Abortion is morally permissible, given the fact that a fetus is only a human being in the "genetic sense,"" not the "moral sense."" The information I have found supports the idea that a fetus does not become a person until birth, or at least well into the pregnancy. I have found that many people that are pro-life commonly go along with the misconception that a fetus becomes a person once they have their unique DNA, rather than when they exhibit the characteristics of what would generally constitute a person, not just a human being.
Ever since Roe v. Wade (1973), the issue of when a fetus becomes a person has been a very heated topic. Pro-lifers, such as the Roman Catholic Church, believe this occurs at conception. Pro-choicers, such as National Organization of Women (NOW) and National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) believe this occurs later in the pregnancy or at birth, since the fetus does not have characteristics such as self-consciousness and rationality.
Pro-lifers continually argue that a fetus is a person who has rights from the time of conception. They feel that once conceived, the fetus has its own unique DNA with the potential of becoming an independent human being, therefore granting the fetus all the rights that an already-born individual has. They feel that since a fetus has a heartbeat after the third week and brain activity that's able to be registered on machines that measure brain waves by the sixth week, it's entitled to the rights that a newborn or infant has. An official Senate report from 1981 states.
"Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being - a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is an overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings."" (http://abortionNO.org).
Pro-lifers feel that this is justifiable. They feel that genetic humanity is sufficient enough.
Is Abortion Morally Permissible? ... Many people believe that in certain circumstances, abortion is morally permissible. ... If the woman gets pregnant after she is raped, abortion should be morally permissible. ... In this case, I believe it is morally permissible to have an abortion. ... This is the only case where I believe that abortion is not morally permissible. ...
The act of abortion is morally, scientifically, and legally wrong. ... So an abortion contradicts this belief. ... Abortion is also technically legally wrong. ... Abortion is a very drastic and unnecessary procedure. ... Abortions is morally, scientifically, and legally wrong and should never be the final answer....
Abortion should remain legalized for the fact that if it's not kept legal many women perform illegal abortions. ... Abortion is murder. ... Foster states that "There is no morally relevant difference between deliberately killing a human being who has been born and deliberately killing a human being who is still inside his mother" (32). Abortion has become morally acceptable to some simply because it is currently legal. ... The taking of an innocent, defenseless human life is unacceptable and morally wrong. ...
Abortion poses moral, social, and medical dilemmas. ... However, some conservatives argue that if one life must be sacrificed and one saved (the mother or the fetus), then the morally just sacrifice would be the mother because the mother has lived for years and the fetus has not had the chance to experience. Since the conservative position holds that fetuses are persons with the right to life, conservatives negate the views of their critics who support viability as the cutoff point for a morally-justified abortion. ... During a recent debate about abortion, a coworker of mine told me that it ...
Very little middle ground exists on the issue of abortion. ... The taking of innocent human life, is morally wrong under any circumstances. ... Abortion has become morally acceptable to some people because it is currently legal. ... The moral aspects of abortion are clear. ... In conclusion, abortion is murder! ...
Abortion A. (1) What is meant by the word abortion? ... What biblical and church teachings might be use in a discussion about abortion? How a Christian might put their beliefs into action depends on what their beliefs are but most Christians believe that abortion is morally wrong although there are extreme cases in which it is acceptable. ... Christian doctors can refuse to undertake abortions on the "grounds of conscience", this is understandable as it is against their beliefs and would be morally wrong. ... Another angle to look at would be aborti...
Abortion is seriously immoral. ... Weather abortion is morally right or wrong is very hard to prove. The question I pose to you is , is it morally acceptable to kill a human being. No, it is morally wrong to kill human beings. ... Now when we think of abortion do we still believe that it is morally justified to kill an unborn child. ...
(Edwards 41) Some philosophers however such as Judith Jarvis Thomson and Jane English--have argued that, even if the fetus is a person, abortion may be morally justified. ... It is morally wrong to end the life of an innocent person. Therefore, it is morally wrong to end the life of a fetus. ... In high abortion states, only arrests of those born after abortion legalization fall relative to low abortion states. ... Is abortion murder? ...
Abortion theoretically is murder. ... Foster states that "There is no morally relevant difference between deliberately killing a human being who has been born and deliberately killing a human being who is still inside his mother" (32). Abortion has become morally acceptable to some simply because it is currently legal. ... The taking of an innocent, defenseless human life is unacceptable and morally wrong. ... The moral aspects of abortion are clear. ...