Should abortion be considered murder?
In the United States, women choose to end about 25% of their
pregnancies through abortion. This number has been gradually declining
since 1979. This is similar to the Canadian figure of 21%, but is much lower
than that of the former Soviet Union 60% and Romania 78% where
contraceptives are in short supply. Abortion is morally, scientifically, and
The human egg is already clearly alive when it enters the fallopian
tubes, many hours or days before it has the opportunity to be fertilized.
Women release one about each month between puberty and menopause - a
few hundred in a lifetime. Almost all of these are destined to die and be
ejected from the body. Unless infertility is a problem, very little thought is
given to these hundreds of deaths. Although the egg is a form of life, there is
a public consensus that it is not human life. Hundreds of millions of male
sperm are liberated during a typical sexual encounter. They are also clearly
alive. Viewing them under a microscope reveals them to be energetic
swimmers. Essentially all of these will die within days. Again, if infertility is
not a concern, little attention is given to these deaths. An average man
produces thousands of sperm a second. At most, a very few during his
lifetime will contribute to the formation of a baby. The rest will die. Few men
are consciously aware of the loss. Sperm are very much alive and kicking.
But, again, a public consensus exists that they are not human life.
In our society, people view life as something precious and worth
protecting. In many recent polls, it shows that most people feel abortion is
wrong in the way it is legal today. Religions fuel much of the intensity of the
abortion debate. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest organized church
in the world and one of the most influential organizations. The openly
condemn abortion. Many Protestant gro...