Legality of Abortion - Research Paper Example

The key arguments in support of abortion are to counter unexpected pregnancy, to reduce over population, and finally as the expression of woman’s right to her own body. The last is a true and correct statement as all the people have the right to do what they wish to their own bodies. However, they should understand one thing that the unborn baby is a different individual. Even though it resides inside its mother, it is a separate entity and has got a separate existence from its mother. The DNA and other elements of the body are entirely its own.

Since the moment of conception, it is completely a distinct genetic individual. Looking at this issue, it is clear that abortion for any cause is wrong. Therefore, the call in favor of abortion because of unexpected pregnancy or abortion for the sake of convenience or as an expression of woman’s right to her own body is not tenable. Arguments for and Against Admittedly, the first and most prominent argument against abortion is that if abortion has been deemed to be moral in any phase of human development, there would not have been a greater cry for the enactments of law banning abortions.

Admittedly, most of the religions in the world oppose the legalization of abortion. Abortion is similar to murder where an unborn baby is chopped up for the mistakes of his parents or sometimes for the benefit of others. As there is an inception of life since the conception, abortion can be regarded as a crime against the sanctity of human life. No civilized society permits to harm an individual intentionally or take one’s life without punishment and so abortion also is not an exception. Hence, in a society where murder is considered to be immoral and a crime, abortion must also be considered as a punitive crime.

Some others argue that abortion is an alternative for contraception on the ground that any method that is used to prevent a woman from being pregnant can be considered as contraception. However, it is fundamentally foolish to claim so because unlike contraception that prevents pregnancy from taking place, abortion is committed only after the woman becomes pregnant. Pregnancy is a result of the failure to use effective contraceptives. Equating abortion with contraceptives is a falsified idea. So, abortion cannot be given the meaning of contraception.

Abortion of pregnancy as a result of rape is another kind of moral puzzle. In the case of a molested or raped girl, proper medical care can ensure that she will not become pregnant. Abortion in such cases means to punish an innocent human being who had no role in the committed crime. Instead of punishing the unborn baby, it is the rapist or molester who is to be trialed and punished. In addition, one has to give attention to the physical and mental impacts of such an abortion on the woman. An easy measure adopted for time being or momentary convenience may, thus, result in or pave way to serious problems in the future.

However, most of the abortions are taking place among teenagers who do not have sufficient life experiences. What they can do in this regard is to be prudent enough to use contraceptives before going into physical relations. A suitable philosophy at this juncture seems to come from Bartter (2001), who reminds such mothers of the fact that there are thousands who do not have a child to adopt. So, instead of throwing the unborn baby into the valley of death, those mothers can give such children to those who can bring them up as their own children.

Thus, getting rid of the