Is Abortion Moral?

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Is Abortion Moral?

Abstract

The moral aspect of abortion is an issue that lies at the heart of the current work. Modern society is split into two parts, the representatives of which either support the idea of abortion, or condemn the idea, referring to the number of sins and violations of all existing moral statutes. The work consists of three parts. The first section reveals the current views of the author. The second part discusses the facts and arguments that became known after a study of sources. The final part discloses the impact of research on the author’s opinion about the immorality of abortion. The work reveals different sides of the abortion, its moral, medical, and psychological aspects, which makes it possible to consider the factors comprehensively. As a result of research, the controversy of the issue has been confirmed.

Introduction

The issue of abortion is one of the most discussed topics in the world. In the modern society, the problem becomes acuter. It is a complex and controversial issue because it touches the moral, religious, legal and humanitarian aspects of the life. In different countries, cultures and religions, the attitude to the abortion can be completely different. In some countries, the abortion may be adopted as an urgent need. In other countries, the law prohibits it. Moreover, in some regions, people, who committed abortion, can be executed. People look at the abortion through the prism of their upbringing, education, culture and the religious environment, in which they grew up. The moral principles and life attitudes can also affect the formation of the human understanding of abortion. Therefore, a common opinion concerning the morality of the issue does not exist.

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Opinion

My beliefs define abortion as an amoral act against a human. Abortion contradicts the norms of the ethics and morality as it is the murder; furthermore, it is conscious and purposeful. Moreover, the actions of not only the mother but also the doctor are the immoral ones. The activity contradicts the Oath of Hippocrates, in which the doctor promised to respect and value every human life from the moment of conceiving. I think that nobody has the right to endanger a person’s life, especially ones, who have not even been born. Certainly, a lot of the circumstances and reasons can coerce a woman to make the decision, but she herself should answer for her mistakes, not the innocent child, whose life has already begun.

Naturally, I think that we cannot be dogmatic on the complicated issue and condemn everyone, who dares to take the step without taking into account the specific situation. Extreme cases, in which there are contra-indications take place, do exist. According to some situation, the birth of a child carries a major threat to the mother’s life, and to the child. Also, in the case of having serious deviations and anomalies in the body of the child, the decision may be the only option. However, in the majority of cases, the measure is not acceptable. Even if the financial condition does not allow a mother to raise a child, she can give the baby up for adoption to people, who want to have children, but do not have an opportunity.

The reason for my view in abortion is the belief that everyone must give an account for his or her actions. People must understand and accept the responsibility for their behavior and its further consequences. Abortion is a way to solve somebody’s problems by the depriving another person of life. It is wrong and unfair in the least. Another reason is I think that human life is priceless, and we have no right to dispose of one’s life except our personal. Alternative ways of solving difficult situations exist always. Therefore, a person should not make a deal with conscience, choosing the easier way out.

Many factors influenced the formation of my views regarding abortion. First of all, my parents and grandparents influenced my perceptions. They have imparted to me an understanding of morality, the ethical foundations and values. They gave me the opportunity to understand the nature of the concept independently, and to discover for myself why abortion is wrong. The cultural and social environment, the people around me, and religious beliefs also have impacted me at the subconscious level, and played a significant role in the formation of my moral principles. I grew up in the community, where people think abortions are unacceptable in the majority of circumstances. Although the topic almost never appears, the attitude to the kind of questions is obvious to me.

Research

In order to understand the issue of the amorality and expediency of abortion, it is worth to analyze a number of the sources, which carry objective reasoning. The first factor against abortion is the possibility of the serious health complications and even deaths. After the procedure, the risk of infertility among women occurs (Ladock, 2011). Medical studies suggest that the risk of the ectopic pregnancy among women is growing in two times, the likelihood of the miscarriage in the next pregnancy and the beginning of the inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs is growing, too (Lowen, 2015). Women should be aware that by taking away the life of her unborn child, she increase the health risk and decreases the possibility to become a mother in the future.

The frequent occurrence of the severe psychological pain and stress in women who had an abortion is the second factor that indicates the harmful effects of the choice. Strong excitement and moral anguish tortures a woman not only before the abortion but also after the procedure. The memories of what she had done and guilt often cannot give peace throughout her life. It can cause not only the intense stress, but also the psychological disorders of the varying degrees (Cockburn & Pawson, 2007). Years later, having gained the mind and experience, she starts to realize what exactly she had done and what could have happened otherwise.

Another fact that is worth to take into account is the fact that every child has a purpose and a place in the world. Every child has a hidden potential that can make the world better, and be useful to society. By terminating a pregnancy, a woman may deprive the humanity of the great scientist, poet, artist, musician, or politician. A prime example is the mother of the great composer Beethoven. In spite of the difficult financial situation, the presence of eight children, one of whom was mentally disabled and three were deaf, and her disease of syphilis, the woman decided to have a child, who would soon conquer the entire world with his talent (The Famous People Website, 2015).

The other side of the abortion debate presents a number of the arguments that indicate the positive moments, which act to protect the possibility of abortions. The first factor is that abortion should not be treated as murder because the fetus is not a human being, as it cannot live independently outside the womb. Thus, the fetus does not have the full features of the human organism. Thus, the mother, whose body is of the first priority, has to decide by herself how to solve the situation, taking into account her physical, moral and material readiness. The legislation also specifies that the fetus can be considered a man only after the first trimester, so the mother’s decision to have an abortion before the line does not have a criminal nature.

The second point, which justifies the women, who decided to proceed with abortion, can be the cases when the pregnancy occurred as a result of incest or rape. In a complicated moral situation, the child acts as a reminder what the woman had gone through. At the same time, in many cases, a child suffers from the shortfall of attention, indifference or even cruelty on the part of the mother and her relatives. The child grows up unloved, abandoned, and misunderstood, which is not his fault (Simon, Baldwin & Baldwin, 2009). Therefore, the affected woman may make her pain and resentment for what happened on the innocent child. She simply may not treat him appropriately, deprive of attention and care, thus destroying his psyche.

The question of the complications and health problems after the abortion has opposition. Some sources say that in the modern world, the procedure has become safe. About 88% of women, who had an abortion at the early stage of pregnancy (first trimester), survived abortion practically without consequences. In medical abortion, the risk of health problems and infertility is less than 0.5%. According to statistics, the probability of death from surgical abortion is 11 times less than from full-term births. Undoubtedly, the risk to the health and lives of women from abortion is present, as well as in any surgical intervention in the human body (Lowen, 2015). Therefore, the health argument for making a decision concerning the abortion is not reasonable, as many compelling reasons prove the opposite.

Summary Discussion

My point of view about the fact that abortion is immoral has not changed. Depriving a person’s life through the irresponsibility and recklessness, or in some cases, indiscriminate, promiscuous sex life is immoral. Moreover, it contradicts the ethical and religious norms in any society and culture. At the same time, I began to look at the matter less categorical. I confirmed my opinion that the various difficult life situations can push a woman to make the decision. There are cases, where strong and uncompromising position may be not applicable. For example, I can understand women, who have been victims of rape or incest, and decided to have an abortion in order not to mutilate either her life and psyche, or the life of a child. Although I think that giving their child for adoption may be optimal, it is necessary to take into account the fact that not every child can get into a good family. Some children may have to spend the childhood in an orphanage, torturing oneself with the question why he was left.

The new argument supporting my view is the fact that every child in the future can change the world, and contribute to the development of society, culture and science, as Beethoven did. What would happen to our world if every mother of the great man decided to have an abortion due to the complex material or family circumstances? The fact that the child is considered a person only after the first trimester is new to me and makes me think that the fetus has not yet become a child earlier. Prior to the study, I also did not know that the probability of the post-abortion complications is about 12% and mortality after birth is 11 times the number of deaths resulting from abortion.

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The problem of abortion and its status in the society is a serious discussion. Unfortunately, abortion is increasingly becoming a way of the avoiding the responsibility for the one’s actions. Today, abortion in many countries has become a commonplace procedure. In modern society, more and more people believe that abortion is the best option if you are not yet ready to become a mother, when your career is not yet developed, or you have not earned your first million. People began to move away from the moral and ethical aspect of the solution, which reducing its priority. If we do start to regulate the question of who and when should be born, it will turn a person’s life from the miracle of nature to the subject of controversy and debate, lowering its value and disregarding it.