Abortion as an Immoral Act of Murder According to The Pro-life Argument

Abortion is a violation against the principles of life which ultimately deprives an unborn child of the right and privilege to grow to full maturity and be birthed. With the exception of rape and medical complications, abortion is a means of averting parenting responsibilities. The key person to be considered in this controversial issue is the fetus. No specific phase of development can be pinpointed to justify the child’s legal right to exist. Patrick Lee, in his essay, The Pro-Life Argument from Substantial Identity: A Defence, asserts “(i)t is wrong to kill an unborn human being because he or she is identical to an entity that, at some time later in her development, everyone agrees it is wrong to kill” (Lee, 2010). In other words, if it is immoral to murder a human being in its later stages, it must equally be immoral to kill the same in the embryonic stage.

Abortion Viewed as Murder by the Pro-life Perspective

Abortion and infant mortality number among some key social issues which affect developed and developing countries. Although China’s economy is amongst the world’s leading, when it comes to social subjects it falls back in a marked manner. In terms of abortion rates, infant mortality rates, literacy rates, and life expectancy, China has to cede to America. An affluent economy with thriving business, China also has another side: its dire poverty, Chinese health has been risked because of the culture, traditional practices, state of institutions, and laws.

Today, one of many horrific practices against the child is that of abortion. Abortion is the premature termination of a pregnancy, killing the unborn child by ejecting it from the womb. Children are a sacred gift of life. As a consequence of abortion, untold unborn generations are decimated. The crux of this polemic touches on realms such as belief systems, political legislation, religious tenets, and human rights. The pro-life perspective argues that the sanctity of the life of the child and the child’s rights validates the humanity of the fetus and promotes sustained anti-abortion legislation. On the other hand, the pro-choice perspective rallies for feminist’s rights, degrades the fetus to an agglomeration of cells until birth, and agitates for the legitimization of abortion. Unfortunately, the repercussions of abortion are manifold: the death of the mother, the death of the child, the guilt of abortion, and medical complications which lessen the likelihood of pregnancy. The murder of the unborn child is a crime against humanity, as such is considered an act of infanticide. This social issue that arises from abortion pressures lawmakers to legalize a crime which ruins the motherhood experience and mars the psyche. This offense deprives the child of enjoyment of the beauty of life. With this violation against a child, death occurs as the fetus perishes. Indeed, this societal dilemma challenges the very essence of ethical and moral frameworks within societies.

Statistical Overview

In 1995, the number of legal abortions in the USA summed to 1,365,700 with a 22.9 rate out of 1000 pregnancies of women aged 15-44; and a 25.9 ratio out of 100 known pregnancies (Jones & Kavanaugh, 2011). In that same year in China, 7,930,000 abortions were conducted with a 26.1 rate out of 1000 pregnancies of women aged 15-44; and a 27.4 ratio out of 100 known pregnancies (Hesketh et al., 2005). In 2007, China reported an abortion rate of 24.2 per 1000 women aged 15-44 years (Hesketh et al., 2005). Conversely, in the United States, the abortion rate in 2007 stood at 20.8 per 1000 women aged 15-44 years (Jones & Kavanaugh, 2011). In China, abortions are legalized and facilitated by the government for women. Also, due to the overpopulation crisis in China, the One Child Per Family law mandates the lessening of the number of members per household. These statistics highlight not only the prevalence of abortion but also the underlying cultural and policy-driven factors that influence reproductive choices in different countries.

Conclusion

The ongoing debate about abortion underscores the complexity of balancing individual rights with ethical considerations. As societies continue to evolve, the dialogue surrounding abortion must remain open, inclusive, and respectful of differing perspectives. Ultimately, the challenge lies in crafting policies that honor the sanctity of life while respecting women's autonomy and addressing the multifaceted social issues that contribute to the prevalence of abortion.

References

• Hesketh, T., Lu, L., & Xing, Z. W. (2005). The effect of China’s one-child family policy after 25 years. The New England Journal of Medicine, 353(11), 1171-1176.
• Jones, R. K., & Kavanaugh, M. L. (2011). Changes in abortion rates between 2000 and 2008 and lifetime incidence of abortion. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 117(6), 1358-1366.
• Lee, P. (2010). The pro-life argument from substantial identity: A defense. Bioethics, 24(5), 223-232.