The ongoing and divisive debate about abortion has made me contemplate what my real feeling is about it and what I think should be done about the issue.
As with any issue so profoundly polarizing, there are always the what-if’s inhabiting the discussion: rape, incest, the mother’s well-being, and potentially fatal defects of the fetus are all thrown out to support abortion. These all have merit, and require consideration. The one position outside of these, causing the most controversy is “a woman’s control over her own body” and what that means in reality. There is a point where a premature birth has a survival rate – with extensive hospital care. Before this the fetus requires the environment of the womb to exist. The next question is what does the fetus endure during an abortion procedure and if it is considered inhumane. This hearkens back to the situations where a pregnant woman is killed and the perpetrator is charge with murder of both the woman and the unborn child.
At this point I will share I have a strong faith in God and am a Christian, a believer in Jesus. Yes, this faith will affect my perspective on many things in the same way an atheists beliefs will affect theirs. Because of this I cannot support using abortion as birth control. I don’t believe it is a viable rational for “pro-choice” proponents to use. A vegetarian will claim an egg has the potential to be a baby chicken so they refuse to eat an egg. If an embryo has the potential to be a human should it be any less protected?
My issue with the “pro-lifers’ is how do they propose to solve the problem of care and protection of unwanted babies being born. Young women who have no resources for child care education nor adequate job skills will need health care and child care. They will need support if they chose giving their baby up for adoption. If they are cast out of their families for whatever reason they will need to have access to prenatal care.
The best way to prevent the epidemic of abortions is to prevent pregnancy whenever possible. The best and safest for people is abstinence. This keeps a young woman from pregnancy or contracting an STD. However to expect abstinence to be a viable option is unrealistic in the culture of sex in our society. Perhaps in homes that teach the New Testament belief about premarital sex, then abstinence is part of honoring their faith and a more probable choice.
Folks, humans aren’t going to stop having sex.
My firm belief is birth control should be free. It should be available easily and readily. I remember a young woman in the college group at my church came to me incensed that condoms were being handed out on campus. I told her my feeling – it is better to prevent a pregnancy than to kill a fetus.
This issue won’t be solved quickly, but the inflamed and insulting accusations from both sides will never result in effective and constructive discussion.
Cheers!
-N