The Ethical Issue on Abortion - Coursework Example

ETHICAL ISSUE: Let’s Love Them Before Their Birth. Brothers and sisters, you will all agree with me that the of abortion has become a steering and most politicized phenomenon in the modern world. In the present society, statistics shows that nothing destroys more human life than abortion which has currently become a devouring nightmare to the unborn within and without a family framework. However, the irony that exists amidst this war against the practice, some people support and promote the practice on the slogan that women have the freedom of choice. However, the question is, do women really have that freedom or aren’t they resorting to abortion as the last resort? Are our women feeling desperate, abandoned, a feeling of trapped before they decide to abort? This creates a battle between pro-lifers and pro-choicers in which they contend in regards to permissibility, legality and moral standing of the act of abortion.1 As believers, we acknowledge God as a God of life who speaks of Himself as the Living God.2 It is in that confidence that Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the life.”3 As such, we are the followers of Christ, are by that very fact the people of life. Brothers and sisters, we are invited to stand against slogans such as, “safe and legal abortion.” This is because legalizing this act does not make it safe; neither does it make it morally permissible. That is to say, the morality of an act is not only viewed by the end results of the act- that is teleological thinking where the end justifies the means, but the act itself.4 While abortion may not be a new problematic phenomenon in the history of the church, it is still a major problem in the modern society. Presently, more than ever, the Church which is more than an institution but you and me have the obligation of protecting life at all cost. In reminiscence, the Bible says in the book of Genesis that humanity possesses the right image and likeness of God.5 That image and likeness must thus be protected and nurtured, and that is the responsibility that all humanity have. In moments of confusion and self-conservationism, the church must always remain resolute and immovable on its position regarding moral matters. Abortion: A Nagging Phenomenon in the Modern Times Fellow brethren in Christ, the contemporary society is full of this malicious activity since statistics indicate that abortion is one tragedy that has caused numerous losses of lives for the unborn more than any other tragedy in human life. It is painful to see that many people neglect to admire the sheer greatness of gore, enduring and demise that legalized fetus removal (abortion) has brought into the human existence. It is observable that significantly more human lives have been savagely terminated by this scourge than by whatever other war or genocide in all of history.6 According to the study by AGI, more than one-third of the approximated 205 million pregnancies that occur worldwide annually are unintended and around 20% of all pregnancies end up in prompted premature birth.7 Further, of the 23 million pregnancies that happen in developed nations, more than 40% are unintended and 28% end in induced abortion. In the same light, of the 182 million pregnancies that happen in developing nations, more than one-third are unintended and 19% end in instigated premature birth (out of which 8% under safe procedures while 11% are hazardous).8 This shows that a high number of children are killed before they could be born as compared to those who die after their birth. Contemporary controversial debate on abortion The controversy on the subject of abortion is between pro-life adherents and pro-choice followers. Pro-life advocates strongly against abortion as such, there is no justification that can be satisfactory to legalize its practice. Pro-choice on the other side, firmly believe that it is within the constitutional rights of the woman to possess full control over her own body, as such she is within her rights to choice to abort of not9. Alright, let’s assume that everybody has the liberty to choose whatever to do with his/her body, to draw tattoos, to pierce it with sharp things, or do any other thing that one can think of as pleasing to his/her body, but when one attempt to kill the same body or another’s then one is branded as murderer, and so risk imprisonment. In the book of Exodus, God condemns this act and the argument by pro-choicer, make us seek to ask what then is the difference between killing unborn ‘child’ and a fully grown individual?10 The centrality of the present debate on abortion is specifically in regards to when life begin. Connell argued in reference to pro-life advocacy that the beginning of life is not be seen as a moral, religious or personal debate, but a biological fact since existence begins right at conception.11 Whether this is true of false is a question to be contended with outside the scope of this presentation. The Bible tells us that the conceived being in the womb is rightly conferred the title child, as it is written “Two nations are in your womb; two peoples are quarreling while still within you”12 Further, “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb my very self you knew my bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret”13 Within these contexts, the Church contends that the unborn is a child, a human being with similar rights to life just like any other person. As such the Church opposes any abortion procedure(s) as human life is sacred and should be protected and respected right from the moment of conception. The unborn are innocent individuals with the inviolable right to life and so termination of such tender life is regarded as immoral and unacceptable. In this light, Stallsworth pointed out that given that right to life is the entitlement to existing and develop naturally in the provided environment, and then it must be regarded as one of the most outstanding privileges granted to humankind.14 Under such, abortion is may be regarded as a selfish act permitted by a being which designate itself as a higher form of life working on this given superiority to take away the assumed right of the defenseless infants.15 Contrarily, the advocates of the pro-choice hold to the high esteem the choice that the mother of the unborn to be always greater than the moral judgment calls.16 To them as Stallsworth observed, the fetus is not to be regarded as a person but more as a potential person. To this end, the pro-choice argue that the unborn is not at all entitled to the same rights under the law as everyone else. Their position as such justifies the very act of abortion as it is seen to have no moral strings attached to it in any way.17 It is evident that the fore mentioned evokes some fundamental questions that these different schools of thought need to put into consideration in reference to the present subject matter. When then is a person a person? Some nation states have legalized the act of abortion within the confines of medical procedure. However, then does the legality of the action make it permissible? What role do human beings have for the next generation? Philosophically, it can be argued that the very mention of the next generation provokes a feeling of caring that necessitates various human activities such as pro-life movements, environmental conservation, etc. which are geared to preserve the present for the future people. Thus, humanly speaking, every humankind has an obligation for the generation to come which including the unborn fetus. According to pro-life advocacy, as postulated by Joe and James, it is immoral for women to commit the act of abortion since this practice destroys the very sanctity of life18. Considerably, life is regarded as a gift and has value in it and of itself under such termination of innocent life in not much different from murder. Moreover, just like everybody has an obligation of protecting life towards a fellow human, fetus or the unborn are persons who should thus be accorded similar right.19 In other words, we all have a moral responsibility of not causing harm to the unborn since they are persons with same moral status as everybody else.20 Notably, to pro-life activists, children are but a blessing since there are those couples who are married yet they cannot have children. In this light, therefore, why not take the unwanted babies for adoption rather than abort them? To the pro-choice advocates, however, it is morally justified for a woman to have an abortion since everybody has that compelling right to privacy regarding what to do with their own bodies. Pro-lifers actively oppose this position that the right that women have over their bodies does not include the right to kill the fetus within them.21 Basically, the debate on abortion hinges primarily on the personhood. According to which, persons have a special moral status that other species lack. The moral status that persons have demands a responsibility of treating another being of the same status in a morally appropriate way. From the two perspective, it is clearly evident that either side tends to enlarge their defining principle of what personhood entails either to include (pro-lifers) or exclude (pro-choicers) fetus/the unborn. That is to say, on one hand anti-abortionist argue that fetus should be regarded as human persons and so have a moral status while on the other hand pro-choicer argue that fetus are not human persons in the moral sense of the word.22 As such ethically speaking, abortion is immoral and not acceptable as it is not different from the wrongness that comes with killing a fellow human being. Just like in the case mentally debilitated individuals and infants who are accorded moral status even in their incapacity to reason, the fetus should also be given such respect. Simply put, abortion is murder. However, there are some instances when an abortion can be permissible but its permissibility is not the same as its legality. As Joe and James noted, what makes killing wrong is actually not its effect of the murderer or its effect on the victim’s friends but its effects on the very victim of the act.23 Under such since killing children and infants is wrong, it is within the same reasons that abortion is wrong. What then is the Church’s position in this moral mayhem? Moreover, when and under what circumstance(s) does the Church view abortion as permissible? The Church, in the modern times when human life especially of the unborn children is very cheap, must remain resolute to give direction and moral guidance. Gauging from our style of life, it is evident that humanity have opted to live as though God does not exist. More than ever, humanity, in many a time, assume the position of God by claiming for him/herself the Creator’s right to interfere in the mystery of human life. Contemporarily, humanity has rejected the divine law and the moral principles and is currently attacking the very foundation of family existence. In this regards, you and me must come out strongly and vehemently to oppose the various forms of abortion procedures instigated towards terminating the existence of the embryo, blastocyst, zygote or fetus since even at that stage they hold human life.24 On moral grounds, the Church considers voluntary killing of innocent unborn beings as gravely immoral. It is literally used as a means of escaping the responsibility for conception.25 Speaking to the Galatians, Paul said before his birth, God had chosen him.26 As such, from its very existence, a fetus must be recognized as having the full rights of a person among which include the inviolable right to life.27 The distinguishing features of every individual are shaped into the genetic code right at that moment of conception. This means therefore that every new life that begins at that moment “is not a potential human being but a human being with potential.”28 Stallsworth, in reference to John Piper- a retired pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis - sermons against abortion observed that abortion is manslaughter and a gross breach of the sixth commandment of God.29 According to Piper, the life of the unborn is the knitting work of God, the imprint of God’s own image and likeness; thus grant humanity a differing status in the face of the universe as compared to other creatures. As such abortion is but a “destruction of the conceived human life and an assault on the unique person-forming work of God”30. This argument by John Piper reflects the position of the church as it stands firmly in opposition to direct abortion that is willed as a means to an end or as an end. In other words, abortion within this context is considered as a grave moral disorder as it constitutes the killing of innocent and defenseless human person.31 To those who commit abortion, St. Paul writing to the Romans would refer to them as, “senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless,” because they have, in essence, lost their humanity to embrace perversity.32 Brothers and sister, this vehement defense of the unborn by the Church stems from the very sanctity of life and the recognition of the fundamental rights that every individual among who are the unborn enjoy. However, the Church also takes cognizance of some actions that though tended to a right end may result in the death of the fetus.33 Such acts such as removal of the cancerous womb may be regarded as morally permissible because the direct purpose is geared towards the maintaining the product of the pregnant womb but in the process the fetus may be aborted. Experts refer to this as “double effect” where an action is directly undertaken for a moral reason yet it end up with an unintended, unavoidable indirect or secondary negative effect. To this extend, abortion, though involuntarily instigated is permissible by the Church. According to Connell, an action is considered to have a double effect if the negative effects of the actions are not sought and all reasonable efforts have been made to avoiding them34. Further, that the direct effect was positive which is more important than the negative one and that no attempts are made towards the positive end results via the adverse effects.35 However, the life of the mother must also be brought into consideration. I know most of us would be torn between a hard place and a rock in deciding which to favor, especially when the mother’s life is on perilous balance. A guide lien provided to the people of Israel can shed light on what should be done. The Bible says, “when men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there is miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shall be fined according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” From this, it is evident that a miscarriage can be considered less offensive in certain cases as compared to the life of the mother. That is to say, the life of the unborn is not practically accorded the same status with the life of the mother, under such the mother’s life can be favored as compared to the unborn. Nevertheless, brothers and sisters, we must clearly demarcate, however, thin the distinct line between permissibility of the practice of abortion and its legality. To say that it is permissible to abort the unborn when the mother’s life is in danger does not in any way mean that abortion is right? The American Baptist Churches in the U.S. in their recommendation affirmed that children are gifts from God, who are entrusted to parents for love, care, and nurture. Further, God is the creator of all lives, and every individual being is created in His image and likeness.36 As such, regardless of our different opinions about abortion, as Christian we are all invited to preserve the sanctity of life and pray for the nourishment of God’s grace to enlighten us to see His image in the unborn. The Psalmist says, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”37 In this light, the Bible refers to the children as blessings and precious protective gifts for the parents. Aborting children then is like emptying ones quiver before the real fight against the enemies. Children are rewards to the parents from God as the book of Job also asserts that it was God who molded us all within our mother’s womb. Brethren, we are invited to reflect on how God would feel about the human tendency of disregarding His creation. Right from the creation period, God held humanity in high esteem as the Psalmist further mentions, “You made him little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor”38 Surely, how do God feel when His honored creation have lost his way and is seeking to terminate the process on his continuity? St. Paul, speaking to the Corinthians mentions that humanity is God’s temple39 and so the destruction of life is practically destroying the housing of the Lord. We, as Christians, therefore, have the obligation of protecting this precious temple of the Lord and see to it that the unborn are given the deserved respect. Every person is invited to recognize the face of Christ, who in the flesh had experienced he indifference and solitude to which the most vulnerable in human society is condemned into. In other words, we all have an obligation to take cognizance of the imprints of Gods creative work in human life right for conception. We must all spread the Gospel of life since on the off chance that individual and social affectability in respecting and welcoming a new life is lost, then the very wells of other welcomes that are valuable to social life would dry up. We are all therefore invited to love the unborn before their birth as a way of standing with Christ, who is life. Bibliography Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI). States Facts about Abortion Worldwide, 2014. A New Baptist Church Manual. Rev. ed. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2009. Feinberg John S & Feinberg Paul D. Ethics for a Brave World (2nd ed.) Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway. 2010 Fredrick J. Connell, "Double Effect, Principle of," in New Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 4, McGraw-Hill, (2007):1020-1022. Stallsworth, Paul T. The Church & Abortion: In Search of New Ground for Response: Essays. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013. The New Testament, New International Version. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1999. Truil Joe E. & Carter James E. Ministerial Ethics: Moral Formation for Church Leaders (2nd ed.) Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic. 2010. Read More