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Religious Arguments Against Abortion

The unborn child is thus a person and as a person it must be given its natural right to life: .
             "From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person- among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life."5 A person according to the Catholic Church (which is also backed by science)6 does not begin to develop once they exit the mother's womb, but the development begins much earlier, approximately nine months earlier. Just as an adolescent develops into a teenager and then an adult, an infant develops from the unborn child. This right to life exists in all humans from their nature, and there is no precedent of one human having more of a right to live then another. Some may ask, "What if the mother of the unborn child is in danger for her life?" The Catholic Church answers this question by splitting an abortion into two categories: direct and indirect. A direct abortion is when the act itself is to kill the unborn child. This is an abortion that is willed as an end or a means.7 The Catholic Church believes all direct abortions regardless of the situation are immoral: "Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You Shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish."8.
             An indirect abortion is one that is not willed to be the means or the end of an action; meaning the death of the child is accidental. Treatment by the doctor may be given to the mother as long as the treatment is meant to cure the illness and not abort the pregnancy. If the unborn child dies as a secondary result of these treatments then this is considered and indirect abortion. The Catholic Church allows this as long as the action was not taken specifically to kill the unborn child. Pope John Paul II gives an example of this in, Evangelium Vitae ("The Gospel of Life").


Essays Related to Religious Arguments Against Abortion

1. Abortion

... . Unfortunately, this is the least-used argument by the abortionists. This is probably because so many of them are so fond of prohibition on almost any other subject, other than abortion. Arguments abortionists use, which are false: The Constitution protects our right to privacy I wish this was true. But if this right was acknowledged in the Constitution, then how could drugs, prostitution ... . Unfortunately, this is the least-used argument by the abortionists. This is probably because so many of them are so fond of prohibition on almost any other subject, other than abortion. Arguments ...

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  • Grade Level: High School

2. Anti Abortion

... be outlawed because it is immoral and mothers should face the responsibilities of their actions. Many arguments can be used in order to put an end to abortion or at least in order to establish dialogue. One of the oldest arguments against abortion is the religious standpoint. Western society (Canada & U.S.A.) is historically a Judeo-Christian culture with Judeo-Christian values. Although in ... recent times we have become an increasingly pluristic society the Old World thinking is still at the heart of our social relations and laws. The Bible says "Thou shalt not kill" thus prohibiting ...

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3. abortion

... murder, as some do, until they have pinpointed the exact moment when the fetus becomes a person. Arguments Against Abortion Abortion is a very controversial issue, leading to arguments arising against it as frequently as they are made for it. People who are against abortion are usually called pro-lifers, meaning that they believe every human being should have the chance and opportunity at life. The pro-life movement also ... that you are killing a human being. Once again the question of when does the fetus become a person is brought up. A website against abortion says, "Another set of m...

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  • Grade Level: High School

4. Abortion: Supporting and Opposing

... her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay" ("Democratic Party on Abortion"). Even religious groups have spoken in favor of abortion: the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association all publicly support abortion. There are many arguments against abortion, such as, "Maybe the woman ... should have avoided intercourse if a child was not the goal," "The fetus has rights, too and the mother cannot take those away," and most popular, "Abortion is murder." ...

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5. Abortion From An Ethical Point Of View

... sooner (before the fetus has even developed the capability of suffering), or with modern painless techniques. So as a result, the direct suffering of the fetus cannot be an argument against abortion, only the bad practice of it. A more significant consideration exists if the future life of the fetus. Will it involve a probable balance of happiness over suffering? This would ... position. The pro-life arguments (which are against abortion) are the following: 1. It is a murder to kill an innocent human being. 2. A human fetus is an innocent human being. 3. Abortion can be looked at as a ...

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  • Grade Level: High School

6. Abortion and the Pro-Life Movement

... be in defense of a mother who chooses to kill one of their children. Understanding the pro-life point of view is not to be confused with any religious affiliation, it just relates to some religious beliefs. It also deals with ethics, because the outcome of a human being is present. In some extreme cases where women are victims are of incest, and rape ... , abortion seems to be the best option. The next question at hand is why punish the baby with ending its life, when the man who is guilty will be convicted? Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade is very popular, and pro-life arguments are cons...

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7. My Stand on Abortion

... on the issue of whether or not abortion is an act of murder. At first glance it would seem that the answer should follow directly upon two questions: Is the fetus human? And is it alive?" Gordon also states "Our ritual and religious practices underscore the fact that we make distinctions among fetuses. If a woman took the bloody matter-indistinguishable ... a miscarriage. Sometimes, according to Gordon, a miscarriage might look more reasonable than abortion itself. Overall the discussion of miscarriage is one of the biggest arguments of abortion. The author's idea of the connection that...

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  • Grade Level: High School

8. Abortion

... of the procedure, a vocal foil to the necessarily silent sufferers. In 1869 he issued his famous decree of the church's position, outlining their point of view condemning abortion. Their arguments hinged on three points of religious interpretation. First, and most weighty, that the fetus is a person and contains a soul. The Roman Catholic Church was a bit muddled on this point, as the official standpoint ... sought to nullify those rights guaranteed by Roe. Today, due mostly to pressure from anti-abortion groups, nine out of ten counties have no facilities that provide abortion services...

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  • Grade Level: High School

9. Abortion Pros and Cons

Abortion has been a very hot debate for many years in Canada bringing up a lot of controversy and strong opinions both for and against its practice. At the present time abortions are legal in Canada, however, there are groups of people who would like for this to change. The arguments range from moral ethics, religious teachings, and even to questionable parts of the law which may ... debate allowing abortion. On the other side of the coin the supporters ... I don't believe it should be banned from those who would. First let us examine some of the arguments against the practice of abortion in...

  • Word Count: 1768
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10. Western Worldview Of Abortion And My Personal Oppinions

... . Despite the well-expressed 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. 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 ... state . Dworkin's rationale focused on the fact that most religions do not agree on when life actually begins - at conception, as a four-month fetus or at birth. He alleged t...

  • Word Count: 1105
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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