Abortion - An Ethical Dilemma
Abortion - An Ethical Dilemma
Abortion - An Ethical Dilemma
Research Paper
Abortion: An Ethical Dilemma
An Assignment
By
12/03/2022
Approval………………..
Table Of Contents
Religious Beliefs………………………………………………………………………………………...4
Legal Aspect…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8
References………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
There are many reasons why abortion poses an ethical dilemma for not only most women
but for men also. Some people believe that abortion should be legal, while others believe
that it should be illegal. People who identify as “pro-choice” believe that everyone has
the basic human right to decide when and whether to have children. Individuals who are
"pro-choice" believe that it is "right" for people to have the ability to choose abortion as
an option for an unforeseen pregnancy. In contrast, people who oppose abortion call
themselves “pro-life” where they are mostly concerned about the fertilized egg (the
fetus). As stated above, abortion is one of the hardest ethical issues to discuss because of
the varying points of view and many pros and cons. For this paper, I have decided to
identify as neither pro-life nor pro-choice but to stand in support of anti-abortion where I
am taking a stand of being against abortion. The main reasons as to why I am taking this
stand is because of religious beliefs, the legal aspects, and the short-term and long-term
Religious Beliefs
Man's act of ending human life is and can even be viewed as a great moral evil or as an
unjust act. Abortion is not sanctioned by God, according to the vast majority of world
religions. Human life must be treasured and protected from conception until natural
death. As human beings, according to the Holy Bible, “ we are made in the same image
and likeness of God'' which is taken from Genesis 1: 26-27. Life is a gift from God, and
everyone should enjoy it without hesitation. According to the article, Arguments For and
Against Abortion in Terms of Teleological and Deontological Theories, “No human is
entitled or legitimate to end a form of human life. In these circumstances, abortion is a sin
because it contradicts divine order, which is the natural order of the universe.” All of the
major world religions are against abortion and there is evidence in these holy scriptures
where it states that it is unlawful and against their practices. The word “abortion” is not
mentioned in the Holy Bible, however, the Holy Bible does talk about killing the
innocent. There are many scriptures in the Holy Bible that refer to them as the
“Innocents” which in translation would be called the ‘blameless’. God was not specific
when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments as to who we should not kill and the
scripture can be found in Exodus 20:13 which tells us that “Thou shall not kill”.
Life is holy and highly prized in Islam, and as such, it must be honored and promoted. In
Islamic law, one of the basic necessities and purposes (Maqasid) is the preservation of
life. As a result, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, abortion is regarded illegal and a
major sin (HARAM) in Islam. When the pregnancy reaches 120 days, the soul enters the
fetus, as revealed in a Hadith by the Prophet Muhammad . "Every one of you is collected
in the womb of his mother for the first 40 days, and then a piece of flesh for another 40
days. Then Allah sends an angel to breathe soul into his body."
The Talmud (the source from which the code of Jewish Halakhah (law) is derived) states
that if a woman is in labor and her life must be saved, the child must be aborted and
extracted. In this case, the mother’s life takes precedence rather than that of the fetus. The
fetus isn't a person's life until it's born. However, according to 19th-century Rabbinical
literature, it is unethical to kill an unborn child. Abortion, feticide, and infanticide are all
condemned by modern rabbis as immoral assaults on human life. However, Jewish law
allows abortion if the pregnancy will cause serious psychological harm to the mother. No
civilized society would exist without regulations that occasionally cause pain or anguish.
As it can be seen, these major world religions believe that it is only right to have an
abortion if giving birth to the unborn child (the fetus) would cause harm or be detrimental
to the mother. This point would be further looked at later down in this paper.
Legal Aspect
Many countries, including the United States, have made abortions legal. However, since
the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, abortion has been the subject of intense
moral and political examination, as well as legal controversy (Butts & Rich, 2020). The
U.S. Supreme Court implemented laws which prohibited states from enacting legislation
which prohibits abortion in the first or second trimester of a woman's pregnancy except in
third trimester unless it was absolutely required for a woman's survival. By nominating
right-wing Supreme Court Justices in 2016, Donald Trump intended to overturn current
Roe versus Wade laws. With a majority of conservative judges serving in the court, there
are cases pending that could undermine existing law (Center for Reproductive Rights,
2021).
Effects of Abortion on the Human Body.
Abortion is becoming not only the most common, but also one of the riskiest procedures
performed in the United States and has always been like this. Abortion was extremely
dangerous in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many women have died as a result.
complications during the process. Long-term risks of induced abortion have been
Women who have had abortions are more likely to experience anxiety, sadness, suicidal
of the uterus or fallopian tubes, scarring of the inside of the uterus and sepsis or septic
shock, just to highlight a few. According to a recent study published in the Journal of
Anxiety Disorders, women who aborted their unwanted pregnancies were 30% more
likely to later display all signs of severe anxiety than women who carried their unwanted
pregnancies to full term. Scientists also believe that there may be unknown issues that we
have yet to be discover. Induced abortion increases the likelihood of a woman acquiring
which the placenta partially or fully covers the mother's cervix, producing severe
bleeding before or during delivery and posing a risk to both the mother and the baby. One
of the most serious risks to a mother's health is hemorrhage. Because to the placenta's
position across the cervical canal, an emergency caesarean section may be required to
deliver the baby early and avoiding the mother's severe bleeding. Emotional side effects
unplanned. Depression may arise in some instances. The link between pregnancy
pregnancy can be stressful on an individual. Although there has not been much research
on abortion and the effects it has on one’s mental health, I believe that many individuals
have had some sort of regret after making that decision of taking an innocent life.
According to Medical News Today, having an abortion affects one’s natural hormone
cycle. Some have become not only depressed but also suicidal and have even gone to a
dark place where they would rely on drugs to make them feel better or not guilty about
Conclusion
In closing, abortion does not only affect one individual, but many individual. It is an
unethical practice that has views from different religions, morally wrong from a legal
stand point and lastly have a negative effect on the human body, not only physically but
Abortion's Effects on Physical and Mental Health - AACC. (2020, September 8).
https://www.aacc.net/2020/09/08/abortions-effects-on-physical-and-mental-health/
BACHIOCHI, E. (n.d.). How Abortion Hurts Women: The Hard Proof. Catholic
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/abortion/how-abortion-hurts-
women-the-hard-proof.html
https://www.compasscare.info/health-information/abortion/abortion-risks-and-
side-effects/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Roe-v-Wade
Side Effects of Abortion | 8 risks on Body After Abortions. (2018, March 16).
effects-of-abortion-8-risks-on-body-after-abortions.html
Temme, L., & Marshall, A. (2021, September 21). Roe v. Wade Case Summary:
What You Need to Know - FindLaw. US Supreme Court Centre. Retrieved March
case-summary--what-you-need-to-know.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313098#emotional-effects.