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Abortion
“Abortion is part of being a mother and of caring for children because part of caring for children is knowing when it's not a good idea to bring them into the world." (Katha Pollitt)
Introduction
Right to life; is the basic and fundamental right of every human being. Every individual is born with this right and no one can snatch it from them. This right is gets granted to a person before he or she comes into this world, in fact, before that individual is not even a he or she. A person gets the right to life when it is a mere clump of cells when it has only been conceived and has not formed any shape. At this stage, no gender has been assigned or decided by nature for the newly conceived individual, and although it is still a piece of flesh it is a living soul. Many people all over the world try to finish it in these very initial stages, due to many reasons. This termination or elimination process is known as abortion in medical terms and is carried on all over the world.
The phenomenon of abortion is a huge controversy all over the world. Experts and scholars are hugely divided over the validity of abortion. It has been a topic of debate since a very long time among the scientists, experts, and religious scholars that whether it is ethically and morally correct to undergo an abortion. They also actively argue over the fact that whether the act of abortion should be conducted or not. Some researchers, give the reason that the act of abortion is completely immoral and unethical, but in some cases, it becomes necessary or even unavoidable to carry on with the pregnancy. In such cases, the best decision is to opt for terminating the pregnancy or aborting the fetus.
Discussion
Abortion is a very hot topic of debate for a long time and it is not limited to the circles of science. This debate includes opinions and views from various areas, which majorly include science, religion, and sociology.
Summary
The phenomenon of abortion is not a new one, in fact, it is being practiced from the days of 15th century BC. The first ever reported case of abortion was recorded in the Egypt Ebers Papyrus. Since the fields of science and technology were not much developed at that time, the methods of abortion used were mostly non-surgical. Since then, the topic of abortion is considered a hot issue and still considered a problematic practice among medical practitioners. The issue has become much more complicated due to the inclusion of religious, ethical and moral factors, which forbid the practice strictly.
Defense
As it has already been established that abortion refers to ending or terminating the pregnancy by finishing or expulsion of the fetus from the uterus before it has started surviving outside the mother's womb. Abortion is considered a serious issue near many scholars and experts as it includes finishing the life of a fetus, which was under development and was going to become a full-fledged human being (Summer). Many refer to the act of abortion as killing and even murder. In religious circles, the expulsion of a fetus from the body before birth is considered a serious sin.
Abortion is considered a serious crime according to the constitutions of many countries. As per the constitution of the United States of America, abortion has been declared illegal in many states, since 1900. Prior to 1973, abortion laws varied from one state to another and the act of finishing the baby or the fetus in the womb was pretty much legal in many states. In 1973, the Supreme Court passed on the decision to put a ban on abortion and all such practices, which provided a uniform framework for the designing of legislation of each state (Jones). The laws and legislation, in this respect, are very much flexible in Texas where the couples are allowed to decide whether they are ready to become a parent or not.
According to the Canadian law, abortion was completely illegal, in all cases, no matter what but according to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1968-69, abortion was made legal, only in the case if a committee of Drs declared that it is extremely necessary to terminate the pregnancy. This kind of laws and regulation are much better than the other acts which pose to be strict and non-flexible in nature. The option of abortion should be open for consideration if the couple does not want a baby due to some economic issue or the failure of the preventive measures. This practice comes in handy when there are medical complications in pregnancy and the life of either the mother or baby or both are in danger. Socially, abortion is also a favorable option for the victims of rape.
Possible Objection
Many experts and researchers present the argument that the practice of abortion is completely immoral and unethical on various grounds. They are of the view that the fetus, being developed in a womb has a complete life and is a complete living being, and finishing it means killing a live and complete human being. Many people even consider it a murder (Potter).
Talking about the religious or spiritual aspects, almost all the religions strongly condemn it and declare it as an extremely unpleasant act. The religious scholars of various religions like Priests, Padris, and Fathers, in Christianity and Imams and Moulvis in Islam strongly condemn the act of abortion and state that it is a highly disliked procedure in the eyes of God.
Response
The objection presented by scientists, sociologists, and religious scholars is very much valid. If considered on the ethical and moral grounds, the act of abortion surely sounds very heinous and cruel and it is totally justified to put a ban on it under normal circumstances, But these laws and regulations should be flexible enough so that in exceptional cases, the option for abortion can be considered. The window of abortion should be kept open in very rare and exceptional cases but it should never be closed completely. The examples of such cases could be a medically complicated case of pregnancy, where the life of mother and infant is in danger. In such cases, the acts related to abortion should allow the couple, especially the mother to consider the option of giving up the baby or the fetus to secure the life of the mother.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it can be clearly stated that abortion is a pure cruel and heinous act, which involves the killing of an innocent soul, who has not even stepped in this world yet. It robs an individual of its basic right of life and finishes it even before it has seen the sunshine outside its mother’s womb. The laws and regulation in various countries protect this basic right and have declared the practice of abortion as a serious crime, which is punishable in many forms. All these arguments are valid and hold authenticity but these laws and acts should be made flexible in case of exceptional cases where the abortion becomes medically or socially necessary and there is no option left.
Works Cited
Jones, Rachel K., and Jenna Jerman. "Abortion incidence and service availability in the United States, 2011." Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health 46.1 (2014): 3-14.
Potter, Ralph Β. "The abortion debate." Reaction to the Modern Women's Movement, 1963 to the Present. Routledge, 2018. 13-26.
Sumner, Leonard Wayne. Abortion and moral theory. Vol. 285. Princeton University Press, 2014.
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