Pro Quotes
Ylonda Gault, Director of Editorial Strategy and Services at Planned Parenthood and author of Child, Please, stated:
“If our constitutional right to safe, legal abortion is not upheld, more than 25 million Americans of reproductive age could lose the freedom to decide when and if to have a child…
This is not complicated or political. When you have bodily autonomy and the freedom to get the health care you want, need and deserve, your whole world changes and you are able to thrive…
My abortion is a part of me, my story. And I have no shame that I made the best decision for myself, my family and our future.”
—Ylonda Gault, “I’ll Never Be Ashamed of My Abortion,” nytimes.com, Jan. 22, 2020
Richard A.S. Hall, Professor of Philosophy at Fayetteville State University, stated:
“Let me say outright: A woman has an inalienable moral and legal right to abortion at any stage of her pregnancy. No politician, judge, nor cleric, and certainly no man, ought to tell a woman what she ought or ought not to do with her body.
It is sufficient justification for a woman to abort her fetus if she desires to do so, even if her desire is nothing more than a whim. Abortion is strictly a matter between her and her gynecologist with even her husband or whoever impregnated her having no say in the matter.
Abortion is a moral issue and should not be a legal or political one. More fundamentally, it is a metaphysical issue over whether a fetus is a bona fide person with rights, among them, preeminently, the right to life. But resolving this issue depends on what constitutes a person—what it is to be a person, and at what stage, if any, does the fetus become a person.
Now there is no scientific resolution to this issue only a metaphysical or philosophical one. What, then, constitutes personhood? I think most would agree that the minimal qualifications for being a person are consciousness, and the capacities for communication through language or other means and for introspection.
A fetus at any stage of its development obviously lacks these and other personal attributes and so does not qualify as a person in any sense; consequently, it lacks any moral or legal rights since such belong exclusively to persons.”
—Richard A.S. Hall, “Richard A.S. Hall: Abortion Should Remain Legal and Maximally Available,” fayobserver.com, Oct. 26, 2021
Con Arguments
(Go to Pro Arguments)Con 1: Life begins at conception, making abortion murder.
Conception is the moment a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, which begins the process of cell division that creates a human. [256]
Tara Sander Lee, Senior Fellow and Director of Life Sciences at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, stated, “life begins from the moment of conception when the sperm fertilizes the egg, because there is the creation of a new, totally distinct, integrated organism or a human being, which is going to be biologically distinct from all other life forms on this planet.” The first cell is biologically distinct because it has its own DNA that is different from either biological parent and all other humans. [257]
Ending a life is murder legally and ethically, even a life that is only a few growing cells at the time of death.
Pope Francis explained, “Abortion is murder. Those who carry out abortions kill…At the third week after conception, often even before the mother is aware (of being pregnant), all the organs are already (starting to develop). It is a human life. Period. And this human life has to be respected. It is very clear…Scientifically, it is a human life.” [258]
That people may face difficulties without abortion as an option does not excuse or justify murder. A reader of The Atlantic, who gave only the initial K., clarified the moral dilemma: “I wish that I could be pro-choice because the awful circumstances so many women face—that I can’t even imagine facing—seem so much more real to me than the rights of a fetus who doesn’t even always look human. But abortion is the intentional killing of a human being and we look back with horror at anyone in history who decided a group of people did not actually count as people. We cannot solve the problem of injustice against women with more injustice. We need solutions that support women without killing fetuses.” [295]
Con 2: Legal abortion promotes a culture in which life is disposable.
Echoing a 2014 remark by Pope Francis that connected abortion to “throwaway culture,” Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, stated, “abortion represents a failure to recognize the sanctity of human life and promotes a culture in which human life in its most vulnerable moment is perceived as disposable. Such a proposal targets poor women as needing an expedient solution to a complex problem.”[260]
Tobin previously declared legal abortion a “brutalization of the American heart” on par with the “dehumanization of the undocumented” immigrants. [261]
Alveda King, former Georgia state representative and niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., also connected abortion to other societal ills: “Abortion and racism are both symptoms of a fundamental human error. The error is thinking that when someone stands in the way of our wants, we can justify getting that person out of our lives. Abortion and racism stem from the same poisonous root, selfishness. We create the deceptions that the other person is less important, less worthy, less human. We are all fully human. When we face this truth, there is no justification for treating those who look different than us as lesser beings. If we simply treat other people the way we’d like to be treated, racism, abortion, and other forms of inhumanity will be things of the past.” [262]
As King notes, some fetuses are treated as less than human. This ideology combined with legal abortion could create a slippery slope to designer babies, gender selection, termination of disabled but healthy fetuses, and other trait-selection-based abortions. The slippery slope can then extend to people with mental disabilities and elderly in general. [262]
“[A]bortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation,” according to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “Technological advances have only heightened the eugenic potential for abortion, as abortion can now be used to eliminate children with unwanted characteristics, such as a particular sex or disability.” [263]
Con 3: Increased access to birth control, health insurance, and sexual education would make abortion unnecessary.
Abortion rates in the United States have fallen at what the CDC called a “slow yet steady pace” since a peak in 1981. That year there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44. The rate fell to 11.4 abortions per 1,000 women in 2019. [264][265]
Experts largely contribute the decline in abortions in the United States and elsewhere to the improved safety and availability of LARC (long-acting reversible contraception) including IUDs and contraceptive implants that can last up to 10 years. [264][266][267]
Access to health insurance to pay for contraceptives also contributed to a drop in abortions. With the passage of Obamacare (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), more people were insured with access to free or low-cost contraceptives and reproductive care. [264]
Linda Rosenstock, Public Health Professor of Health Policy and Management at UCLA, summarized the simplicity of the connection: “In the United States each year, about half of pregnancies are unintended and about 40% of those lead to abortion. Access to birth control leads to fewer abortions.” [264]
Further, teens are having sex later in life than their parents. 38.4% of American high schoolers reported they have had sex (down from 54% in 1991) and only 27.4% reported they were currently sexually active (37.5% in 1991). [268]
Because teen birth control use has not increased significantly, experts attribute the decline in part to better sex education. A 2021 study found that students who received comprehensive sexual education initiated sex later than students who did not participate in sex ed. The later teens have sex, the less chance there is for them to become pregnant unintentionally, which leads to fewer abortions. [264][268][269]
Historically, abortion was a popular means of birth control and family planning due to a lack of reliable contraception, education, and other resources, and the fact that childbirth was incredibly dangerous. Better options are now available, including more effective birth control, better healthcare and health insurance, and sex education to ensure an unwanted pregnancy does not happen in the first place. [264][270]
Con Quotes
Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, and Alexandra DeSanctis, staff writer at The National Review, stated:
“In addition to voting rights, suffragists championed abolition, equality in education, equal pay for equal work, and the right to life for the unborn.
Unlike many radical feminists of the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, these women realized that abortion does not empower women.
Since 1973, abortion has eliminated more than 60 million children and harmed millions of mothers in the process. Giving women the right to vote was once considered radical, but today we often take it for granted.
We hope someday to see a world in which embracing the dignity of every human life, both those of women and of their unborn children, is no longer considered a radical idea.”
—Jeanne Mancini and Alexandra DeSanctis, “Early Feminists Were Right About Unborn Human Life,” dailysignal.com, Jan. 3, 2020
Adam K. Mortara, lawyer, and Jonathan F. Mitchell, lawyer, writing on behalf of Texas Right to Life, stated:
“In Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), seven members of this Court invented a “right” to abortion and imposed it on the nation, despite the fact that there is no language in the Constitution that even remotely suggests such a right, and despite the fact that there was no pedigree for it apart from the justices’ personal beliefs that pre-viability abortions should be legal on demand...
The members of this [U.S. Supreme] Court can say that abortion is constitutional right as many times as they want, as if they can somehow speak a constitutional right into being and perpetuate its existence through incantation. But they will never persuade the people of this country who have read the Constitution and know full well that the Court is making it up....
One can imagine a scenario in which a woman has chosen to engage in unprotected (or insufficiently protected) sexual intercourse on the assumption that an abortion will be available to her later. But when this Court announces the overruling of Roe, that individual can simply change her behavior in response to the Court’s decision if she no longer wants to take the risk of an unwanted pregnancy....
Women can ‘control their reproductive lives’ without access to abortion; they can do so by refraining from sexual intercourse. The only time abortion is needed to ensure women’s ability to “control their reproductive lives” is when a pregnancy results from non-consensual behavior as in cases of rape, or when a pregnancy is endangering her life.”
—Adam K. Mortara and Jonathan F. Mitchell, “Brief of Texas Right to Life As Amicus Curiae in Support of the Petitioners,” supremecourt.gov, July 29, 2021
Religious Views on the Legalization of Abortion
| Pro | Not Clearly Pro or Con | Con |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Assemblies of God |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Judaism | Catholic Church |
| Episcopal Church | National Baptist Convention | Greek Orthodox |
| Presbyterian Church USA | Seventh-Day Adventist Church | Hinduism |
| Unitarian Universalist Association | United Methodist Church | Islam |
| United Church of Christ | Jehovah’s Witnesses | |
| Southern Baptist Convention | ||
The churches listed as pro are in favor of abortion being a legal option, rather than being pro the procedure itself.
Pro: Buddhism
“Buddhism does consider abortion to be the taking of a human life. At the same time, Buddhists generally are reluctant to intervene in a woman’s personal decision to terminate a pregnancy. Buddhism may discourage abortion, but it also discourages imposing rigid moral absolutes.
This may seem contradictory. In our culture, many think that if something is morally wrong it ought to be banned. However, the Buddhist view is that the rigid following of rules is not what makes us moral. Further, imposing authoritative rules often creates a new set of moral wrongs...
[As Buddhist nun] Karma Lekshe Tsomo writes, ‘In the end, most Buddhists recognize the incongruity that exists between ethical theory and actual practice and, while they do not condone the taking of life, do advocate understanding and compassion toward all living beings, a loving kindness that is nonjudgmental and respects the right and freedom of human beings to make their own choices.’”
Barbara O’Brien, “Buddhist Perspectives on the Abortion Debate,” learnreligions.com, July 2, 2018
Pro: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
“A developing life in the womb does not have an absolute right to be born, nor does a pregnant woman have an absolute right to terminate a pregnancy. The concern for both the life of the woman and the developing life in her womb expresses a common commitment to life. This requires that we move beyond the usual ‘prolife’ versus ‘pro-choice’ language in discussing abortion...
Because we believe that God is the creator of life, the number of induced abortions is a source of deep concern to this church. We mourn the loss of life that God has created. The strong Christian presumption is to preserve and protect life. Abortion ought to be an option only of last resort. Therefore, as a church we seek to reduce the need to turn to abortion as the answer to unintended pregnancies...
Because of our conviction that both the life of the woman and the life in her womb must be respected by law, this church opposes:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, “A Social Statement on Abortion,” elca.org, Aug. 28–Sep. 4, 1991
Pro: Episcopal Church
“All human life is sacred from its inception until death. The Church takes seriously its obligation to help form the consciences of its members concerning this sacredness...
We regard all abortion as having a tragic dimension, calling for the concern and compassion of all the Christian community.
While we acknowledge that in this country it is the legal right of every woman to have a medically safe abortion, as Christians we believe strongly that if this right is exercised, it should be used only in extreme situations. We emphatically oppose abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience.
In those cases where an abortion is being considered, members of this Church are urged to seek the dictates of their conscience in prayer, to seek the advice and counsel of members of the Christian community and where appropriate, the sacramental life of this Church...
Resolved, That this 71st General Convention of the Episcopal Church express its unequivocal opposition to any legislative, executive or judicial action on the part of local, state or national governments that abridges the right of a woman to reach an informed decision about the termination of pregnancy or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision.”
Episcopal Church, “The Acts of the Convention: Reaffirm General Convention Statement on Childbirth and Abortion,” episcopalarchives.org, 1994
Pro: Presbyterian Church USA
“Presbyterians have struggled with the issue of abortion for more than 30 years, beginning in 1970 when the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declared that ‘the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient...and therefore should not be restricted by law’...
The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened.
We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control.
Abortion is not morally acceptable for gender selection only or solely to obtain fetal parts for transplantation.
We reject the use of violence and/or abusive language either in protest of or in support of abortion.
The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort.
The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option. Poverty, unjust societal realities, sexism, racism, and inadequate supportive relationships may render a woman virtually powerless to choose freely.”
Presbyterian Mission, “Abortion/Reproductive Choice Issues,” presbyterianmission.org (accessed Nov. 5, 2019)
Pro: Unitarian Universalist Association
BECAUSE, Unitarian Universalists believe that the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the right of individual conscience, and respect for human life are inalienable rights due every person; and that the personal right to choose in regard to contraception and abortion is an important aspect of these rights; and
BECAUSE, we believe in tolerance and compassion for persons whose choices may differ from our own; and
BECAUSE, we believe not only in the value of life itself but also in the quality of life; and
WHEREAS, pain, suffering, and loss of life were widespread prior to the legalization of abortion in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court (Roe v. Wade) and the 1969 amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada;
WHEREAS, the issue of abortion is morally complex, abortion must remain a legal option; and
WHEREAS, attempts are now being made to restrict access to birth control and abortion by overriding individual decisions of conscience, and attacks in legislatures, courts, and the streets often result in depriving poor women of their right to medical care; and such legislation is an infringement of the principle of separation of church and state in that it tries to enact private morality into public law; and
WHEREAS, there is a movement to re-criminalize abortion both for women and their health-care providers which could bring back dangerous alternatives to clinically safe abortions;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the 1987 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association reaffirms its historic position, supporting the right to choose contraception and abortion as legitimate aspects of the right to privacy…
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That we reaffirm the right to choose contraception and abortion as a legitimate expression of our constitutional rights.”
Unitarian Universalist Association, “Right to Choose: 1987 General Resolution,” uua.org, 1987
Pro: United Church of Christ
“God has given us life, and life is sacred and good. God has also given us the responsibility to make decisions which reflect a reverence for life in circumstances when conflicting realities are present. Jesus affirmed women as full partners in the faith, capable of making decisions that affect their lives...
The United Church of Christ has affirmed and re-affirmed since 1971 that access to safe and legal abortion is consistent with a woman’s right to follow the dictates of her own faith and beliefs in determining when and if she should have children, and it has supported comprehensive sexuality education as one measure to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, and to create healthy and responsible sexual persons and relationships.”
United Church of Christ, “Reproductive Health and Justice: Why The UCC Is a Leader in This Area,” ucc.org
Not Clearly Pro or Con: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
“Human life is a sacred gift from God. Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to the will and the commandments of God. Church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the Church...
Church leaders have said that some exceptional circumstances may justify an abortion, such as when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth. But even these circumstances do not automatically justify an abortion. Those who face such circumstances should consider abortion only after consulting with their local Church leaders and receiving a confirmation through earnest prayer.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, “Abortion,” churchofjesuschrist.org (accessed Nov. 5, 2019)
Not Clearly Pro or Con: Judaism
“While Judaism takes a far less stringent approach to abortion than do many pro-life denominations of Christianity, providing explicit exceptions for threats to a mother’s life and rabbinic support for terminating a pregnancy in a host of other situations, there is nonetheless broad objection to abortion in cases without serious cause. In addition, despite the consensus that abortion is permitted in cases where continuing the pregnancy poses a threat to the life of the mother, there is disagreement over just what constitutes a threat.
Jewish law does not share the belief common among abortion opponents that life begins at conception, nor does it legally consider the fetus to be a full person deserving of protections equal those accorded to human beings. In Jewish law, a fetus attains the status of a full person only at birth...
As a public policy matter, many of the major American Jewish organizations have been vocal in support of broadening or protecting abortion access. Orthodox organizations, however, do not support broad legal protections for abortion.”
MJL, “Abortion and Judaism,” myjewishlearning.com (accessed Nov. 5, 2019)
Not Clearly Pro or Con: National Baptist Convention
“[F]or the National Baptist Convention, a historically black Protestant denomination in the U.S., church policy is to allow each individual congregation to determine its views on abortion.”
David Masci, “Where Major Religious Groups Stand on Abortion,” pewresearch.org, June 21, 2016
Not Clearly Pro or Con: Seventh-Day Adventist Church
“The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers abortion out of harmony with God’s plan for human life. It affects the unborn, the mother, the father, immediate and extended family members, the church family, and society with long-term consequences for all. Believers aim to trust God and follow His will for them, knowing He has their best interests in mind.
While not condoning abortion, the Church and its members are called to follow the example of Jesus, being “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), to (1) create an atmosphere of true love and provide grace-filled, biblical pastoral care and loving support to those facing difficult decisions regarding abortion; (2) enlist the help of well-functioning and committed families and educate them to provide care for struggling individuals, couples, and families; (3) encourage church members to open their homes to those in need, including single parents, parentless children, and adoptive or foster care children; (4) care deeply for and support in various ways pregnant women who decide to keep their unborn children; and (5) provide emotional and spiritual support to those who have aborted a child for various reasons or were forced to have an abortion and may be hurting physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually.”
Seventh-Day Adventist World Church Executive Committee, “145-19G Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for Abortion,” adventist.org, Oct. 16, 2019
Not Clearly Pro or Con: United Methodist Church
“Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion.
But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child...
It’s important to note that the Church’s statements on social issues, such as abortion, represent the effort of the General Conference to speak to human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation. They are intended to be instructive and persuasive, but they are not church law and are not binding on members. Members will hold differing views on abortion. There is no requirement for members to agree with the Church’s view.”
United Methodist Church, “What Is the United Methodist Position on Abortion?,” umc.org (accessed Nov. 5, 2019)
Con: Assemblies of God
“Abortion. The Assemblies of God views the practice of abortion as an evil that has been inflicted upon millions of innocent babies and that will threaten millions more in the years to come. Abortion is a morally unacceptable alternative for birth control, population control, sex selection, and elimination of the physically and mentally handicapped. Certain parts of the world are already experiencing serious population imbalances as a result of the systematic abortion of female babies.”
Assemblies of God, “Sanctity of Human Life: Abortion and Reproductive Issues,” ag.org, Aug. 9–11, 2010
Con: Catholic Church
“I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion. The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended, notwithstanding anything to the contrary. I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life. In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father. May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.”
Pope Francis, “Apostolic Letter: Misericordia et misera of the Holy Father Francis at the Conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy,” vatican.va (accessed Nov. 5, 2019)
Con: Greek Orthodox
“The Orthodox Church has a definite, formal and intended attitude toward abortion. It condemns all procedures purporting to abort the embryo or fetus, whether by surgical or chemical means. The Orthodox Church brands abortion as murder; that is, as a premeditated termination of the life of a human being. The only time the Orthodox Church will reluctantly acquiesce to abortion is when the preponderance of medical opinion determines that unless the embryo or fetus is aborted, the mother will die. Decisions of the Supreme Court and State legislatures by which abortion, with or without restrictions, is allowed should be viewed by practicing Christians as an affront to their beliefs in the sanctity of life.”
Stanley S. Harakas, “The Stand of the Orthodox Church on Controversial Issues,” goarch.org, Aug. 12, 1985
Con: Hinduism
“Hindus consider children a gift from God. Conception, development and birth of a child are sacred events, honored by a ceremony, or samskara, marking these rites of passage. Today’s medical technology has developed many means for conceiving children. Hindus have a general unwillingness to interfere with nature and a special aversion to abortion, based on the belief in reincarnation and the sanctity of marriage...Hindu scripture and tradition clearly prohibit abortion, except to save the life of the mother...Multiple births are rare, except when a couple is undergoing fertility treatments, which may result in multiple fetuses, creating a potentially dangerous condition for the mother. Under the principle that abortion is allowed to save the mother’s life.”
Hinduism Today, “How Hindu Dharma Addresses 25 Controversial Medical Issues Frequently Encountered by Physicians,” hinduismtoday, Jan.–Mar. 2013
Con: Islam
“Rule 1: In Islam, it is forbidden (haram) to abort the fetus…
Rule 2: If the child was to die while in the womb of the mother, then it is obligatory to remove it from the womb.
Rule 3: If the pregnancy is a danger to the life of the mother or would result in her become handicapped, then it is permissible for her to abort the child before the time when the soul has been infused into the body.
However it is not permissible to abort the child once the soul has come into the body and the fetus starts to move (inside the womb) and the mother must carefully watch over and give special attention to the child inside her and must make sure that it is brought into the world at the appropriate time.
Rule 4: If the child which has been aborted was four months old or more, then it must be given the Ghusl-e-Mayyit and must also be provided with a Kafan (burial shroud) and must be buried. In addition, anyone that touched the body of the child (such as the mother, grand mother, or others who were taking care of the mother) must perform a Ghusl of Mass-e-Mayyit.
If the child was less than four months old, then it must be wrapped in cloth, and without giving it a Ghusl, it must be buried. If anyone has touched the body of the child, then it is better that they too perform the Ghusl (of Mass-e-Mayyit).”
Ayatollah Sayyid ‘Ali Khamene’i, “Abortions,” al-islam.org (accessed Apr. 4, 2018)
Con: Jehovah’s Witnesses
“The Bible does not use the word ‘abortion’ in the sense of an induced expulsion of a human fetus. However, many Bible verses provide God’s view of human life, including that of an unborn child.
Life is a gift from God. (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 36:9) He considers all life to be precious, including the life of a child in the womb. So if someone intentionally kills an unborn child, that amounts to murder...
In view of what the Bible says about the life of an unborn child, a person would not be justified in having an abortion because of a potential health risk to mother or child.
What about the rare situation where at the time of childbirth an emergency forces the choice between saving the life of the mother or saving the baby? In such a case, those involved would have to make a personal decision about which life to try to save.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses, “What Does the Bible Say about Abortion?,” jw.org (accessed Nov. 5, 2019
Con: Southern Baptist Convention
“RESOLVED, That we affirm the full dignity of every unborn child and denounce every act of abortion except to save the mother’s physical life; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we affirm the full dignity of every human being, whether or not any political, legal, or medical authority considers a human being possessive of ‘viable’ life regardless of cognitive or physical disability, and denounce every act that would wrongly limit the life of any human at any stage or state of life.”
Southern Baptist Convention, “On Reaffirming the Full Dignity of Every Human Being,” sbc.net, 2018
Discussion Questions
- Should abortion be legal? Explain your answer.
- What institution should decide whether abortion should be legal? The federal government, state governments, or potentially a global organization? Explain your answer.
- Consider related policies such as access to birth control and family planning, childcare availability, and laws to protect women from sexual assault. How do these policies impact your opinion on whether abortion should be legal? Explain your answers.
Take Action
- Analyze the pro-life opinion of Ross Douthat.
- Consider the abortion laws of U.S. states with the Guttmacher Institute.
- Explore international abortion laws with the Center for Reproductive Rights.
- Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.
- Push for the position and policies you support by writing U.S. senators and representatives.
Sources
- Pan Belluck, “Complex Science at Issue in Politics of Fetal Pain,” nytimes.com, Sep. 16, 2013
- Pew Research, “Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms: Fewer See Stem Cell Research and IVF as Moral Issues,” pewforum.org, Aug. 15, 2013
- E.G. Raymond and D.A. Grimes, “The Comparative Safety of Legal Induced Abortion and Childbirth in the United States,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feb. 2012
- Rachel K. Jones, Mia R. S. Zolna, et al., “Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services, 2005,” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Mar. 4, 2008
- Terry Eastland, “The Forgotten Option,” The Weekly Standard, Jan. 29, 2003
- Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, “Member Organizations,” rcrc.org (accessed Apr. 5, 2010)
- Willard Cates, Jr., et. al, “The Public Health Impact of Legal Abortion: 30 Years Later,” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, guttmacher.org, Jan.-Feb. 2003
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, et al. v. Casey, Governor of Pennsylvania, et al., law.cornell.edu, June 29, 1992
- Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, et al. v. Casey, Governor of Pennsylvania, et al., law.cornell.edu, June 29, 1992
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- Beth Reinhard, “Should Mothers Be Forced to Bear Disabled Children against Their Will?,” nationaljournal.com, Oct. 10, 2013
- Guttmacher Institute, “Induced Abortion in the United States,” guttmacher.org, July 2014
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- John J. Donohue, and Steven D. Levitt, “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 2001
- Paul R. Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, 1968
- Planned Parenthood of New Jersey, “Anti-Choice Claims about Abortion and Breast Cancer,” plannedparenthoodnj.org (accessed Apr. 1, 2010)
- The Holy Bible: King James Version (accessed Apr. 1, 2010)
- Annie Murphy Paul, “The First Ache,” New York Times Magazine, Feb. 10, 2008
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- David. C. Reardon, et al., “Deaths Associated with Pregnancy Outcome: A Record Linkage Study of Low Income Women,” Southern Medical Journal, Aug. 2002
- Priscilla Coleman, and Eileen S. Nelson, “The Quality of Abortion Decisions and College Students’ Reports of Post-Abortion Emotional Sequelae and Abortion Attitudes,” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Apr. 1998
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- John L. Allen Jr. and Inés San Martín, “Tobin: Abortion, Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Both ‘Brutalize’ the American Heart,” cruxnow.com, July 6, 2017
- Alexander J. Sheffrin, “Alveda King Calls Abortion ’Racist’,” christianpost.com, Apr. 15, 2008
- Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc., supremecourt.gov, May 28, 2019
- Elizabeth Weise, “How Many Abortions Are Actually Performed in the U.S.? Rates Have Declined for Decades.,” usatoday.com, May 5, 2022
- Katherine Kortsmit, et al., “Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2019,” cdc.gov, Nov. 26, 2021
- Catherine E Whitley, Sally B Rose, Dalice Sim, and Hera Cook, “Association Between Women’s Use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception and Declining Abortion Rates in New Zealand,” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Oct. 10, 2019
- M. Gissler, F. Gyllenberg, M. Juselius, and O. Heikinheimo, “Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Free of Charge Decreases Abortion Rates,” academic.oup.com, Nov. 21, 2018
- Charles Fain Lehman, “Fewer American High Schoolers Having Sex Than Ever Before,” ifstudies.org, Sep. 1, 2020
- Dolores Ramírez-Villalobos, et al., “Delaying Sexual Onset: Outcome of a Comprehensive Sexuality Education Initiative for Adolescents in Public Schools,” bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com, July 21, 2021
- Tamara Dean, “Safer Than Childbirth,” theamericanscholar.org, Mar. 4, 2022
- Megan Brenan, "Steady 58% of Americans Do Not Want Roe v. Wade Overturned," news.gallup.com, June 2, 2022
- Lydia Saad, "’Pro-Choice’ Identification Rises to Near Record High in U.S.," news.gallup.com, June 2, 2022
- Ariane de Vogue, “Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade,” cnn.com, June 24, 2022
- John Kruzel, “Supreme Court Strikes down Roe v. Wade,” thehill.com, June 24, 202
- Greg Stohr, “Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade Abortion-Rights Ruling,” news.bloomberglaw.com, June 24, 2022
- Veronica Stracqualursi, “California Legislature Passes Bill to Protect Abortion Providers and Patients from Civil Suits,” cnn.com, June 24, 2022
- White House, “Executive Order on Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services,” whitehouse.gov, July 8, 2022
- Kate Sullivan, “Here’s What’s in Biden’s Executive Order on Abortion Rights,” cnn.com, July 8, 2022
- Jen Christensen, “Biden Administration Says Federal Law Preempts State Abortion Bans When Emergency Care Is Needed,” cnn.com, July 11, 2022
- U.S. Health and Human Services, “Following President Biden’s Executive Order to Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care, HHS Announces Guidance to Clarify that Emergency Medical Care Includes Abortion Services,” hhs.gov, July 11, 2022
- U.S. Health and Human Services Department Office for Civil Rights, “Guidance to Nation’s Retail Pharmacies: Obligations under Federal Civil Rights Laws toEnsure Access to Comprehensive Reproductive Health Care Services,” hhs.gov, July 13, 2022
- Jen Christensen, “Biden Administration Says Pharmacies Can’t Turn Away People Who Have a Prescription for a Drug That May End a Pregnancy,” cnn.com, July 13, 202
- Carrie Feibel, “Pharmacies May Violate Civil Rights If They Refuse Meds Linked to Abortion, Feds Warn,” npr.org, July 13, 2022
- Tierney Sneed, “Texas Sues Biden Administration over Guidance Directed at Reproductive Care for Emergency Room Patients,” cnn.com, July 14, 2022
- Chris Boyette and Tierney Sneed, “Federal Judge Blocks HHS Guidance That Emergency Medical Care Must Include Abortion Services,” cnn.com, Aug. 24, 2022
- Tierney Sneed, “Judge Blocks Enforcement of Idaho’s Abortion Ban in Medical Emergencies Day before It Was Set to Take Effect,” cnn.com, Aug. 24, 2022
- Department of Veterans Affairs, “38 CFR Part 17 RIN 2900-AR57 Reproductive Health Services,” womenshealth.va.gov, Sep. 2, 2022
- Michaeleen Doucleff, “Do Restrictive Abortion Laws Actually Reduce Abortion? A Global Map Offers Insights,” npr.org, June 27, 2022
- Katherine Dillinger and Evan Perez, “FDA to Allow Pharmacies to Dispense Abortion Pills to Patients,” cnn.com, Jan. 3, 2023
- Pam Belluck, “The F.D.A. Now Says It Plainly: Morning-After Pills Are Not Abortion Pills,” nytimes.com, Dec. 23, 2022
- David W. Chen and Pam Belluck, “Wyoming Becomes First State to Outlaw the Use of Pills for Abortion,” nytimes.com, Mar. 17, 2023
- Jake Johnson, “ ‘Despicable’: Idaho Becomes First U.S. State to Restrict Interstate Travel for Abortion Care,” salon.com, Apr. 6, 2023
- Pam Belluck, “Two Federal Judges Issued Opposing Rulings on Abortion Pills. Here’s What’s Going On.,” nytimes.com, Apr. 8, 2023
- Anne Flaherty, Mireya Villarreal, and Ashley Riegle, “DOJ Files Appeal after Judge Reverses FDA Approval of Abortion Drug,” abcnews.go.com, Apr. 8, 2023
- Tierney Sneed, “Rival Rulings on Medication Abortion Hypercharge the Post-Roe Legal War,” cnn.com, Apr. 8, 2023
- Associated Press, “Federal Appeals Court Preserves Access to Abortion Drug but with Tighter Rules,” npr.org, Apr. 13, 2023
- Ximena Bustillo and Lexie Schapitl, “Supreme Court Briefly Puts On Hold Lower Court’s Limits on Abortion Drug Mifepristone,” npr.org, Apr, 14, 2023
- Nina Totenberg, “Supreme Court Blocks Lower Court Decision in Case on FDA Approval of Abortion Pill,” npr.org, Apr. 21, 2023
- Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz, “Despite State Bans, Legal Abortions Didn’t Fall Nationwide in Year After Dobbs,” nytimes.com, Oct. 24, 2023
- Catherine Porter, “French Lawmakers Enshrine Constitutional Right to Abortion,” nytimes.com, Mar. 4, 2024
- Jaclyn Diaz and Alina Selyukh, “CVS and Walgreens to Start Dispensing Abortion Pill in States Where It’s Legal,” npr.org, Mar. 1, 2024
- Selena Simmons-Duffin, “Despite Bans in Some States, More than a Million Abortions Were Provided in 2023,” npr.org, Mar. 19, 2023
- Carter Sherman, “Kamala Harris Puts Abortion Front and Center with Visit to Minnesota Clinic,” theguardian.com, Mar. 14, 2024