What is abortion?

Is it the killing of a defense less child or is it the

freedom of a woman. In the case of the latter, it is easy to see how abortion can
be very beneficial for the mother. Perhaps she is a teenager who is too young and
too scared for such an awesome responsi bility or perhaps she simply does not have
the resources for or want another child. The situation becomes more complicated
when the father of the fetus wants the baby. Does the father, whose very DNA was
transferred to the fetus, have any right to determine whether the mother receives
an abortion or is the decision totally that of the mother, who must endure the nine
month pregnancy and the birthing process as well as any lingering physical or
psychological effects.
Even if abortion is considered the killing of a defenseless child, serious and
difficult questions cannot be avoided. Certainly, it is illegal and immoral to
kill a week old baby; but can the same be said of the termina tion of a week old
fetus? When does a fetus become a life entitled to the same protection as a
newborn baby or when is it too late to end a pregnancy? Some would say at any
point before birth; however, a fetus can be viable and live outside its mother's
womb quite some time before its natural birth otherwise would occur. Is that the
point at which abortion is inappropriate and, thus, illegal as well as immoral?
While there are those who would answer in the affirmative, many would argue that a
life entitled to protection began at the time of concep tion, the entry of a sperm
cell into the egg.
In any event, abortion must be viewed as an issue with many angles. If a
person is pro-life, is he or she opposed to abortion altogether, is there a period
early in the pregnancy that the fetus may be appropriately terminated, or are there
circumstances, such as rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother, that
justify ending a pregnancy? If another person is pro-choice, is he or she in favor
of abortion on demand at any time, regardless of the fetus' viability. As is true
of most complex issues, the matter of abortion raises a multitude of questions
that elicit a variety of answers and opions.