Among women, approximately 50% of their fertilized eggs develop into babies, which are born, more or less, nine months later. The remnants are aborted or are lost due to a miscarriage. .
An innate public agreement exists that an infant is the most precious form of life on earth, and needs to be protected under law. The philosophical and religious principle behind the pro-choice versus pro-life argument is when does human personhood begin? After that event occurs, termination of that life is a form of murder. Many people believe this form of murder can only be acceptable if used as a means to prevent the death of the mother, prevent extremely serious injury to the mother, or in cases of rape or incest. Approximately 14,000 women a year have abortions subsequent to rape or incest (Be Fearless). The whole controversy of abortion is based on the non-existent consensus as to when personhood in point of fact begins.
There is plenty of scientific evidence detailing the processes that start with a sperm and end up with a newborn baby. Yet, some people believe although it is scientifically an actual life, a baby forming, it is still not significant enough to allow the law to make its murder unlawful. In spite of the evidence science can make available to us, it still cannot tell us whether or not the fetus has a soul, or if a zygote has a full set of human rights. Nor can it tell us whether or not an ovum or sperm are people, or when the products of conception become a person. Most importantly, science cannot tell us if abortion is murder. .
Most people in the pro-life faction believe that at the point of conception, a human being is formed. A just fertilized egg is a full human being and should be protected as one. Some believe this because of their religion. The views of the Catholic church strongly oppose abortion, as a violation of the sanctity of life. Nonetheless, Catholic women have abortions at the same rate as the general population (Be Fearless).
