Abortion is a very controversial issue in the sense that it unmoral and should be illegal. The Catholic Church believes and teaches that the killing of an unborn child is the same as the killing of a full grown human, which is immoral. One question that many have is “When does life begin and is it considered a human being or just an embryo?” By looking at the views on the topic of abortion we can better understand why abortion is not right and is unmoral.
An abortion is a big decision that many women have to face when they are unsure about the pregnancy. The definition of abortion is “removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy” (Stewart). Some organizations make abortion seem normal and okay; Planned Parenthood and Family Planning are some of these groups. Studies show that 1 in 3 women get an abortion between before the age of 45. With the option of abortion, being socially acceptable and legal, it makes women not even consider things such as adoption. (Perkel) There are two types of abortion; in-clinic abortion and the abortion pill. These are very easy to access and almost anyone can get these. Family Planning believes that an abortion is the “termination of a pregnancy” (Planned Parenthood). These organizations do not talk about the brutal procedure of abortions. They fail to inform the reader, because frankly the procedure is so disgusting that almost any girl would be repulsed. Pro-choice groups make abortion seem to be socially acceptable and, as stated before, because it is legal in some states, it can be accessed very easily by almost any person. One surfacing question that many people have is when does life begin? Although the Catholic Church believes that life begins at conception, groups like these believe that life begins when you are born alive. In the Catholic Church, life begins at conception. Conception is the moment when the egg is fertilized by sperm. When the egg becomes fertilized, it officially becomes a human life. The killing of an unborn child is immoral and the same as murder. The Catechism states that “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” If you kill an unborn innocent child, you violate the rights of a human. Simply, this idea would be frowned upon in society, but because abortions are so common now, people don’t even take into consideration these things.
Not only is human life beautiful, but disrespect of the human life is a moral and religious ordeal. The fourth commandment, you shall not kill, is a sin when committed. This is a mortal sin. “The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God’s gift of human life and man’s murderous violence: For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning…whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image” (Dowd). Every action you do for any man, you do for God. When you commit murder, you are killing God in a sense. Abortion is a mortal sin that destroys our relationship with God and cannot be easily forgiven. As Christians, our mission is to meet physical beings with spiritual beings. Abortions are selfish and are not spiritual in any way, shape, or form.
The psychological view on abortion raises questions like “why do women get abortions?” They also talk about the emotional factors of abortion. One source said, “Most women choose abortion out of fear–fear of not being able to raise a child, fear of losing their partner if they do not have an abortion, fear of losing control over their lives, etc. Some polls show that more than 80 percent say they would have completed their pregnancies under better circumstances or with more support from the people they love. (Clearing the Air)” This may be the reason women get abortions, but what about what effects the abortions leave on them. The Clearing the