Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Is Abortion Morally Permissable?

 

            Abortion is morally permissible, given the fact that a fetus is only a human being in the "genetic sense,"" not the "moral sense."" The information I have found supports the idea that a fetus does not become a person until birth, or at least well into the pregnancy. I have found that many people that are pro-life commonly go along with the misconception that a fetus becomes a person once they have their unique DNA, rather than when they exhibit the characteristics of what would generally constitute a person, not just a human being.
             Ever since Roe v. Wade (1973), the issue of when a fetus becomes a person has been a very heated topic. Pro-lifers, such as the Roman Catholic Church, believe this occurs at conception. Pro-choicers, such as National Organization of Women (NOW) and National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) believe this occurs later in the pregnancy or at birth, since the fetus does not have characteristics such as self-consciousness and rationality.
             Pro-lifers continually argue that a fetus is a person who has rights from the time of conception. They feel that once conceived, the fetus has its own unique DNA with the potential of becoming an independent human being, therefore granting the fetus all the rights that an already-born individual has. They feel that since a fetus has a heartbeat after the third week and brain activity that's able to be registered on machines that measure brain waves by the sixth week, it's entitled to the rights that a newborn or infant has. An official Senate report from 1981 states.
             "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being - a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is an overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings."" (http://abortionNO.org).
             Pro-lifers feel that this is justifiable. They feel that genetic humanity is sufficient enough.


Essays Related to Is Abortion Morally Permissable?