...Rollins ENG 112-01 September 2, 2015 Is Abortion Wrong or Right? Abortion is defined as “The removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end the pregnancy” (dictionary.com). However, if only the debate over the abortion issue was as easy as the definition listed above. However, similar to most things in life, a statement or opinion is never right nor wrong, but simply left open for clarification. Those who are against abortion believe that abortion is the murder of innocent human beings who aren’t given a chance at life and the ability to function as a normal individual. However, those who are for abortion believe that it is a women’s right to choose what she does to not only her baby but also to her body and if she decides she is not capable of bringing a child into this world, then she should not be forced to. Everybody has their own opinion so therefore, abortion should not be right nor should it be wrong. As expected, there are millions of people who are against abortion. These people are considered pro-life, otherwise known as people who feel that, for no reason at all, should any woman feel the need to abort her child while being pregnant. There are many reasons as to why those who are pro-life do not support abortion. The main reason is that, in her decision to have an abortion, the mother is deciding to kill or murder an innocent human being who hasn’t been given a chance at life. Some may also feel that abortion is a very harmful procedure which not...
Words: 988 - Pages: 4
...Abortion, Right or Wrong? To most people life is a gift. Some people live each day as if it were their last. Others take life for granted and assume that what they put off today they can do tomorrow. What about the life of the unborn child, the human being that is growing and developing inside its mother’s womb. Is it the right of the mother to say this child shall be born, or is it the right of the government? Does the developing fetus have a voice on this issue? These questions have been asked as far back as ancient times. Today, the question whether abortion is right or wrong still has many people on different sides of the issue. Abortions have been performed throughout history for many different reasons. Laws and their enforcement on the issue have fluctuations through many eras. Many of the methods used in early and primitive cultures were non-surgical. Common techniques were making the woman perform strenuous physical activities such as climbing, paddling, weightlifting, or diving. Women could also use irritant leaves, fasting, bloodletting, and pouring hot water onto the abdomen. Each culture had its own ways of dealing with unwanted pregnancies. For centuries, South Asia has practiced the technique of massage abortion, the application of pressure to the pregnant abdomen. During the nineteenth century in the United States, the use of candles and other objects, such as glass rods, penholders, curling irons, spoons, sticks, knives, and catheters...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6
...Hook: For many years people have argued rather it is right or wrong. Connecting Info: In today’s time there are two movements about abortions. Pro Choice, for abortions and believes “Life begins at conception” and Pro Life, against abortions and believes “Every baby wanted and Every mother willing”. Abortions are the early ending of a pregnancy. Thesis: Every woman has the right to choose to their choice or the life. History/Laws History : In the mid to late 1800s the states begin to pass laws that made abortions illegal also, during this time all medical procedures including abortions were extremely risky. Women who need abortions could not receive abortions, Without the medical advances they turned to “back alley” abortions Back-Alley Abortions:...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
...Abortions…. Right or Wrong? Abortions are undoubtedly one of the most controversial topics in our society today. One of the main reasons is because it is often debated as to when a fetus actually becomes a human being. Some people argue that having an abortion is no different than using any other type of contraception. Other people believe that a human being is formed at conception therefore having an abortion is in fact killing another human being. As we all know it is a severe crime to kill another person as it is punishable by death in some states. So to make this legal you have to say that a fetus before a certain week is not considered a living person. The federal government has its views on abortions as well as does many churches but ultimately the people make up both of those parties so it really comes down to whether they are pro-choice or pro-life. The first thing that must be decided is when does human life begin? According to the Association of Pro-Life Physicians, “life begins at fertilization, when a sperm unites with an oocyte”. In order for something to be considered a living creature it must meet certain elements and a fetus at even one day meets all of those elements. That means if you take a pro-choice approach to abortion then you are choosing to go against the science that has helped us evolve from where we were hundreds of years ago if you choose to say that having an abortion within the first twelve weeks is not killing a human being...
Words: 3128 - Pages: 13
...Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by the death of the fetus. ("Abortion," Encarta 98). In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, dramatically changed the legal landscape of American abortion law. The result of the ruling required abortion to be legal for any woman; regardless of her age and for any reason during the first seven months of pregnancy, and for almost any reason after that. ("Status of Abortion in America"). In the Roe v. Wade case, Roe (Norma McCorvey), had claimed she was gang raped and attempted to have an abortion in Texas. ("Roe and Doe"). After hearing the case, the Supreme Court ruled that an American’s right to privacy included the right of a woman whether or not to have children, and the right of a woman and her doctor to make that decision without state interference, at least in the first trimester of pregnancy. ("Celebrating 25 Years of Reproductive Choice"). The moral issue of abortion—whether or not it is murder—has been debated since it was legalized in 1973. Roe v. Wade has been one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century. ("Roe No More"). More than two decades since the Supreme Court first upheld a woman’s right to abortion, the debate over the morality and legality of induced abortion continues in the United States. ("Abortion," Encarta 98). Abortion is one of the most divisive and emotional issues facing United States policy makers today. ("Economics of Abortion")...
Words: 3477 - Pages: 14
...Abortion: Is it Right or is it wrong? Liberty University Human Growth and Development Dr. Robert Pace Contina Roby August 14, 2013 Abstract The purpose of this research paper is being done in reaction to the Mississippi’s Potential Initiative 26 Law. In response to Initiative 26 Law personhood is describe as “all human being from the second of conception, replicating or the functional corresponding thereof”. This would forbid abortions and certain birth control pill. Biblically it says “Thou Shall not Kill” but what transpire when a minor is raped and get pregnant. Should she be made to bring the child to term? After Mississippians went out to cast their votes, Initiative 26 was not approved. The persistence of this paper is to analysis this subject Biblically and then analysis it based upon how people view it. Key Words: Abortion, God, Murder Abortion: Is it Right or is it wrong? Abortion has become very popular in recent years. There are many people who support it and many that don’t. Sometimes abortion seems necessary but still God’s word, “Thou Shall Not Kill” stand. Many people will refuse to accept God’s word as a standard by which they should live and make decision. This is their right to reject it. Having an abortion is basically killing an innocent child. It has become a manufacturing, an elucidation, an excuse to avoid responsibility (Anderson, 2003). Abortion is wrong because God said we are not to murder, but not...
Words: 3095 - Pages: 13
...Abortion Introduction The abortion debate deals with the rights and wrongs of deliberately ending a pregnancy before normal childbirth, killing the foetus in the process. Abortion is a very painful topic for women and men who find themselves facing the moral dilemma of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. It's one of the most polarising moral issues - most people are on one side or the other, very few are undecided. The primary questions The moral debate about abortion deals with two separate questions: 1. Is abortion morally wrong? 2. Should abortion be legal or illegal? Women's rights arguments in favour of abortion Here are some of the women's rights arguments in favour of abortion: • women have a moral right to decide what to do with their bodies • the right to abortion is vital for gender equality • the right to abortion is vital for individual women to achieve their full potential • banning abortion puts women at risk by forcing them to use illegal abortionists • the right to abortion should be part of a portfolio ofpregnancy rights that enables women to make a truly free choice whether to end a pregnancy This argument reminds us that even in the abortion debate, we should regard the woman as a person and not just as a container for the foetus. We should therefore give great consideration to her rights and needs as well as those of the unborn. Women's rights arguments against abortion Not all who support women's...
Words: 2366 - Pages: 10
...BandmannMay, 24,2013 | | Ethics is best described as the difference between what is morally right and what is not right. Ethical theory defines what is perceived to be right and what is wrong, while ethical practice suggest that one’s environment and cultural beliefs determine who one will react in any given situation. The question how do we as a society decide what is morally right or wrong in moral “free choice” (Mosser, 2010)? Morals are unique to each person, culture, religious belief and environment. Ethical practice is defined by the diversity within each society, where no to people are alike. Morals don’t define ethics, ethics define morality. Abortion an age old ethical debate between moral right choice and wrong choice, why? To evaluate abortion with ethics, we must first understand the argument from all perspectives. What is the debate reason abortion is so fiercely argued in past and present generations? Abortion is the term to define the choice to terminate a woman’s pregnancy. Unitarian view, which is the view that relativist challenge. Utilitarian view suggest that abortion is not wrong because its selfish and benefits the mother not the unborn fetus, this is what Unitarians refer to as :ethical egoism”(Mosser,2010). Relativist view is just a little less judgmental, suggesting that some situations may be determined morally correct while others simply remain wrong. In this paper neither the argument that neither the Unitarian view nor the Relativist view are...
Words: 1698 - Pages: 7
...Abortion and Ethics Roseanna Phares SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Mr. Russell Tompkins March 26, 2012 Abortion and Ethics In today’s society, “abortion” has raised a lot of ethical controversy all over the world. The word “abortion,” means “the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.” (Abortion, 2012) This may be performed for a number of reasons. There are also many different methods of abortion. Abortion has divided people all over the world, and has caused people to debate whether it is right for a woman to terminate her pregnancy or not. I will discuss some of these issues as we go along. I will also, discuss some ethical reasoning about abortion, as well as, talk about pro-life and pro-choice. Most of the debates about abortion, are about if it is right or wrong for a woman to deliberately end a pregnancy before normal childbirth, and killing the fetus in the process. There can be many reasons why terminations take place. The major influence is social circumstances. These range from financial hardship to difficult relationships and family pressure, but their can also be medical reasons for an individual to get an abortion. Those who follow utilitarianism believe that “given a set of choices, the act we should choose is that which produces the best results for the greatest number affected by that choice.” (Mosser, 2012) Some utilitarian’s may ask if having an abortion brings about the greatest...
Words: 1154 - Pages: 5
...immorality of abortion. What primarily makes killing wrong is neither its effect on the murderer nor its effect on the victim’s friends and relatives, but its effect on the victim. The loss of one’s life is one of the greatest losses one can suffer. The loss of one’s life deprives one of all the experiences, activities, projects, and enjoyments which would otherwise have constituted one’s future. Therefore, killing someone is wrong, primarily because the killing inflicts (one of) the greatest possible losses on the victim. This is one of the most hotly contested topics in today’s society. People adopt different viewpoints on this which include: • Abortion is wrong whatever the reasons • Abortion is permissible if the woman’s life is at risk • Abortion is acceptable for a variety of reasons Your opinion on whether abortion is acceptable or not very much depends upon your set of values. If you feel that it is a woman’s right to choose then you are likely to favor the ‘pro-choice’ stance. But if you argue that the fetus has rights and should be treated the same as any other human being then you will adopt the ‘pro-life’ stance. Opponents of abortion cite several reasons for their opposition which include the killing of an innocent human being, the fetus’s right to life, the responsibility of the woman towards the fetus and respect for all forms of life. There are people who are against abortion on principle but do recognize that there are situations in which abortion may be...
Words: 1666 - Pages: 7
...Abortion: Right or Wrong? Kymber McLay Charter College Abstract Start Abstract here Keywords: This paper explores the pros and cons of abortion. Many people believe differently on whether it is right or wrong. [ Abortion ]: Right or Wrong? Abortion has been a huge topic in the United States for years now, and whether it is the right thing to do or not has caused many debates. It was declared a fundamental right by the U.S. Supreme Court during Roe vs. Wade, yet many people beg to differ. The ones who believe it is right identify themselves as pro-choice, believing that abortion is a woman’s right and that it should not be limited by governmental or religious authority. Identifying as pro-life, the opponents believe that it is immoral killing and that personhood begins at conception. No matter what each side thinks, there will always be arguments about it. The choice to abort a fetus is central to a woman’s independence and ability to determine her own future. "A woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature,” stated by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg during Gonzales vs. Carhart (2007). A woman’s decision can affect her life for the good or the bad, but if abortion was illegal, then a woman cannot make the best decision for herself. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability...
Words: 1138 - Pages: 5
...Abortion February 23 2015 “Is abortion moral or immoral?” We still have no answer. We defend about the nature and the moral status of the fetus. Don Marquis as well as Bonnie Steinbock embraces with the argument of their own, which point out the morality of abortion. Don Marquis upholds the fact of since abortion deprives the fetus of a future like ours therefore most abortion is morally wrong. He adheres in his article “abortion is, excepting possibly in rare cases, seriously immoral”, what he meant was that not all abortions are wrong. He did not discuss about the exception of “… abortion before implantation, abortion when the life of a woman is threatened by a pregnancy or abortion by rape” Regard of that, Marquis has claimed, “… It is in the same moral category as killing an innocent adult human being.” He inquires the reason of killing a human being is wrong. Marquis explains the killing is not just cause of pain and perceive of loss to the victim’s family, moreover it includes the basis loss to the victims themselves as “the loss of one’s life deprives one of all the experiences, activities, projects, and enjoyments that would otherwise have constituted one’s future”. With the respect of Marquis’s theory, it is the loss of a valuable future like ours that respond to the question of why killing a human being is morally wrong. Moreover, Marquis also stated in his article “…the future of a standard fetus includes...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...“Pro-choice Abortion” Abortion has been one of the biggest controversies of all time. Many people believe it is immoral and even consider it to be murder. The definition of abortion is; “The termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to being capable of normal growth.” 1 These pro-life believers do not support the idea of induced abortion and believe it should be illegal. Many of these supporters do not know that if abortion were illegal they would still be performed, unfortunately by an uneducated staffs. Over 70 thousand maternal deaths occur every year because of unsafe abortions1. These women die, so the idea of supporting pro-life is contradictory, this is why the nation should be pro-choice. Pro-choice believers support the right to privacy and the idea women should have the choice to do what she pleases with her own body. As an example; a woman is raped by a man and becomes pregnant with his child. She decides she doesn’t want to keep the baby; she has an abortion because the idea of raising a child of her rapist is too painful for her to cope with. Pro-choice defenders take sympathies to this woman while she then gets called a murderer by pro-life supporters. Abortions sometimes results in the woman being harassed because of the choice she has made about her own body. That’s what pro-life supports. Often time’s situations like this turns into harassment which can be considered to be part of anti-abortion violence1....
Words: 3628 - Pages: 15
...Ethics of Abortion Destiny Vazquez SOC 120 Instructor Slack Monday, April 16, 2012 Abortion, one of the most ethical issues debated today. It has been a widely controversial debate for many years dated back to even before it was made legal in the United States. Like most ethical issues, there are two sides as to what is the right thing to do. Some people think that abortion is completely and utterly wrong. Some people think that abortion is right when and only when the mother’s life is at risk. And others think that there is a range of different circumstances that make abortion morally acceptable. In this paper I will present the issue of abortion, explain the three classical theories of utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics on how to solve the issue and contrast this response with the perspective brought to the issue of abortion by ethical egoism. I will also present you with my personal opinion as to why I believe abortion should be in fact morally accepted by society. The issues that arise when debating about whether abortion is ethically wrong or right are many. There are two sides to this debate and they call themselves, “pro-life” or “pro-choice”. Pro-lifers say that it is morally wrong to end pregnancy because you are in fact killing an innocent human being, and the pro-choicer believes that the choice should be made by and for the impregnated woman and that under certain circumstances, abortion is in fact acceptable. Many questions are being asked to...
Words: 1945 - Pages: 8
...Wellington College, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Religious Studies AS Level Edexcel Unit 2: Investigations Abortion A study guide and anthology Contents Introduction A modern controversy: the case of George Tiller (BBC) p. 3 Definitions and technical language p. 6 Methods used p. 7 Family Planning Association fact sheet p. 8 Religion and the Sanctity of Life The Sanctity of Life p. 12 A critique of the Sanctity of Life: Jonathan Glover p. 14 Christian perspectives: Methodists and Catholics p. 16 ‘Ensoulment’, soul, and the sacredness of life p. 18 Religious views in conflict: liberalism and conservatism p. 19 Philosophical Problems in Abortion An argument against abortion p. 20 Personhood p. 21 A ‘person’ as rational and self-conscious: Peter Singer p. 24 Moral rights: the foetus and the mother p. 26 A woman’s right to an abortion: Judith Jarvis Thomson p. 28 ‘Why abortion is immoral’: Don Marquis p. 29 Anthology of Texts Unit 2 model answers: ethics (Edexcel) ‘Why abortion challenges us all’: Rowan Williams ‘Contraception and abortion within Protestant Christianity’: Gloria Albrecht ‘Virtue theory and abortion’: Rosalind Hursthouse Appendix: sample exam questions and level descriptors Notes Pages A Modern Controversy: the Case of George Tiller Profile: George Tiller (2009) To some anti-abortionists George Tiller, who...
Words: 10065 - Pages: 41
