When people talk about abortion, they are talking about ending the life of an unborn child or expelling the foetus from the mother’s uterus before the pregnancy reaches ‘full term’ and the growing embryo has had a chance to live. However, when talking about abortion, they may also mean a ‘miscarriage’ or ’spontaneous abortion’. This is when the abortion unfortunately happens naturally without the parents or doctors having any choice. Having said this, I think that in today’s society, when abortion is mentioned, they mean a deliberate abortion, known as a ‘procured abortion’. If a woman wants a ‘procured abortion’ to take place she has to talk her reasons through with a doctor and it must happen within the first twenty four weeks of the development of the foetus, and is against the law after this time, because if it was born at this time, it could survive. A woman may choose to have an abortion for a number of reasons, for example if the pregnancy was brought about by rape, if the child is going to be born severely handicapped, if the life or health of the mother is at risk or if the mother is too young or if she is not in a good relationship. Some people think that some reasons, like those above, for instance, are acceptable for a woman to abort the foetus, however some would say that everyone or everything should have the chance of developing and the right to live a life. Some people believe that it is entirely up to the woman carrying the baby as it is her right, her life, her body and therefore it should be her choice whether to have an abortion or not. But others think this serious issue should be discussed with both doctors and the father of the developing child, before a decision is made. During the course of making a decision, a doctor does not always have to agree that the mother has a good enough reason to have an abortion, for example if a woman does not feel that the time is right for a baby. Many young girls have an abortion if they feel they are not ready to be mothers as they have to cope with school and other worries. In this instance doctors would agree that a child would cause depression and anxiety to the mother. People may also have abortions if they feel they do not have the money to support a baby. There are many different reasons why a woman may want to terminate the pregnancy, should anyone judge their reason or choice?
There are several biblical church teachings which could be raised in a discussion on the issue of abortion. A question that Christians may need to think about to answer is ‘does God consider the foetus as a “real” person or not?’ The Christian Churches believe that abortion should only be used in the most serious circumstances and therefore should not be encouraged at all. The Bible teaches us that life begins when the baby is in the mother’s womb. ‘For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’ (Psalm 139:13) this tells us that we are all unique individuals from the moment we are conceived. In Jeremiah 1:5 we are told, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.’ This tells us that before we were born God had already made us the special individuals that we are. It also shows us that all human life is sacred, even the baby in the womb and that by aborting it we are killing a person; a person that God has already started to love, as we are all sent as a gift of love. So as life is given as a gift from God, why should we have the right to end it? In Genesis 1:27 we learn that humans are all made in God’s image. Ending life at any stage is like committing murder. One of the Ten Commandments are ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill.’ Abortion is taking the life of an innocent person. For example, a Christian may say that if a woman falls pregnant as a result of rape, why should she end the life or punish the developing child; the child has done nothing wrong, the baby cannot decide on what circumstances they are conceived under. Having said that Roman Catholics believe that life begins from the moment of conception, when the woman’s egg is fertilised by the man’s sperm, many Christians from different churches also agree with this point of view, but others do not. Others believe that the foetus cannot actually be described as a person until later in the pregnancy, when these group of cells become more recognised as a human.
Some also say life of the baby only begins when the mother can feel the baby kicking and others say life begins when the baby could survive by itself.
Whatever the views of anyone else, the Roman Catholic Church does not support abortion even if the pregnancy was a result of rape, the Roman Catholic Church look for other options available, such as adoption. The Roman Catholic Church sees abortion as a serious sin. When you sin, you turn away from God, aborting a baby you do the same and take a life at the same time, when you really should have respect for human life, whether you are Catholic or not.
However, some Christians accept abortion under certain circumstances. These are groups such as the Salvation Army who believe abortion can be justified under certain grounds. They believe in this out of compassion as Jesus taught us to ‘love thy neighbour’ and that you should love others as much as you love yourself. By doing this they are showing agape love, which is unconditional love, Christian love. The Christian argument of this point of view is that in some circumstances, the most loving thing to do is to allow an abortion. how do we know whether we are right or wrong?
Christians may put their beliefs into action in a number of ways, depending on whether they are for or against abortion. Many Christians are totally against abortion because of the fact that they have strong faith in following the teachings of the Church. Christians may express their views by writing to their MP, in order for the law on abortion to be changed. They would ask for the law to make it more difficult for a woman to have a ‘procured abortion’. This is because they believe that abortion is the same as murder. To share their opinions and ideas with other people, some Christians would join a pressure group. One example of these groups is LIFE. This organisation campaigns for the protection of the unborn child. By joining these groups Christians are sharing their beliefs with some people who have the same thoughts as them and they are doing something practical with their belief. SPUC is another organisation which campaigns against abortion. SPUC is the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child. They believe that it is wrong to destroy innocent human lives, therefore abortion should not be made legal. SPUC believe that a woman could look for other options such as adoption. SPUC is not a Christian group but Christians may still support it, because of their beliefs that life is sacred. people can also make their views heard by visiting schools and talking about the issues of abortion. Educating young people in this way is useful because they would be given advice and explanations of the alternatives that are available instead of having an abortion. It might change the way they feel if they ever had to face the situation of having to decide whether having an abortion is right or wrong. some people may choose alternatives such as adoption or fostering. If a woman does not particularly want to continue with the pregnancy because she feels the time is not right she could consider these options or she could even get support from family, friends or neighbours. People may also provide practical help for women who are considering abortion for financial reasons. They may also provide items for the baby such as clothes, toys etc. Jesus showed love and compassion for others and thats what he taught and teaches Christians to do today. Christians could therefore put these beliefs into action action by being caring and showing support for someone who is experiencing an unwanted pregnancy without actually agreeing with the decision of the woman. This could follow the Bilble teaching ‘Do not judge others and God will not judge you.’ (Luke 6:37) this is tells us that it is wrong to judge other people, whatever their thoughts or actions are. We should respect the life of an individual hence respecting the life an unborn baby could lead. There are also groups of people who would encourage a woman not to have an abortion but to consider adaoption, because even if the parents are unable to love the child, another couple who are unable to conceive would be more than happy to provide the baby with a loving home as if he/she were their own.
Having explained how Christians who are against abortion put their beliefs into action, there are also some Christians who are in favour of a woman being able to have an abortion. They might put their beliefs into action by joining a group which campaigns for the right to choose abortion. A Christian could join an organisation which offers counselling for people who have had abortions, where women will not be criticised for their choice of action. They may also try to explain to other people thatr it can be the best choice- for bother mother and baby. The statement ‘do not judge others and God will not judge you’ read in Luke’s Gospel also bascks this up. These types of organisations that are set up for those who are not against abortion are there to show women, who have had abortions or who are seriously considering abortion, that they are not alone and that there are people in the world who are willing to offer their help and support.
‘Abortion is never justified.’
In my personal opinion, abortion is a very difficult issue to decide upon. When is it acceptable? When is it not acceptable? Who has the right to decide on abortion? I personally feel that it should be the mother’s decision and should not be influenced by anyone else apart fro the father of the baby she is carrying. As a Christian, I believe that in some circumstances, abortion is right, so I do not totally agree witht the statement that ‘abortion is never justified.’ Earlier in the coursework I stated that there were a number of reasons why a woman may choose to have an abortion. The first one was if the pregnancy was brought about by rape. In this case I feel that abortion is right to some extent. When a woman is raped she is going to feel scarred for life and a baby is going to make the memory even worse. Afterall, a baby should be bought into the world from an act of love. If the woman did bring the baby into the world, it could cause her more stress, not giving the baby a good start in life. So who would be more at risk, the mother or baby, or both? On the other hand, I agree that there are other options available instead of abortion. The second reason was if the child was going to be born severely handicapped. I think in some cases this is right but the parents of the child could still try to give the child the best life they possibly could while the child is living. However, if the child is totally unable to do anything, even with the help of someone, then abortion, I think, could be considered acceptable. The third reason I stated was if the life or health of the mother is at risk. I think this is hard to decide on because in some cases one of the lives will be lost, in some both may be lost and with hope maybe both could be saved.
