“Abortion is Murder”

Abortion is a serious topic that people have been debating about for years. Everywhere in the world the topic of abortion presents itself, on TV, in the newspapers, in books and magazines. It already has, and will continue to cause, controversy for years to come. As long as abortion remains legal; pro-life advocates will continue to protest what they believe to be horrible acts of murder. Abortion is a very controversial subject that has been argued about for many years. Abortion is the process that takes the lives of unborn babies that could very well have a long and prosperous life. Every time an abortion is preformed, it could be taking away the life of a person who would one day find the cure for cancer or become president. Abortion is a violation of an individual’s right to live. Murdering an innocent being is against the Christian beliefs and morally wrong. A human being is created at the moment of conception. It has a genetic make-up from the time of creation, therefore making it a living thing. So when the life of a fetus is taken away, the life of another human being is being taken away. Looking at abortion from a religious viewpoint, abortion is a mortal sin. Taking the life of a human being is the greatest sin a human can commit. If it is not acceptable to take the life of a 5 year old, an 18 year old, or a 50 year old, then why is it acceptable to take the life of a human who hasn’t even had the chance to live yet? The point is that it shouldn’t be. Taking a life, no matter what the age is, is morally wrong. Mother Teresa made it clear during her “Noble Lecture” speech in 1979 that abortion is wrong, stating “I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing—direct murder by the mother herself” (368). There is nothing more peaceful in this world than a baby. If a mother can kill her own child without any type of punishment or consequences, is this world really at peace? Abortion needs to end. According to R. Sauer’s article “Attitudes to Abortion in America,” abortions have been taking place all over the world since the 1800’s (54). In the United Sates, abortion laws were created around 1820. These laws banned women from legally having an abortion preformed in the United States (Sauer 57). In 1959, the American Law Institute created a law that allowed abortions in the case of rape, incest, if the fetus was deformed or if the mother’s life was at risk to be performed legally (Sauer 63). Years later in 1973, the case of Roe vs. Wade declared that abortion was again allowed. The case of Roe v. Wade, made most existing state abortion laws unconstitutional (“Abortion” 393). This decision ruled out any legislative interference in the first trimester of pregnancy allowing the woman to make the decision on the abortion (“Abortion” 393). This case also put limits on what restrictions could be passed on abortions in later stages of pregnancy (“Abortion” 393). For example during the third trimester of pregnancy, abortion is still illegal, unless the mother’s life is at risk. This Supreme Court case of Roe vs. Wade sparked the fire for protesting against and for abortion, which still continues to this day. While most celebrated the decision in the case of Roe vs. Wade, others, like those in the Roman Catholic Church for example, opposed the change. It was then that the terms “Pro-Life” and “Pro-Choice” were coined as the two movement names. Jacqueline Scott pointed out differences between the two movements in her article “Conflicting Beliefs About Abortion: Legal Approval and Moral Doubts.” Pro-Life supporters believe that getting an abortion is morally wrong and should be considered murder and made illegal. Many pro-life lawmakers have worked very hard to make a difference through the legislative process; however, the competition from pro-choice supporters in the law system is tough. The “Pro-life” movement has generated a much higher rate of