Abortion: When Does Life Begin?

The issues surrounding abortion and whether it is right or wrong have been one of the nation's most popular subjects for many years. As far back as 1973 when the Supreme Court decided through Roe vs. Wade that having an abortion fell under a woman's constitutional rights, there have been opponents to abortion out rallying for their beliefs to be heard (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?). Abortion is a very controversial issue and no matter which side of the fence you are on, a final solution to the debate may never be found.

Pro-choice advocates think that abortion is a woman's right and denying that right is an infringement on their privacy. They believe that a woman has the choice to do to her body what she wishes without having the government interfere. Restrictions on the abortion laws only "undermine a woman's basic rights to choose her destiny, make decisions affecting her body and control her reproductive life" (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?).

Pro-life advocates believe that a fetus is a human being with the absolute right to life just like any other living being. Their belief that the right to life outweighs the mother's right to make choices regarding her own body is the fundamental foundation behind pro-life advocates. Essentially, they believe that abortion is murder at any stage of pregnancy, and murder is wrong (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?).

So when does a fetus become a human being? This is the most controversial issue, and also the main debate, when discussing abortion rights. It is proven that the cells that make up the fetus are living cells, but whether or not these cells make up a human life is another question. If the cells make up a human life, then it is believed to have the same rights as any other human. Pro-life advocates believe that the moment of conception is when the fetus is built into a unique human life that would grow to function if left alone (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?). Pro-choice advocates believe that human life begins at the moment of viability, which is the moment when a fetus can survive independently from its mother outside the womb. Viability usually takes place at the 23^rd or 24^th week of a woman's pregnancy but some babies can survive before this mark of time with the help of medical technology (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?).

There are a vast majority of other ideas of when human life begins, such as the first heartbeat or when brain waves are detected. There are also the people who believe a mother should have the right to terminate her child at any point regardless of whether the fetus is deemed a human life (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?). Many religions also believe that a life begins at the moment of conception, such as the Roman Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II stated, "Procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing...of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, extending from conception to birth" (Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin?).

According to Thomas Wall, there are three main points of view on when a fetus is deemed a human life. The conservative view claims that the moment of conception is when the unborn becomes a human being because it carries biological functions that are features of a born child, and it is separate from its mother due to having its own set of genes. The conservative believes that the unborn has a right to life from the moment it is conceived, which leads to the argument that abortion is wrong in all cases (Wall, 2003).

The moderate viewpoint sees the unborn as a living being from the moment of conception due to the fact that it has its own set of genes, just like the conservative. They also believe that between 20-28 weeks, the unborn could live independently from its mother, so it is considered a person at this point, but a potential person before this. Taking these into consideration, the moderate believes that the unborn has a right to life after the 20-28 week period, and a partial right to life before this (Wall, 2003).

The liberal viewpoint holds that it is always morally acceptable to have an abortion, even through the last trimester of a pregnancy, which is even more extreme than the actual legal view, where abortion is only legal through the first and second trimesters (Wall, p. 133). The liberal viewpoint believes that not allowing abortion contributes to the suffering of women by either making them have unwanted pregnancies, or having them pursue illegal abortions.

Establishing the point at which a fetus becomes a living being is very controversial. I can agree with what Wall is saying when drawing out the argument and evaluating each premise, and I can see some reasoning behind each of the three viewpoints. I think I fall more into the moderate viewpoint. The liberal viewpoint is much too harsh for me (accepting abortion in the third trimester). I am more of a relativist when it comes to abortion because I think in most cases it is unethical, but in extreme emergencies (such as saving the mother's life), I can see the need for it.

I do not believe that there will ever be a "right" answer for the question on when a fetus actually becomes a human life. This is going to an issue that many of us will always ponder, even though we may have already finalized our own decisions surrounding the issue. Some people may even change their belief on a case by case basis. I would like to believe that women are not just using abortion as a form of birth control, although I know there are people like that out there. I think the unborn fetus has a right to life. They are the innocent party in the whole debate and deserve the chance at life.

References

Abortion: When Does Human Life Begin. (2005, August 22). Issues & Controversies On

File. Retrieved March 13,2006, from Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com database.

Wall, T. (2003). Thinking critically about moral problems. Belmont, CA: Thomson

Learning.