Three Christian Positions View on Abortion - Article Example

Three Christian Positions on abortion Three Christian Positions View on Abortion Since legalization of abortion in 1973, there have been more than forty million abortions across the United States alone. Abortion is legally allowed, but the question is whether it is moral to continue allowing pregnant women to get rid of unborn children on demand. Proponents and advocates of abortion argue that there is no religion that explicitly denounces abortion. They also insist that there is no specific provision in various religious books that forbids suicide, same-sex marriages, infanticide, and homicide. These arguments have traversed across Christianity, spurring differing opinions on the controversial issue. This paper seeks to outline and analyze some of the arguments that three Christians uphold in regard to abortion. While Christianity in general teaches that abortion is a violation of the right to life and an act that demeans the sacred nature of human life, there are varying outlooks on abortion from specific Christians. The notion about differing Christian outlooks on abortion is explored based on opinions of the late Catholic pope, John Paul II, head of the Anglican Church Dr. Rowan Williams, and General Shaw Clifton, a Salvation Army leader. The first Christian under scrutiny, that is, John Paul II, was an adamant opponent of abortion. The deceased Catholic pope strictly condemned abortion terming it wrong and unethical. John Paul II also spread the teaching that human life is not only sacred, but that it must be properly protected with utmost care. The pope further emphasized that human life begins after conception, that is, after fertilization of ovum when a new life begins. This life, he emphasized, does not belong to the mother or the father, but it is a new being that has a right to it individual growth and development. In addition to the argument that the fetus has an inalienable right to life like other humans, John Paul II was also emphatic that abortion of the fetus constitutes murder, which is a sin according to the Bible. Further, he argued that, taking away one’s life leads to pain and suffering to humankind. Anything that leads to human misery and suffering should be prevented by all means because it interferes with normal living. In scripture, there is no special event that makes a person become a human being. Rather, he or she is a human being from conception, and undergoes growth and development, inside and outside his or her mother’s womb, which means that a child is a person, whether he or she is born or unborn. Evans (2002) best sums up John Paul’s perspective by emphasizing that, it does not matter whether the person is in the womb, a newborn, an adolescent, a toddler or an adult, all human beings are equal before God, and their lives should be protected rather than terminated. The former Catholic pope stressed that Christians should not condone anyone who helps in abortion. In fact, if a person is found to be an accomplice, he or she should be excommunicated from the church for obvious reasons. Direct involvement in abortion is considered a mortal sin. Unlike venial sins, mortal sins are sins that a person commit with the full knowledge that he or she is doing wrong, and if he or she does not seek forgiveness, he or she will be separated from God forever. The pope was emphatic that church ethics are founded on natural law, which holds that God has set up the world in a certain way, and no person should interfere with it. Thus, abortion is morally wrong because it interferes with the natural law. It stops the natural process of creating a new life. However, sexual act should not be prevented by anything, and ought to naturally cause pregnancy. If it is interfered with, the chances of getting pregnant will be lessened, but this should not happen. This is deemed to be interference with natural cycles of events that God intends to occur (Evans, 2002). The late pope also noted that, even if humans do not recognize the unborn, God does, and carrying out abortion is demeaning God, or simply put, disrespecting him. John Paul II was persistent in telling Catholic faithful that God loves all His people whether born or unborn. He was also keen to stipulate that a person who commits abortion will have a case to answer during the judgment day, as to why he or she killed, thus annulling God’s plan. This, the pope argued, was because God has plans for everyone, born and unborn. He upheld the belief that if a woman aborts an unborn child, she stops the plan of God, since God allows a child to be conceived, and has a plan for him or her. John Paul’s stance highlights the early conservative outlook on the issue, which strongly argued that abortion should not be carried out irrespective of prevailing circumstances (Kapparis, 2002). Another Christian outlook on abortion is that which is supported by the head of the Church of England, and consequently, the leader of all Anglican faithful around the world. Dr. Rowan Williams’ outlook asserts that abortion is unethical, and a significant sin, when performed under normal circumstances or as a means of birth control. In a recent statement, the church leader particularly expressed his concern about the increased number of abortions on demand. However, Dr. Rowan Williams, unlike John Paul II recognizes the fact that there are times when the fetus or unborn child may pose a risk to the mother, necessitating abortion. His argument in this case, therefore, is that abortion is unethical, but it is allowable during medical emergencies. According to the head of the Anglican Church, abortion is acceptable if the unborn child poses risk to a mother’s physical and mental health, or her life in general. Dr. Rowan Williams also considers abortion to be acceptable if there is a likelihood of the baby having serious disabilities after prenatal medical examination, and the mother insists that she does not have the coping capacity. He also deems abortion permissible if the pregnancy resulted from rape. The primary argument in such a case is that, the rape was an ungodly act and the child conceived under such circumstances may not have been God’s plan. In addition, the mother does not have to repeatedly suffer from the trauma of the incident through raising an unwanted child. This church leader further emphasizes that, to consider a mother’s life less valuable than the life of the fetus fails to account for her human right to life in regard to broader responsibilities as a mother to other kids, a wife, and as an individual. Dr. Rowan Williams is, however, keen to affirm the idea put forth by John Paul II that each human life is unique and created in God’s divine image, hence is sacred. In this light, the Anglican Church head upholds the belief that abortion is a sin and would be an even greater evil if provided on demand. At the same time, he also supports the belief that withdrawal of compassion for mothers’ safety and wellbeing is also a great evil, especially in times of extreme need or distress. Further, given the fact that we live in an imperfect environment, Dr. Rowan Williams emphasizes that sometimes the right choice is the one that represents the lesser of evils implicated in abortion. The third Christian position on abortion is that which is conveyed by a Salvation Army leader named General Shaw Clifton. The latter supports the idea of allowing removal of the fetus only during early phases of pregnancy if it poses medical problems to the mother, but to avoid the action after the child has developed into advanced stages. The argument in this perspective on abortion bears similarity to that upheld by Dr. Rowan Williams, with the primary difference being the timing and stage of the unborn child’s developmental stage. This position is based on the idea that an early abortion would save the mother’s life, but at a progressed phase it would be more rational to carry the pregnancy to term since the child has developed into a human that needs to be protected and live a full life, according to God’s will. The Salvation Army general’s outlook also considers it natural and a God-given responsibility for a woman to conceive a baby, practice to love that child, and take care of him or her throughout pregnancy. Parents have a duty to make sure that their children reaches maturity by providing the best care they can. God has ordained this natural affection, and should be shown by all. Those who do not practice it are said to have committed sin (Friedman, 2011). Just like the Anglican leader, General Shaw Clifton also indicates that circumstances like rape and serious medical conditions that threaten a mother’s life justify abortion. Nonetheless, this Salvation Army leader stresses the Christian belief that life begins at conception and like the Anglican leader, he advocates for protection of human life, while condemning abortions on demand or as birth control means. From the above investigation, it can be noted that the three Christians examined oppose abortion because they consider the controversial act morally, ethically, and biblically wrong. All the opinions evaluated seem to stem from the belief that human life is sacred and no one, other than God, has the authority to take human life. Despite the strong argument for morality and maintenance of the sacred nature of human life starting from conception, it is also evident that Christians are increasingly recognizing the need to protect mothers’ welfare. All the three Christian perspectives hold that abortion devalues human life hence constituting a sin and an evil. There are also other implications of abortion that Christians advocate against, such as adultery and fornication, which arise when a woman knows that if she gets pregnant, she will can access abortion on demand, and live free of parental responsibilities. However, Christian views on abortion have continued to evolve with time, changing from the strictly conservative advocacy against abortion such as that demonstrated by the late Catholic pope John Paul II, to acceptance of abortion during medical emergencies and other extenuating circumstances by Christians like Dr. Rowan Williams and General Shaw Clifton, among others. Simply put it is wrong, in accordance with fundamental Christian beliefs, to take an innocent life. However, it is still imperative to account for the mother’s health since failure to support abortion may cost her life, predisposing her dependents to additional problems. Christians should, nevertheless, remain steadfast in their advocacy against unjustified, on demand abortion. References Evans, J. H. (2002, September). Polarization in abortion attitudes in US religious traditions, 1972–1998. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 397-422). Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers. Friedman, R. E. (2011). The Bible Now. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kapparis, K. A. (2002). Abortion in the ancient world. Whiteladies: Bristol Classical Press. Read More