Thou shalt not kill.
“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, “You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. ” But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. ” Some abortion advocates recognise the folly of arguing from the alleged silence of scripture to justify abortion. Just because the scriptures do not specify thou shalt not kill a fetus inside a mother, it does not mean we are meant to interpret the term thou shalt not kill to being limited to human beings that have already been born.
To many, the term “life” begins at conception and taking a “life” includes those lives that have not yet begun outside the womb. The first issue is where does life begin – conception? Twenty weeks gestation? Or birth? Therefore the definition of life needs to be clarified before one can contemplate the taking of a life. Taking a scientific approach, the beginning of life is defined as a cell forming reproduction by division or fertilization. Therefore life begins at conception.
Popular medicine and law dictates that life begins in the twentieth week of gestation when all limbs are formed, the internal organs begin to function and the brain is formed. Pro Abortionists believe that life begins when the fetus exits the womb at birth. Therefore they argue that abortion is not murder and does not break the fifth commandment. Anti-abortionists believe that all life has value and if a mother does not want to keep or raise the child she has the right to not care for it and give the child up for adoption.
As this unwanted life could be the next prodigy that cures cancer or creates a better world for others. Would you kill the next Leonardo DaVinci? . The second issue that affects abortion is the “right of the woman to choose”. They believe that (as it is not murder when the fetus has not been born) each woman should have the right to decide what does and does not happen to her body.
Pro-abortionists also debate the issue of rape.They argue that a woman, who has already survived the trauma of this horrific crime, should not be forced to suffer for the nine months of pregnancy only to deliver the spawn of the perpetrator. Pro-abortionists raise the other issue of deformed or retarded children which with today’s technology can be detected in the womb. They argue, that if a parent is aware of the difficulties to be faced by the child, and can in good conscience can make the decision to avoid a life of pain and suffering for the child, they should be able to.
Catholics should be anti-abortion as the church teachings value life without stipulating “where life begins” and therefore ALL life has value. The fifth commandment is concerned with respecting the right of every human being to life, Catholics believe that this right, has been given by the Creator. In this commandment god demands that human life be safeguarded and protected.
