There are few issues that can cause as many heated and sometimes, irrational, debates than that of abortion. The issue strikes at the very heart of an individual's religious and philosophical beliefs. Does a woman have the right to terminate a pregnancy? Is it moral to do so in any circumstance? Is a fetus a living human being? The debate has raged for nearly thirty years and there does not seem to be any end to the controversy that often results in violence. Irrational individuals who have committed murder want to make their beliefs heard and followed. In response to the question, some people have resulted to using qualifiers: no, abortion is not moral except if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest is one response heard, in fact, some state laws contain this condition. A very large and strong contingent of people say a very loud and aggressive no, abortion is not moral, not under any circumstance and at least as many say a very loud aggressive yes, abortion is moral; it is the woman's choice regarding her own body. The issue of abortion is filled with emotion. Despite the eloquent arguments and the seemingly reasonable reasons supporting abortion, abortion is not moral. It is taking the life of a living being and that can never be considered a moral act. There is more and more support for this opinion. As the Roe v Wade decision reached its 25th anniversary, in fact, there was a growing sentiment in this country that abortion is murder. Perhaps this swell of support against abortion is due to the realization that legal abortion has prohibited 35 million humans from being born. .
Pope John Paul II left no question about abortion in the Catholic Church. The Pope has often argued vigorously that abortion is murder and condemns laws that permit abortion as being intrinsically unjust, lacking in authentic juridical validity, and not being morally binding. It is like a space within which the morality of abortion has no place.
