What's Wrong with Abortion?
After 30 years of legalized abortion in the United States, the American public is still divided. What drives this ongoing opposition to abortion?
During his 2002 unsuccessful campaign to represent Colorado in the 7th Congressional District, candidate and abortion supporter Mike Feeley made this statement at a pro-abortion political rally: “It seems inconceivable to me that we are still having to fight this hard.”1
Feeley’s comment speaks to the continued opposition to abortion expressed by many Americans. Like Feeley, many abortion supporters do not understand why the nation is still divided on the topic, especially after three decades of legalization.
A 2002 Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans consider abortion to be morally wrong.2 So, what moral question is raised by abortion? According to a Los Angeles Times survey, fifty-seven percent of Americans “consider abortion to be murder.”3 Many Americans who are opposed to abortion base their view on a moral code derived from Judeo-Christian teachings, specifically the Ten Commandments directive, “You shall not murder.”4 Clearly, much of the public opposition to abortion is based on the notion that it is morally wrong to kill a preborn baby — the end result of any abortion.
The humanity of the preborn child is an indisputable fact. Biologically, the preborn baby in the womb is a member of the Homo sapien species — a primate mammal with a human genome that mirrors other humans.5 This preborn being is a genetically complete human from the moment of fertilization, only changing in size, development, and location with gestation and birth. All humans follow the same path of development: embryo, fetus, newborn, infant, toddler, teenager, and adult. To discriminate against a human at any stage of development is to deny the reality of his or her membership in the species, regardless of size and location.
For those who wish to consider a faith perspective in their abortion position, the sanctity and value of preborn human life is affirmed in the Holy Bible.
For individuals who are interested in the stages of human growth in the womb, see the following for information on fetal development:
http://www.thinkaboutitonline.com/women/a0000034.cfm and
www.standupgirl.com/inside/index.html
Traditionally, the pro-life view on abortion has understandably centered on the preborn human life that is destroyed. While concerns for the preborn continue to be paramount, additional information in recent years about the adverse effects of abortion on women also bolsters the pro-life case. For information on the physical and psychological complications women face when having an abortion, see Abortion Complications
Women and their preborn children deserve better than abortion. It is incumbent upon all Americans — regardless of their view on abortion — to offer women the support they need in order to carry their babies to term, rather than face abortion as their only “choice.” For more information on alternatives to abortion and the effort to reach women, see
www.family.org/pregnancy and www.feministsforlife.org
Carrie Gordon Earll is the Senior Policy Analyst for Bioethics at Focus on the Family and a fellow with the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity.
1George Merrit, “Pro-Choice Democrats Rally on Capitol Steps,” Denver Post, October 8, 2002.
2Gallup Poll Analysis, “Public Opinion on Aborton Policies Making News,” July 24, 2002, accessed at <http://www.gallup.com/subscription/?m=f&c_id=11747> on July 30, 2002.
3Alissa J. Rubin, “Americans Narrowing Support for Abortion,” Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2000, p. A1.
4Deuteronomy 5:17
5Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, (St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc., 2002), p. 829; Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary, (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996), p. 349.
Carrie Gordon Earll is the Senior Policy Analyst for Bioethics at Focus on the Family and a fellow with the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity.
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