Abortion

Abortion: Defending a Right to Choose

In the beginning, long before Roe v. Wade, opinions regarding abortion were closely related to pro-life ideals including the original Hippocratic Oath that states, “I will not give a fatal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I suggest any such thing. Neither will I give a woman means to procure an abortion.” However, in today’s society many changes have occurred and pro-choice has become a staple among many who believe a woman has the right to choose which is reflected in the 1964 revision of the Hippocratic Oath by Louis Lasagna which makes no reference to abortion in anyway.

There are several different arguments in relation to when a fetus can and should be considered a human being. The question of when life begins is never more profound than when it becomes relevant to the issue of abortion. From a pro-choice point of view, the status of a fetus is a matter of individual opinion. In retrospect, one must understand that it does not matter whether a fetus is human or has rights; women will have abortions regardless, even if it means breaking the law or risking their lives. The Catholic Church opposes and condemns any and all direct abortions even those resulting from rape, incest, and those that present a danger to the life of the mother. According to the National Abortion Federation (NAF), women who obtain abortions represent every religious affiliation with 13% of abortion patients describing themselves as born-again or Evangelical Christians; while 22% of U.S. women are Catholic and 27% of them admit to having abortions (Guttmacher Institute, 2003). In knowing this, I find it hard to believe that most pro-life supporters wish to focus their attention on the religious basis for their arguments when those affiliated with every facet of religion partake in their right to choose without religious scruples. This is why we should leave the decision up to women’s moral conscience, and make sure that they are...