Abortion Debate Issues

There is one thing that the opponents and proponents of abortion agree on and that is they do not agree on anything. And so the fight goes on - harsh words are spoken, protests are organized, fights erupt and lives are taken. Just recently we heard of the brutal slaying of an abortionist - in church - the one place where all should feel welcomed and safe. That act was despicable and should never be repeated.

It does not matter what our differences are, we all have a right to them. Even God allows us to choose. The Bible teaches that God gave Jesus as a sacrifice for sin and then said, "Whosoever will, may come." Therefore, those who would sanction the murder of an abortionist in the name of God are grossly misguided.

Let me get back to the meat of things. In spite of the fact that both sides believe that they have nothing in common, I contend that they do. I believe that if each side will take time to listen to the other they will recognize that there is some common ground which could pave the way to respectful and productive dialogue. Let's go deeper.

The pro-life party's opposition to abortion is based on one fundamental belief - life begins at conception. Therefore, abortion at any stage is the taking of life. Furthermore, because life begins at conception, there is no ground on which one should be allowed to end a pregnancy - rape, incest and threats to the mother's life included.

On the other hand, pro-choicers argue that life begins at birth. Therefore, at anytime before full term when the woman's water breaks and she is placed in a bed of some kind, in the delivery position, whatever she carries in her uterus can be terminated. Furthermore, pro-choicers believe that the woman should be free to decide whether she wants to keep or discard that "thing" growing inside her.

Let us take a look at each side's views to determine if there is some things that both can agree on.

Life begins at conception v. life at birth - Let's examine this more closely. There may be some validity to the claim that life begins at conception. Before the woman gets to the point of delivery she can attest to changes in her body - nausea, mood swings, weight gain, a protruding abdomen, and of course, movements - kicking, pressing and more. The fact is that pregnancy brings very obvious changes to the woman's body. Such changes seem to indicate growth. Things that are alive tend to grow. Think of a seed that becomes a tree, a puppy that becomes an adult dog, or even humans. Can we agree that if something is growing this means there is life? Before the mother pushes out the offspring, it grew from a dot to a full-blown baby. So, is there life before or at birth? Think about it.

What about the pro-lifers' stance that the pregnancy should be kept even in the case of rape and incest? Do you think it is fair to pretend that a woman carrying a fetus, conceived through rape or incest, does not have a mountain to bear? Can you think of the shame that woman feels each time that "thing" moves in her and as she watches her abdomen grow? Do you think this is easy for even the strongest among us? Can both sides agree that this is very a heart-wrenching situation for any woman?

The solution from both camps is as expected. Pro-choicers say abort. Pro-lifers say counsel the pregnant woman and give up the child for adoption. If we cannot agree that life starts at conception, then maybe abortion is the answer. But, if we believe the opposite, and believe it is just too much to have a woman suffer through such a shameful ordeal, another suggestion may work. How about pushing to have victims of rape and incest "cleansed" immediately before finding out if anything happened? Of course this in itself presents tons of challenges, but where there is a will there is a way.

Now, what about pro-choicers' contention that women should be allowed to choose? If we live in a country whose Constitution provides for rights to choose whatever, then maybe this also applies to a woman deciding whether to keep or kill (according to pro-lifers) her child.

Finally, do all pro-choicers believe that abortion at any stage is fine, even partial-birth abortions? Are there members of this camp who will agree that that act is heinous in nature? Think about it. At anytime from 4.5 months to 7 months, the "thing" inside the woman's uterus is partially pulled out, the head is punctured and then the brain is suctioned out to end the "thing's" life. Wait a minute. If there is no life before full-term birth, why is action taken to end life during a partial-birth abortion? Do you believe that if more pro-choicers knew what is involved in a late-term abortion procedure that they would oppose it? This is just a thought.

The conclusion is simple. Although both sides refuse to listen to each other, the fact is that there are points that they both can agree on. One can only hope that at some point pro-choicers and pro-lifers will find some common ground and will do something tangible to at least remove the violence from the ongoing abortion debate.