The Never-Ending Abortion Debate

The abortion debate is by far one of the most heated discussions in our culture today. In fact, it is so emotionally charged that we are quite often unable to clearly state or analyze any new facts. It is for this reason that the issue remains so divided after decades of discourse.

The debate, at it's core, always ends with the decision of what to do about a fetus that is undesired. Oddly enough, the arguments for or against the removal of a fetus are not focused on the same things. The pro-choice side of the argument uses the comforts of society and the pregnant woman to make their argument, while the pro-life side is primarily only concerned with the fetus itself. This only complicates matters of discussion on the subject in addition to any emotions that may preexist.

The pro-choice position's arguments assert that the well-being of the pregnant woman is at stake, should abortions be taken out of the picture. Often, the fetus is believed to be an almost cancerous leech that threatens the life of the mother, even with the help of modern medicine. In other cases, the principle position is that the woman should have the convenience of choosing to not have to carry a child to term. Sometimes the air of convenience stems from the thought that a child may not be wanted and would be at a considerable disposition if allowed to exist, while other times, the would-be mother believes it to be an unreasonable financial and physical hardship to have to care for a child.

The pro-choice position, when necessary, justifies these claims by claiming that the fetus is not subject to the same definition of human that adults are. Some would hold that because the fetus cannot feel pain, or perhaps that the fetus cannot think, that it is not hum...

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... it is unfair and should not have to suffer for someone else's crime. She is right. However, would she be willing to kill a 5-year old to erase the event from history? Of course not. 6-36 hours of suffering and a few months of a healthy diet is a sacrifice that many would make if it meant saving another person's life. They often simply do not consider childbearing to be such a noble service.

While this may not be a very complete or objective description of the argument over abortion, it does touch on many of the hot topics that cause the argument to crumble and remove rational discussion from the picture. The emotions and points of argument will always be a barrier until the day when either of the sides finds a way to discuss the issue on the other's terms. This won't be easy, but if it means that life will be defined and preserved, it will be well worth the effort.