What Is Abortion?What is abortion? Is it the killing of a defense less child or is itthe freedom of a woman. In the case of the latter, it is easy to see howabortion can be very beneficial for the mother. Perhaps she is a teenager whois too young and too scared for such an awesome responsi bility or perhaps shesimply does not have the resources for or want another child.
The situationbecomes more complicated when the father of the fetus wants the baby. Does thefather, whose very DNA was transferred to the fetus, have any right to determinewhether the mother receives an abortion or is the decision totally that of themother, who must endure the nine month pregnancy and the birthing process aswell as any lingering physical or psychological effects. Even if abortion is considered the killing of a defenseless child, seriousand difficult questions cannot be avoided. Certainly, it is illegal and immoralto kill a week old baby; but can the same be said of the termina tion of a weekold fetus? When does a fetus become a life entitled to the same protection as anewborn baby or when is it too late to end a pregnancy’some would say at anypoint before birth; however, a fetus can be viable and live outside its mother’swomb quite some time before its natural birth otherwise would occur.
Is thatthe point at which abortion is inappropriate and, thus, illegal as well asimmoral? While there are those who would answer in the affirmative, many wouldargue that a life entitled to protection began at the time of concep tion, theentry of a sperm cell into the egg. In any event, abortion must be viewed as an issue with many angles. If aperson is pro-life, is he or she opposed to abortion altogether, is there aperiod early in the pregnancy that the fetus may be appropriately terminated, orare there circumstances, such as rape, incest, or danger to the life of themother, that justify ending a pregnancy? If another person is pro-choice, is heor she in favor of abortion on demand at any time, regardless of the fetus’viability. As is true of most complex issues, the matter of abortion raises amultitude of questions that elicit a variety of answers and opions.
