Why Are People Against Abortion?

Abortion is an extremely controversial issue in the United States and the world. The touchy topic has been around for hundreds of years and is certainly not a new option for women who find themselves in an unwanted pregnancy. As technology has progressed, however, terminations are becoming safer for women who wish to end a pregnancy and are often completed as outpatient procedures with little or no anesthesia required. Since the procedure is becoming much less complex with very little risk of side effects, more individuals are seeking terminations. There are many people against abortion for a variety of reasons. These reasons range from religious to political, but all require attention to understand the argument against termination.

The majority of people against termination object for religious reasons. Many different religions feature work that is firmly set against terminating an unwanted pregnancy. These people believe life begins at conception, not at physical birth. For this reason, aborting a fetus is considered killing a child, which directly conflicts with the teachings of most religions. Different religious works may not directly mention the practice of termination, but often provides information regarding a stance on associating issues. For example, the Bible does not feature any scripture that mentions termination directly or specifically has a stance on terminating a pregnancy. The Bible does however feature a multitude of texts where human life is highly regarded and taking of a life is severely discouraged. Many individuals look at these texts and find a meaning regarding termination within.

There are many texts from both the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures that can be interpreted to provide a specific stance regarding termination. A specific passage from the Book of Exodus condemns any who harms a child by causing the mother to give birth prematurely. The passage explains that if the premature child is healthy, then no repercussions should follow, however if the child is injured or dies from its premature birth, the offender is to be dealt with in the same manner as a murder—a life for a life. These passages and interpretations have turned many people against termination.

Also read our article about Partial Birth Abortion