ABORTION - CAUSES AND OPTIONS

Abortion is horrifying at any stage, and under ANY circumstance it is a sin. Legal? Yes! (see abortion laws). But morally, there is no justification for it. Life is God's gift; He alone is the Lord and giver of all life and therefore He alone can decide to take it away. We cannot give life, therefore we cannot take it away, whatever may be the reason.

Muretus, the 16th century Christian scholar said, "Call no man cheap for whom Christ died." Paul says in 2 Cor 5:15 "And he died for all." Each person is more valuable in His eyes than one can imagine. The value of one soul is measured by the price Jesus paid on the cross.

Very often Pro-Lifers are confronted by pro-abortionists with various arguments, trying to prove that there can be certain exceptions where abortion can be condoned. Let us see some of the often given excuses and pretext for abortion and the options and alternatives that could be provided in each case.

Unwed mothers
This could be a social stigma bringing shame to self, family and loved ones. There is pressure from the family to abort. No doubt the person goes through a lot of mental torture and we may sympathize with her. But the reality is that the child growing in the womb of the woman is not part of the woman, that she can decide to put an end to that life. It is an individual with its own identity, uniqueness and beauty. "What about social stigma then?" is the evident question. She can be given options to keep the baby alive, staying away from known people (crisis pregnancy centers or homes) and delivering the baby secretly and then giving up the baby for adoption.

Social conditions
Poverty: Too many children could be another reason why one would opt for abortion. God is the provider for all. He has made plans for every new life He sends on earth. He knows best. The parents are no one to decide for the child. God has the power to take the child through poverty.
Some of the greatest of men have come from poverty-stricken homes e.g. Abraham Lincoln. Imagine what a loss it would be to the world if their mothers had aborted them.
An extremely poor man and his wife have 14 kids and she finds she is pregnant with the 15th. Considering their poverty and the huge global population, would you recommend abortion for the couple? If your answer is Yes, you would have recommended killing John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists of the 19th century.

Mother's health
Pregnancy and child birth is a natural process. Some say that a mother's ill health is a valid reason for abortion. First of all, this situation very rarely arises and when it does, it is best to trust in God. He cares for both, the mother and child and will do what is best. It is always better to take different medical opinions. The Catholic Church allows termination of pregnancy only in 2 cases, cancer of the uterus and ectopic pregnancy, as in both these cases the treatment itself will result in termination of pregnancy.

Population
The rapid growth in population sets an alarm and abortion is looked upon as a reasonable method to control population. Why choose only the unborn to regulate population? Why are the unborn singled out to die? Some of the Family Planning methods propagated by the governments ignore the fact that they are abortifacients. What is needed is equal distribution of resources and the problems rising from over- population will be resolved.

Deformed or handicapped baby
Science and technology have advanced and today the fetal development can be monitored easily through sonography and other methods. But it is said that in some cases it leads to a decision to end that life. Who has a right to live? Who decides? Who puts a price tag on someone's life? Every person is important. The handicapped are special and need special care, that's all. God in His wisdom selects and provides the parents, with the needed grace. We cannot decide to end another's life just because we think they are not normal. Deciding to retain an abnormal fetus, even against medical advice can be tough, even expensive. But couples who decide to obey God's command, rather than man's have been blessed.
A man is sick with syphilis and his wife has TB. They have 4 children. The first is blind, the second, stillborn, the third deaf and the fourth has TB. The lady discovers she is pregnant again. There was a huge chance that the baby would be abnormal when born. Given the extreme situation, would you recommend abortion? If your answer is Yes, you would have recommended killing Beethoven, one of the greatest musicians.
But let us not forget that some of the greatest geniuses in the world were defective at birth or from diseased families, Stephen Hawking, Helen Keller, Vincent Van Gogh, Louis Braille.

Rape
Such cases are very rare. Just 1% of the rape victims get pregnant. Unlike shown in films, it is not so easy to get pregnant during a rape, because the woman is in a mental state of shock and the man is often unable to complete the act. But even if it so happens, just as a woman is a victim, the child too is a victim of the event. The same help could be provided as in the case of unwed mothers.
A white man raped a 13 year old black girl and she got pregnant. If you were the distraught girl's parent, would you consider aborting the fetus? If your answer is Yes, you would have recommended killing Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer.

Ignorance
Many people are misinformed that abortion is not the killing of the unborn. They are ignorant, they are informed that it is only wiping away a cluster of cells or the like, therefore, the duty of Pro-Lifers is to give the complete truth; However all D & C's are not abortions, and at times, medically advised, even when there is no pregnancy.

Mistake
While planning a family, if by mistake, the lady conceives she calls it a 'mistake' and does not want to be responsible for it. She decides to abort, therefore making an even bigger mistake than before.

Same sex
If a couple finds that they have too many children of the same sex and learn that the one conceived now is also of the same sex, they decide to abort.