An abortion is a procedure in which an embryo or fetus (child) is prohibited from developing by artificial means, usually occurring before the 20th week of development. One could argue that this is next to murder. In most religions oppose abortion and it's practice. The Bible states "thou shalt not kill" abortion is a direct violation of this. Hinduism claims that at the time of conception the soul enters the embryo or child, hence abortion should be outlawed. Buddhism claims that abortion is "murdering." Islam considers abortion as a moral crime and sees life as the jurisdiction of God; their laws state that abortion is illegal except in situations in which the woman's life is in jeopardy.
             The fetus has it's own genetics from the combination of his mother and father, it's organs and blood supply, and has developed organs and appendages by the 4th week, the rest of the time they are just maturing. The child is a "potential" human being. Thus, the child has potential to be a NFL star, congressmen, social worker, teacher, or the doctor who discovers the cure for AIDS or cancer. By the 5th week, the child has a developed cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that allows us to move, think, speak, and plan. The child can bend its body, hiccup and react to loud sounds by the 9th week. It savors it's mother's meals, can distinguish between it's mother's voice and that of a stranger, as well. In the 10th week the child begins to open it's jaw, stretch, yawn, suck and swallow, as well as feel and smell. Heidelise Als, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist at Harvard Medical School also notes that she is equally fascinated by the amount of tactile stimulation the child is able to give it's self. Her studies have shown that "it touches a hand to the face, one hand to the other, clasps its feet, and touches its foot to its leg, its hand to its umbi...