9. Is abortion within the marriage wrong since that outside marriage is wrong?

10. A woman almost lost her life during a pregnancy, 3 weeks after she was delivered of the baby she took in again. Is it advisable for her to keep the pregnancy or carry out an abortion considering what she had pass through?

11. In a situation where a woman finds out that either her life or her unborn child could be lost or both their lives could be lost in the course of the pregnancy, could she undergo an abortion?

12. Would you call an attempt to remove a dead child from the womb of a woman, abortion?

13. Who is affected in the cause of an abortion?14. Is there any conclusion for abortion on God’s

standard or in the bible?15. What are the views of various people and

professions about abortion?16. What is the moral, physical, religious,

psychological, health, mental and social implications of abortion?

17. Why is abortion wrong?18. Is there a conclusion to the question?

DEFINITIONAbortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a foetus or embryo, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species. In the context of human pregnancies, an abortion induced to preserve the health of the pregnant female is termed a therapeutic abortion, while an abortion induced for any other reason is termed an elective abortion. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.

1. Spontaneous AbortionNot every fertilized ovum develops and matures according to the schedule outlined above. Pregnancies may end at many points in this course of development. Spontaneous abortions occur most frequently at the time when implantation must take place if the new life is to survive. For any of a number of possible reasons - improper hormone levels in the mother, some abnormality in the uterus caused by infection or scar tissue, incapacity due to genetic defect of the fertilized ovum to sustain itself, an incomplete process of fertilization - abortion will often occur at this point.

Spontaneous abortions, usually referred to as miscarriages, are less likely after the first three months of gestational development.

2. Induced AbortionToday, however, the word "abortion" is used most often to refer to action aimed at bringing pregnancy to an end. This type of abortion uses drugs or instruments to stop the normal course of pregnancy

Types of Induced Abortion

a. During the first trimester of pregnancy an induced abortion will usually be done by means of dilatation and curettage (D & C). The abortionist uses a loop shaped knife to cut the baby into pieces and scrape the uterine wall. The baby's body parts are then removed and checked to make sure that no pieces were left in the mother's womb.

b.Menstrual Extraction (endometrial or vacuum aspiration) is used for most abortions performed during the first trimester. It is done by suctioning out the lining of the uterus (endometrium) through a thin opening of the undilated cervix. It is a method used after a woman has just missed a period, or anytime up to about the eight week of pregnancy. It can be performed safely in the doctor's office and has a very low rate of mortality.

c. Suction aspiration is the procedure most often used in the first trimester of pregnancy (the first three months). The abortionist inserts a suction tube (similar to a vacuum hose with an extremely sharp end) into the mother's womb. The suction and cutting edge dismember the baby while the hose sucks the body parts into a collection bottle.

d.After the first trimester induced abortion is more difficult and less safe for the mother. A method known as Dilation and evacuation (D&E) is used to kill babies in the second trimester (24+ weeks). The abortionist uses a forceps to grab parts of the baby (arms and legs) and then tears the baby apart. The baby's head must be crushed in order to remove it because the skull bone has hardened by this stage in the baby's growth.

e. A different method - known as saline abortion - is also used for second trimester abortions. A needle is inserted through the woman's abdomen into the amniotic sac ("bag of waters"), and some amniotic fluid is drawn off and replaced with a concentrated salt solution. This poisoned solution asphyxiates the foetus. Normally the mother will then go into labour and deliver a usually dead foetus.

f. A more recent version of a similar method involves the injection of prostaglandins, which also induce labour and delivery. This method is considerably more likely than the saline method to result in the delivery of a living (and if the

pregnancy is advanced enough, possibly viable) child.

g. An induced abortion beyond the second trimester will often require a surgical procedure called hysterotomy. The procedure is technically similar to a Caesarian section (C-section) - except that the intent here is abortion rather than delivery of a child. It is complicated by the fact that a foetus aborted by hysterotomy may possibly still be viable when he or she is removed from the womb and the placenta is severed. Hence, this procedure raises serious legal questions about the physician's responsibility not just to the mother but to the possibly viable infant.

h.Dilation and extraction (also known as D&X or partial-birth abortion) is a method used to kill babies well into the third trimester (as late as 32 weeks old), the abortionist reaches into the mother's womb, grabs the baby's feet with a forceps and pulls the baby out of the mother, except for the head. The abortionist then jams a pair of scissors into the back of the baby's head and spreads the scissors apart to make a hole in the baby's skull. The abortionist removes the scissors and sticks a suction tube into the skull to suck the baby's brain out. The forceps are then used to crush the baby's head and the abortionist pulls the baby's body out the rest of the way.

While some abortion procedures involve less risk than others, any abortion may involve complications. Immediate complications may include infection, hemorrhage, cervical damage, perforation of the uterus - any of which could endanger the life of the mother or prevent future pregnancies. Delayed complications may include sterility, greater chance of premature delivery in subsequent pregnancies (which may, in turn, cause physical or mental defects in the prematurely born child), and an increased incidence of ectopic (tubal) pregnancies. Finally, we should note that tcomplications are not merely medical or physiological; they may also be emotional and psychological, for even a carefully considered decision for abortion can later be cause for intense guilt and deep regret.

WHO DOES ABORTION AFFECT?There is a common misconception about what abortion does to individuals and to our society as a whole. Many people believe that women can have an abortion, and that it won't further affect anyone after the termination of the pregnancy. This is untrue. The person that abortion affects the most is the foetus itself. The foetus' life is terminated, oftentimes painfully, and it will never have the opportunity to experience the happiness of life. However the effects don't stop at just the foetus.

After the foetus, the person most affected by abortion is the mother. Abortion can affect women in many ways after the abortion has taken place. While the woman and the child are the two people most directly affected by the abortion issue, others are affected as well.

BIBLICAL VIEW OF ABORTION

That being said, we must begin by acknowledging that the Bible doesn't say anything about abortion directly. Why the silence of the Bible on abortion? The answer is simple. Abortion was so unthinkable to an Israelite woman that there was no need to even mention it in the criminal code. Why was abortion an unthinkable act? First, children were viewed as a gift or heritage from the Lord. Second, the Scriptures state--and the Jews concurred--that God opens and closes the womb and is sovereign over conception. Third, childlessness was seen as a curse.

Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1; 9:6). Bearing the image of God is the essence of humanness. And though God's image in man was marred at the fall, it was not erased (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9). Thus, the unborn baby is made in the image of God and therefore fully human in God's sight.

This verse also provides support for what is called the traducian view of the origin of the soul. According to this perspective, human beings were potentially in Adam (Rom. 5:12, Heb. 7:9-10) and thus participated in his original sin. The "soulish" part of humans is transferred through conception. Therefore, an unborn baby is morally accountable and thus fully human.Another argument against abortion can be found in the Old Testament legal code, specifically Exodus 21:22-25.

“If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely

but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious

injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for

wound, and bruise for bruise.”

The verses appear to teach that if a woman gives birth prematurely, but the baby is not injured, then only a fine is appropriate. However, if the child dies then the law of retaliation (lex talionis) should be applied. In other words, killing an unborn baby would carry the same penalty as killing a born

baby. A baby inside the womb has the same legal status as a baby outside the womb.

Some commentators have come to a different conclusion because they believe the first verses only refer to a case of accidental miscarriage. Since only a fine is levied, they argue that an unborn baby is merely potential life and does not carry the same legal status as a baby that has been born.There are at least two problems with this interpretation. First, the normal Hebrew word for miscarry is not used in this passage (cf. Gen. 31:38; Exod. 23:26; Job 2:10; Hos. 9:14). Most commentators now believe that the action described in verse 22 is a premature birth not an accidental miscarriage. Second, even if the verses do describe a miscarriage, the passage cannot be used to justify abortion. The injury was accidental, not intentional (as abortion would be). Also, the action was a criminal offense and punishable by law.

MEDICAL VIEW OF ABORTION

Abortion is the focus of some of the most intense social, cultural, political, religious, and ethical debates in modern American society. Some regard abortion as something people should be able to choose while others say abortion is a great evil which is destroying the moral fabric of society.

Many of the debates turn on the status of the foetus: Is a foetus a person? Does a foetus have moral or legal rights? How we define a person and the foetus may decide the abortion debates.

Homo sapiens: The simplest definition of a person may be “a member of the species homo sapiens, the human species.” The foetus obviously has the same DNA as everyone else and can’t possibly be classified as any species other than homo sapiens, so isn’t it obviously a person? Assigning rights on the basis of species, however, merely begs the question of the nature of rights and what rights mean to us. The equation of rights with the human species is simple, but perhaps too simple.

DNA vs. Environment in Shaping a Person: One premise in the argument that homo sapiens are the same as persons with rights is the idea who we are today was all present in a fertilized ovum because all our DNA was there. This is wrong. Much of what we are, even physical traits like fingerprints, is not determined by DNA. An embryo may or may not split into twins or more. Twins, identical or fraternal, may join during development, leading to a single person with more than one set of DNA. Environment counts for much of what we are.

A medical argument against abortion, surround the definition of life and death. If one set of criteria have been used to define death, could they also be used to define life? Death used to be defined by the cessation of heartbeat. A stopped heart was a clear sign of death. If the cessation of heartbeat could define death, could the onset of a heartbeat define life? The heart is formed by the 18th day in the womb. If heartbeat was used to define life, then nearly all abortions would be outlawed.

Opponents to abortion also raise the controversial issue of foetal pain. Does the foetus feel pain during abortion? The evidence seems fairly clear and consistent. Consider this statement made in a British medical journal: "Try sticking an infant with a pin and you know what happens. She opens her mouth to cry and also pulls away. Try sticking an 8-week-old human foetus in the palm of his hand. He opens his mouth and pulls his hand away. A more technical description would add that changes in heart rate and foetal movement also suggest that intrauterine manipulations are painful to the foetus."

Obviously, other medical criteria could be used. For example, the developing foetus has a unique set of fingerprints as well as genetic patterns that make it unique. The development of sonography has provided us with a "window to the womb" showing

us that a person is growing and developing in the mother's womb. We can discern eyes, ears, fingers, a nose, and a mouth. Our visual senses tell us this is a baby growing and maturing. This is not a piece of protoplasm; this is a baby inside the womb.

A PATHOLOGIST’S VIEW OF ABORTIONa)Take the most obvious type of abortion that can

be considered "wrong" or murder.  The "partial birth abortion' procedure is taking the life of an infant that would be completely viable if born at that instant.  There is absolutely no way to justify that horrific 'procedure' that then cuts the back of the head that was partially delivered and the brains were scrambled using stainless steel instruments, and evacuated with a suction.   This is clearly murder.  This is clearly unlike the usual practice of medicine.  Does the baby have a 'choice'?  This fully formed baby needs no respirator and could go home shortly after birth. 

b)What about earlier gestational age foetuses and even embryos?  As a pathologist, I have seen many spontaneous abortions, 'products of conception'.  At even less than 12 weeks gestation, the foetus is incredibly complex and human.  It is nowhere near our 'developed' state but it is clearly different from other types of "tissue".   The DNA is clearly, from the moment of conception, completely unique from everyone else on earth.  It has taken us thousands of years

to obtain the capability of in-vitro fertilization.  God performs this miracle thousands of times daily.   

c)What about the mother's 'choice'?  The argument that she has the right to choose what happens to her own body is markedly flawed.  The same ones who want to give a woman the right for an abortion would condemn women for smoking and fight what was her 'choice', clearly affecting her own body.  In abortion, the baby is clearly separate in content and being than the mother.  It is only riding with the mother for a few months.  As Christians, we should protect the helpless, including the unborn individual as it grows.  Why doesn't anyone expose that the reason for an abortion is simply selfishness?  The mother's 'choice' is simply what inconvenience she wants to escape.  

It has also being known from the early day of medical sciences that helping a patient with the process of abortion is unethical and mostly done by Hippocratic physicians.

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF ABORTION The central issue in the abortion debate is the moral status of the conspectus. There are two positions that argue this issue. At one extreme are the views of the pro-life group which argues that human life begins at the moment of conception whilst at the other are views of the pro-choice group that argues

in favour of a woman's right to self-determination. Two basic principles come into conflict in this debate, namely the Value of Life and that of Self-determination.The definition of personhood is one of the most important arguments concerning abortion. If we are able to define when personhood begins (personhood meaning being he as a human being) then it is possible to determine when or if abortion is morally justifiable. John Noonan and Mary Anne Warren each have compelling arguments about the question of personhood but they express very different views.

In his argument, John T. Noonan states that conception is the point at which the fetus is considered human because any other point would be considered arbitrary. Noonan claims that his argument is not arbitrary because of the probability that the fetus will develop into a human being. He argues that fetuses should be classified as human beings because of the presence of a full genetic code and the potential capacity for rational thought. (Social Ethics; pp.8) If you are conceived by human parents and have the presence of a full genetic code then you become human at the point of conception, therefore it is morally wrong to kill a foetus because a foetus is a human being.

Contrary to Noonan's argument, Mary Anne Warren states that you can only be considered a human being if you are a full member of the moral community. In order to be a full member of the moral community you must have five specific traits that are central to personhood. The five traits are:

consciousness (of objects and events external and/or internal to the being), and in particular the capacity to feel pain

reasoning (the developed capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems)

self-motivated activity (activity which is relatively independent of either genetic or direct external control)

the capacity to communicate, by whatever means, messages of an indefinite variety of types, that is, not just with an indefinite number of possible contents, but on an indefinitely many possible topics

the presence of self-concepts, and self-awareness, either individual or racial or both

PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF ABORTION

The damage being done The immediate reaction after an abortion may be relief - no more fear of the unknown. But what about later - one month, one year, ten years later? In-depth studies are reporting consistent findings. The psychological damage is taking the following

forms: guilt, anxiety, depression, a sense of loss, hostility, suicide. And women suffer from not one but a combination of these difficulties. This trauma is recognised as a psychological stress disorder.

a)Guilt Guilt over an abortion is a frequent reaction - a reaction that may smolder for years. Women confronting their guilt make such statements as "I murdered a baby." Many symptoms can result from unresolved guilt. Some are depression, self-accusation, complexes or fears of infertility and of sex.

b)Anxiety Anxiety often is felt very keenly and expressed by women in the post-abortion period. Women cry, "I'm going crazy," or "I'm always fearful." Many women are anxious about physical complications. Often they are worried that they may never have another child. In some cases there are no symptoms of physical problems. In other cases there are, such as miscarriages or tubal pregnancies.

c)Depression Women often describe symptoms of depression when telling of their feelings about their abortion experiences. Many feel completely immobilised. They haven't been interested in anyone or anything since their abortion. They don't talk to anyone, they

don't go to work, and they don't function adequately in any area of life. In short, they are alienated from those around them and feel they have no one to confide in. In their depression, many women find they have been crying since their abortions. They state, "I cry all the time." Others have insomnia and nightmares about little boys or girls the age their children would have been. Some have constant, distressing flashbacks of the abortion procedure. During depressions occurring in the mid-decades of a patient's life, therapists frequently hear expressions of remorse and guilt concerning abortions that occurred 20 or more years earlier. And the patient's psychological pain from the abortion surfaces as she discusses another problem, the one that brought her to the therapist. A family who has experienced prenatal detection of an abnormality and has chosen abortion is also at risk of emotional trauma. Studies indicate that the incidence of depression following such selective abortion may be as high as 92 percent among women and 82 percent among men and is greater than that associated with the delivery of a stillborn. The cause of the preborn's death makes the difference. A stillbirth usually is regarded as an unfortunate accident; in selective abortion, the baby's death is the result of a premeditated choice.

d)Loss

When a post-abortive woman is allowed to grieve, she articulates a sense of loss. Women describe a number of reactions. "I cannot look at babies, little children or pregnant women," or "I'm jealous of mothers," or "I want to get pregnant again to replace my lost baby." Often women are simultaneously experiencing other losses that serve to increase their pain. Their relationship with their sexual partner has deteriorated or even been destroyed since the abortion. There is much distress and confusion over husbands or boyfriends abandoning them after their abortions or lacking concern about their emotional pain. Another loss is that of self-esteem and of values that the women cherished before their abortions but found obliterated by their abortions. They are disappointed in themselves for going against their previously held values. They describe themselves now as "violent" or "not worthy of love or of children" or "copping out."

e)Anger Anger is strongly felt and expressed toward people involved in the abortion: themselves, counselors, physicians, boyfriends and spouses, for example. Anger is directed toward doctors and counselors who "don't present the other side of the picture" or "don't warn of the possible physical and emotional problems."

Husbands and boyfriends cause anger when they don't support their partner who desperately needs help and understanding, or when they have encouraged or forced the woman to have an abortion. Women are not only disappointed in themselves but angry with themselves when they feel they went against their previously held values. Along with the anger are feelings of being misled and exploited by the so-called professionals they went to for help before and after their abortions. Many women state they were given misinformation such as "your pregnancy is only tissue," or "don't think of it as killing, only as getting your period going again." Women are angry, hostile and resentful because they are not informed about prenatal development, abortion methods and their risks - physical and psychological - and alternatives to abortion. Women say they were made to feel like helpless, powerless "victims" and still feel that way in their interactions. Women who regret having abortions, and feel they were exploited by counselors, doctors, husbands or boyfriends who pushed abortion as a solution to problems, are founding post-abortion counseling groups. The founding women and those who continue to join the groups discover they all have problems, especially with guilt and depression, and feel what they did is wrong. These counseling

groups help women for whom pregnancy poses a problem by providing the needed assistance to bring a baby safely to term and to care for him or her adequately after delivery.

f) Suicide A growing problem is suicide after an abortion. An increasing number of attempted and successful suicides by women on the approximate date their babies would have been born had they not aborted them is being reported by physicians, researchers and counselors. The highest rate is for 15 to 24 year-olds. Those who have aborted are telling us they pay a psychological price. Their views of themselves, their relationships, their emotional stability and their ability to effectively cope with life are damaged, sometimes beyond repair. The emotional reactions are both immediate and long term. Psychologically, women are in states of crisis. And the psychological aftermath of abortion extends beyond the one who has aborted to affect significant others in her life. Denial of the psychological complications of abortion by abortion advocates demonstrates a lack of concern for women and further exploitation of them. Women are not well-informed or prepared for the psychological problems created by abortion, and then when they are suffering from these difficulties, they are told their pain does not exist.

This denial prevents the offering of assistance, and the lack of needed help denies recovery, thereby maintaining the existence of psychologically incapacitated women.

A Foetus Is More Than A Piece Of Tissue. Yes, there has been argument over this issue for centuries. a)Regarding Science and Medicine: Currently, all

valid science and medicine is 100% clear that a foetus is a person. Practically, 100% of a person's genetic makeup is determined at the moment of conception. Science and medicine define being a person (human) by genetic means. According to science and medicine, a foetus is a distinct organism.

b)Regarding Religion: Religion, on the other hand, is not as clearly defined as medicine and science, because religion introduces the soul into the situation. However, no religious leader would say that a foetus does not have a soul and that because of this a foetus may be capriciously aborted. Religious opinion is slowly beginning to accept science and medicine. Any religious leader with a strong practical grounding in scientific knowledge will have to admit that every embryo has a soul. However, regardless of when a person gains a soul, religious opinion does not show any support at all for abortion. In

fact, religion is one of the strongest opponents of abortion.

c)Regarding Philosophy: Philosophical opinion does show some variety regarding when a baby becomes a person. This is due solely to the fact that most philosophy is of ancient origin. Regardless of whether a philosopher believes ancient philosophies (which were developed before the discovery of cells, heredity, and DNA), the philosopher would not support capricious abortions.

d)Conclusion: Neither science, nor medicine, nor religion, nor philosophy supports capricious abortions. In fact, there is a narrow band of belief in science, medicine, religion, and philosophy that life is valuable, should be supported, and should not be killed when the killing is reasonably avoided. In fact, those who believe strongly in science, in medicine, in religion, or in philosophy are some of the strongest opponents of abortion.

e)Regarding Choice: Currently, some small groups run large campaigns to convince people that women have a "right to choose" to abort their babies. This is absurd. The choice comes in when the women decide to have risky sex. When people make choices, they must accept certain ramifications of these choices. Sometimes, people don't want to accept the ramifications of their choices, and try to find an unethical means

to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. (By the way, how can any woman with a conscience abort her baby?)

f) Regarding Rights: No one is saying that babies should have "rights equal to or superior to a woman's". That would be absurd. Pro-life proponents are simply saying that babies have a right to life. That is all. A right to life. If anyone can tell me how a baby having a right to life in any way makes its "rights equal to or superior to a woman's", I would greatly appreciate being informed about this!

g)Regarding Development: You imply that a foetus is not "a thinking, feeling, conscious human being." Current, valid science indicates that a foetus is not a senseless mass of tissue, as some people have believed in the past. "The beginning of the foetal period is arbitrarily designated by most embryologists to occur eight weeks after fertilization. At this time, the embryo is nearly one and one-half inches long. Few, if any, major new structures are formed thereafter; development during the foetal period of gestation consists of the maturation of structures formed during the embryonic period." In other words, the basic structure of the baby has already been formed! The baby has a small brain. The baby can feel pain. The baby can feel vibrations. The baby has vague vision and hearing. The baby has reactions which indicate a simple intelligence.

Who knows whether a baby is conscious at this point? Admittedly, the baby is undeveloped enough at this point that its sensations and thoughts are not similar to adults'. However, the baby is a thinking, feeling human being, though admittedly undeveloped.

h)Regarding Diminishment: For women to have the legal right to freely take the lives of their babies, whether on a whim, for their own selfish reasons, or for their own selfish comfort, "is arrogant and absurd".

TEN (10) REASONS WHY ABORTION IS WRONGa. All life is sacredb.A foetus can feel c. Abortion is murderd.No one except god can take away lifee. Abortion clinics rely on taxpayers moneyf. Rape is not an excuseg. Incest is not an excuseh.A disabled baby is not an excusei. The mother being mentally unstable is not an

excusej. Abortion is an anagram of 'iron boat'

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/arg-abor.htmlhttp://www.all.org/article.php?id=10116

http://www.afterabortion.org/psychol.htmlhttp://www.projectwittenberg.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/mosynod/web/abortn-1.htmlhttp://www.hissheep.org/abortion/who_does_abortion_affect.htmlhttp://www.mrdata.net/books/9reasons.htmhttp://www.all.org/article.php?id=10122