Abortion is Murder
... of the girl to have let this happen, but I do think she should have the choice of whether to have the baby or not. It's not as if she was even going out with this boy for a while that he might even attempt to support her. It would not be an easy decision for her, her family may be unsupportive and may have religious beliefs, but it should the girl's choice and it should be well thought over. Most religions do not agree with abortion but some are stricter than others about their beliefs. The Roman Catholic Church deems abortion as totally unacceptable in any circumstance (including the probable death of the mother). Catholics have been taught that abortion is morally evil since Pope Pius VI declared that 'ensoulment' (gaining a soul) happened at conception. The Church of England and the Church of Scotland argue that abortion is wrong because it does not give the foetus a chance to live but there are extreme circumstances i.e. when the mother is in danger for her life, that abortion is acceptable. Judaism and Hinduism teach that life begins at conception, so abortion is discouraged except when the mother's life is at risk. Islam teaches that life begins at the moment of birth, but abortion is discouraged except when the mother's life is at risk, and sometimes rape. The Free Churches (Baptist, Methodist, and Evangelical) hold that abortion is a matter for the individual to decide. However woman from all religions continue to seek abortions. Many peoples attitude towards abortion differs from their religious leaders and believe that individuals have the right to follow their own consciences. If women are to enjoy a healthy life and to offer the same to any children they have, they need to be able to have control over their reproductive lives. Not all women are able to use contraceptives effectively at all times. Surely a request for an abortion is a responsible decision when faced with the prospect of a child that she is not able to love for or care for? Why should a woman seeking an abortion seeking an abortion be accused of having no respect for life when her prime concern has been the future quality of life for herself, the potential child, her partner and her family? With modern technology, a pregnant woman can now find out a lot more about her unborn child. This means she can find out if the child has a disability. The woman can then make the choice of having an abortion. In some cases this is good, in some it's bad. I think that if a child has a serious disability e.g. Hydrocephaly - this is when the child is born with water on the brain and has a life expectancy of only three days. Cystic Fibrosis - this is a serious lung disease where the child has problems breathing, children with this have a very short life expectancy (teenage years). Hydrocephaly cannot be treated; Cystic Fibrous also cannot be treated but can be prolonged with antibiotics and physiotherapy. In either case, the child will not live their life, and in the case of Cystic Fibrosis the child will suffer all their short life. In these circumstances the mother may very well have the foetus aborted, and why shouldn't she? She is only thinking of the child in this case, and the suffering it would face and possibly the death of it shortly after its birth. If the mother is told by her GP that her unborn child will be born with Cystic Fibrous, she might still want to have the baby but is she certain? She will have to give the child twenty four hour care, and it would be very depressing for her to watch her child growing up like this and knowing that he/she will only be in her life for a very short time. Aborting because of serious disability is a valid reason, but if the child is just go...