Should abortion be a morally acceptable choice?
Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? This question has been one of the most heavily debated questions of society over the past few decades. Not a single political debate and election has taken place over the past 20 years without this question being a key point to a candidate’s campaign. Everyone has an opinion on it. They may be for the choice of abortion, completely against it, or fall in between with abortion being acceptable under certain conditions. Each grouping has their own reasons for why they have their opinion.
Before delving into the reasons and subsequent debate about the morality of abortion as a choice, abortion must first be defined. According to Merriam-Webster, abortion is “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.”
“…death of the embryo or fetus.” It is here in this phrase that much of the debate on morality of abortion coincides. For those of a pro-life standpoint this means the termination of an existing life being. French geneticist Jerome Lejeune is often cited for his statement “to accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion…the human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence.” Those from a pro-choice standpoint often feel that until a fetus has a heartbeat and can feel then life is not created. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that “…neuroscientists believe that the cortex is necessary for pain perception. The cortex does not become functional until the 26th week of a fetus’ development, long after most abortions are performed.”
Another portion of the debate centers much around the value of life. Around the world it is commonly held that life is precious. Almost every religion in existence holds value to human life. Those...