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| Anti abortion rally in Washington, D.C. December 2004. My own work. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
This essay is an attempt at a broad overview on the bioethical question on women's access to abortion services. This is a tighter focus of ethical argument then the broader question on the morality of abortion, yet as a persuasive issue the argument goes back to the fundamental question of when life begins. Those in the pro-life movement fall solidly on the side of life begins at conception or that all attempts (planned or not) at conception should end in the formation of a fetus. They believe this to be the free will of God and deny any attempt of sentient women to exercise their free will in this matter (Noonan, 1973). Not all religiosity ends in a pro -life stand.
Yet, all abortion debate comes down to questions that can be understood only ultimately as theological in nature. The atheist while, while supporting a humanistic ethic cannot make a true ultimate argument for pro- choice. It becomes for those without regard to the theological a matter of cultural choice (Noonan, 1973). On a practical medical level, I do believe I am within the realm of rational thought that medical practice falls on side of preserving and upholding the lives of women who are beings that exist on the earth as separate beings from their birth mother.
I fall on the side of pro-choice because of a basic belief that humans are "more than" and as spiritual beings given free will we are created in the image of God. Our free will is exercised on the most basic level when we become sentient beings ;at least at a primitive level of self awareness. Our physical bodies are vessels for the divine spirit and certainly without care cannot fully appreciate that spirit; Yet, I do not believe that we can ultimately thwart the will of God, by destroying a potential vessel for the divine spirit. It may make me more Gnostic in my beliefs as a Christian. Still, there is the concept of predestination and free will in traditional and legitimately accepted Christian thought.
The larger impact of anti abortion policies limiting women's access to abortion is that these policies go hand in hand with the lack of medical facilities that provide birth control information and basic information about reproductive health (Henshaw, 2003).
One can make the ethical argument that by limiting a women's informed decision making information about her body allow the religious fanatics to win. If a women is not empowered by knowledge of her own body then she is not able to exercise her free will as a divine being, Hence , the reproductive process becomes the will of God based and not the will of the women ,because it remains a mystery. Very few young women engage in a philosophical debate about the potential creation of unwanted life before becoming sexually active (CCD, 1991). Fear of pregnancy is not enough to preserve a women's God given right to knowledge about her own body
Yes, abortion is a legal procedure in the United States since 1973. Still, in most rural areas and even smaller communities almost all the female population has no identifiable abortion service provider (Henshaw, 2003). Yet, most have access to Crisis pregnancy centers; that will be more than happy to distort the development of the fetus to appear more "human" and endowed with a soul to discourage girls with unplanned pregnancies not to end the pregnancy. These women are denied the other side of the story and can not exercise their free will.
Because of the expense of travel most women who want to end their pregnancy, have to be of a certain social class or income to exercise their God given right to choose. A pregnant 15 year old who is a victim of date rape is again forced into breeding; by supposing Christ like adults. Those of us with a broader Christian ethic are deeply offended by the victimization of young women in the name of Christ.
This can be seen as in its most extreme form as are society's tolerance of religiously based terrorism against women and young women in particular (Holtsherry,2006). Religious terrorist supported by those in evangelical and orthodox Christian groups disrupt clinics with violence and more importantly threats of violence. Abortion providers have their lives endangered to the point that many simply stop providing these services in many communities. If we have a war on extreme religious fanaticism abroad that is somewhat based on people's rights to exercise their God given right to a quality of life, why do we
tolerate religious terrorism in this country that impacts the life of all American women.
The answer is that the liberal church has turned away from the dead fetus signs in some manner as a result of good taste. We tend to have a contempt for what was seen as the under educated classes and have tended to not see them as relevant. Yet, it is women in these social classes whose lives are most impacted by lack of access to family planning of abortion services (CDC, 1991).
The world has changed. One can receive a degree and a high paying job without developing higher critical thinking social skills or a rational social ethic. Money brings political power and social legitimacy. It is middle class now for the pregnant 15 year old to "honor Christ" by keeping her baby and not receiving an education. The eventual loss of anything that resembles a middle class because we force women into lives of poverty, by limiting their choices is not something the middle class religious fanatic foresees.
A great deal of these folks awaits the return of Christ and worry little if their children or grandchildren will have a quality of life. The dumping down of Americans crossing from poverty to the middle class, will ultimately shrink the middle class, undermine the position of American women, and allow workers in the underclass to be exploited by a small, but truly educated upper class. I do not believe Christ is honored by this, nor does it meet the demands of the commandment 'love thy neighbor as thyself". The liberal church is obligated to support as women's right to access to abortion and family planning services to honor Christ. It should include less of a tolerance of religious based terrorism against women, from the religious right.
The overall viewpoint of the medical community cannot really be determined in view of a women's right to family planning and abortion services. . Doctors who provide women's health services have personal religious beliefs. It is ethical for a doctor to not provide family planning services based on personal religious beliefs. It is not ethical however, for a health care provider not to supply access to another care provider should they not be able to provide all legal reproductive services for women who request them. They also should not be able to represent as medical fact any religious viewpoint on the beginning of sentient life. This is an area theology deals with; and one cannot prove one way or another at what point humanity is applied to the fetus. One cannot act to preserve the right of fetus over the life the mother to choose without violating an oath that requires them to do, "no harm".
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2001). Surveillance of
Family Planning Services at Title X Clinics and Characteristics of Women Receiving These Services. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 44.
Henshaw, SK (2003). The Accessibility of Abortion Services in the United States.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Holtserry, Kevin (July 19, 2006) Planned Parenthood Labels Several Pro-Life
Terrorists" on Abortion. Note: Note a pro-life
Governing justification to illegal acts . http://www.lifenews.com/nat2434.html
Retrieved May 6,2010
Noonan, John (1973) Responding to Person: Methods of Moral
Argument in Debate over Abortion. Theology Digest
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| Histogram of the number of abortions in 2005 per 1,000 live births of residents of each of the United States which the Democrat Party won in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, except California, Florida, New Hampshire; data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I fall on the side of pro-choice because of a basic belief that humans are "more than" and as spiritual beings given free will we are created in the image of God. Our free will is exercised on the most basic level when we become sentient beings ;at least at a primitive level of self awareness. Our physical bodies are vessels for the divine spirit and certainly without care cannot fully appreciate that spirit; Yet, I do not believe that we can ultimately thwart the will of God, by destroying a potential vessel for the divine spirit. It may make me more Gnostic in my beliefs as a Christian. Still, there is the concept of predestination and free will in traditional and legitimately accepted Christian thought.
The larger impact of anti abortion policies limiting women's access to abortion is that these policies go hand in hand with the lack of medical facilities that provide birth control information and basic information about reproductive health (Henshaw, 2003).
One can make the ethical argument that by limiting a women's informed decision making information about her body allow the religious fanatics to win. If a women is not empowered by knowledge of her own body then she is not able to exercise her free will as a divine being, Hence , the reproductive process becomes the will of God based and not the will of the women ,because it remains a mystery. Very few young women engage in a philosophical debate about the potential creation of unwanted life before becoming sexually active (CCD, 1991). Fear of pregnancy is not enough to preserve a women's God given right to knowledge about her own body
Yes, abortion is a legal procedure in the United States since 1973. Still, in most rural areas and even smaller communities almost all the female population has no identifiable abortion service provider (Henshaw, 2003). Yet, most have access to Crisis pregnancy centers; that will be more than happy to distort the development of the fetus to appear more "human" and endowed with a soul to discourage girls with unplanned pregnancies not to end the pregnancy. These women are denied the other side of the story and can not exercise their free will.
Because of the expense of travel most women who want to end their pregnancy, have to be of a certain social class or income to exercise their God given right to choose. A pregnant 15 year old who is a victim of date rape is again forced into breeding; by supposing Christ like adults. Those of us with a broader Christian ethic are deeply offended by the victimization of young women in the name of Christ.
This can be seen as in its most extreme form as are society's tolerance of religiously based terrorism against women and young women in particular (Holtsherry,2006). Religious terrorist supported by those in evangelical and orthodox Christian groups disrupt clinics with violence and more importantly threats of violence. Abortion providers have their lives endangered to the point that many simply stop providing these services in many communities. If we have a war on extreme religious fanaticism abroad that is somewhat based on people's rights to exercise their God given right to a quality of life, why do we
tolerate religious terrorism in this country that impacts the life of all American women.
The answer is that the liberal church has turned away from the dead fetus signs in some manner as a result of good taste. We tend to have a contempt for what was seen as the under educated classes and have tended to not see them as relevant. Yet, it is women in these social classes whose lives are most impacted by lack of access to family planning of abortion services (CDC, 1991).
The world has changed. One can receive a degree and a high paying job without developing higher critical thinking social skills or a rational social ethic. Money brings political power and social legitimacy. It is middle class now for the pregnant 15 year old to "honor Christ" by keeping her baby and not receiving an education. The eventual loss of anything that resembles a middle class because we force women into lives of poverty, by limiting their choices is not something the middle class religious fanatic foresees.
A great deal of these folks awaits the return of Christ and worry little if their children or grandchildren will have a quality of life. The dumping down of Americans crossing from poverty to the middle class, will ultimately shrink the middle class, undermine the position of American women, and allow workers in the underclass to be exploited by a small, but truly educated upper class. I do not believe Christ is honored by this, nor does it meet the demands of the commandment 'love thy neighbor as thyself". The liberal church is obligated to support as women's right to access to abortion and family planning services to honor Christ. It should include less of a tolerance of religious based terrorism against women, from the religious right.
The overall viewpoint of the medical community cannot really be determined in view of a women's right to family planning and abortion services. . Doctors who provide women's health services have personal religious beliefs. It is ethical for a doctor to not provide family planning services based on personal religious beliefs. It is not ethical however, for a health care provider not to supply access to another care provider should they not be able to provide all legal reproductive services for women who request them. They also should not be able to represent as medical fact any religious viewpoint on the beginning of sentient life. This is an area theology deals with; and one cannot prove one way or another at what point humanity is applied to the fetus. One cannot act to preserve the right of fetus over the life the mother to choose without violating an oath that requires them to do, "no harm".
 |
| Histogram of the number of abortions in 2005 per 1,000 live births of residents of each of the United States which the Republican Party won in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, except Louisiana; data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Family Planning Services at Title X Clinics and Characteristics of Women Receiving These Services. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 44.
Henshaw, SK (2003). The Accessibility of Abortion Services in the United States.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Holtserry, Kevin (July 19, 2006) Planned Parenthood Labels Several Pro-Life
Terrorists" on Abortion. Note: Note a pro-life
Governing justification to illegal acts . http://www.lifenews.com/nat2434.html
Retrieved May 6,2010
Noonan, John (1973) Responding to Person: Methods of Moral
Argument in Debate over Abortion. Theology Digest
