Giomara Castillo
December 14,2015
Class 1101-D323
Research Essay-Draft#2
Making the Ultimate Choice
    “You can’t reconcile being pro-life on abortion and pro-death on the death penalty” as was stated by Tom Wright. Tom Wright is a leading British New Testament Scholar and retired Anglican bishop. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy.While some feel that abortion should be illegal and restricted, others feel it should be legal and freely accessed. As a result, of this debate, two groups have emerged, the pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life supporters claim that life begins at conception, therefore, abortion at any stage of pregnancy is murder. On the other hand, Pro-choice supporters claim that it is a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body. Abortion has been and always will be a controversial topic in terms of when life begins, religion, and politics.
   Everybody has a different point of view of when life really begins. Said,“The genetic material that leads to conception is alive but is wrong to say it has a unique human identity at conception. That is theology or philosophy”(Growe, Star). The question of when does life really begins is very controversial among those who believe in science and those who follow their religious traditions as well as  between Pro-life and Pro-choice supporters. Doctors make the decision of when life really begins based on the changes of survival meaning life begins when the fetus is able to survive outside the womb.. Nonetheless, the point at which a fetus is sufficiently developed to live outside the womb has come to be accepted as the national medical standard but technology plays a big role in this decision. In 1967, a fetus delivered under the age of twenty-eight  weeks could not survive on its own, in comparison to 1988, a fetus could survive on its own. at the age of twenty-two weeks. Perhaps because today technology and science make almost anything possible.
   “The fact that science has established without a shadow of a doubt that fetus and embryos are alive brings us no closer to understanding when life begins for ethical purposes” (Growe, Star). Pro-life supporters would agree with this statement because they believe that life starts at conception. On the other hand, Pro-choice supporters do not make absolute claims about when life begins they believe that the mother’s interest is the main priority.
   Religion sees abortion as the termination of an unborn life, therefore, abortion is wrong, sinful and immoral, nevertheless, there are some religious groups that support abortion. Individuals who are highly devoted to their religion oppose abortion, however, those who are not highly devoted support pro-choice. “The debates among abortion have served to polarize the Catholic community. The official policy of the Catholic church involves an extreme pro-life position”(Hoffmann, Johnson 162). Catholicism teaches that abortion is a form of murder, no matter the conditions or circumstances that led to pregnancy.The only exception would be if a medical procedure is needed due to the death of the embryo or undesired side effect of the fetus, other than that performing an abortion would be considered a sin. Hinduism is another religion that does not condemn abortion because it is thought to violate the religion’s teachings of nonviolence.
    Despite  being a controversial topic among some religions, there are other religious groups that somehow are in favor of abortion.“Other groups that have been perceived as maintaining a strong pro-life position, such as Southern Baptists and the Church of Brethren, have also experienced conflicts about abortion”(Hoffmann, Johnson,162) Nevertheless, a considerable number of religious organizations have shied away from the debate, arguing that although the moral concerns are formidable it is up to each person’s conscience to decide the proper course of action regarding abortion. Buddhism is a religion that has no official position on abortion, even though many oppose abortion in Japan, where there is a large Buddhist population, abortions are commonly practiced.
   Whether some people are in favor or against abortion, in terms of laws abortion is legal. Above all, there are also numerous amount of laws which affect abortions. “Since the passage of  Roe v. Wade in 1973, many legal challenges to abortion rights have been mounted.The 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey upheld the right to abortion”(Harper, Henderson and Carney 501). These two laws were passed in favor of abortion but, at the same time, it gave  states the right to enact restrictions. The decision, Roe v. Wade not only made abortion legal but also set a legal precedent that relied on the timing of the abortion by establishing trimesters during which the strength of government interest engages at increasing levels. The court ruled that during the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman has an absolute right to an abortion and the government can not interfere with that right. During the second trimester, the woman still has the right to an abortion but the state can get involved in order to protect the woman’s health. In the third trimester, the court decided that the state has the right to protect the life of the unborn if it so chooses.
   Lindsey, Sigillo, and Miller  stated,“The U.S Supreme court currently upholds a minor’s right for abortion, albeit with limitations, such as requiring parental notification or consent”(Lindsey, Sigillo and Miller 59). Most states require parental consent or notification for minors but provide the option of seeking a court order exempting minors from the requirement. “As of 2009, eighteen states require one-parent consent, two states require two-parent consent, ten states require one-parent notification and one state requires two-parent notification” (Lindsey, Sigillo and Miller 59). These states also have abortion restrictions and regulations that include waiting periods and counseling topics, such as showing women sonograms or other images showing the development of the fetus and insurance restrictions.
   Even though abortion is legal, the government has decided the cost of an abortion to be limited, “The federal Medicaid program pays for abortion only for life endangerment, incest or rape as required by the Hyde Amendment in 1977. Only 18 states cover abortion under Medicaid for reasons beyond rape, incest, and life endangerment” (Harper, Henderson and Darney 502) Poor woman would be affected by this decision and would be forced to perform an abortion in a clinic that is poorly educated in how to perform abortions for a low cost.
   In conclusion, when life actually begins remains a debate. Science believes that life begins when the fetus can survive outside the womb, Pro -life supporters believe that life begins at the moment of conception and abortion would be a murder and Pro -choice supporters don’t have an argument about when life actually begins they are more concerned on women’s rights. Some religions consider abortion as a sin since  they believe is the termination of an unborn life, however, there are other religious groups that argue that although the moral concerns are formidable it is up to each person’s conscience to decide the proper course of action regarding abortion. And even though abortion is legal in the United States, abortion laws continue to be a topic of debate in politics and among the religious group. Not only because minors need parental consent to perform abortions or because Medicaid does not cover the cost of an abortion but because individual differences, such as religious affiliation, can influence an individual’s support for abortion and abortion laws.
Works Cited
“Abortion, Information & the Law: What Every Doctor Needs to Know.” Issues in Law & Medicine 16.3 (2001): 283-84. ProQuest. Web. Nov. 2015.
Harper, Cynthia C., Jillian T. Henderson, and Philip D. Darney. “Abortion In The United States.” Annual Review of Public Health 26 (2005): 501-10. ProQuest. Web. Nov. 2015.
Hoffmann, John P, and Sherrie Mills Johnson. “Attitudes Toward Abortion among Religious Traditions in the United States: Change Or Continuity.” Sociology of Religion 66.2 (2005): 161-82. ProQuest. Web. Nov. 2015.
Lindsey, Samuel C., Alexandra E. Sigillo, and Monica K. Miller. “Attitudes Toward Parental Involvement Clauses In Minor Abortion Laws And Individual Differences In Religion, Political Affiliation, And Attribution Style Among College Students.” Individual Differences Research 11 (2013): 59-69. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. Nov. 2015.
