UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN

MARACAS ROYAL ROAD, MARACAS, ST. JOSEPH.

Research Paper
Abortion: An Ethical Dilemma

An Assignment

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

RELT340-03: Religion and Ethics in Modern Society

INSTRUCTOR: Robert Liverpool

By

12/03/2022

Approval………………..
 Table Of Contents

Religious Beliefs………………………………………………………………………………………...4

Legal Aspect…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Effects of Abortion on the Human Body…………………………………………………………….

6

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8

References………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
There are many reasons why abortion poses an ethical dilemma for not only most women

but for men also. Some people believe that abortion should be legal, while others believe

that it should be illegal. People who identify as “pro-choice” believe that everyone has

the basic human right to decide when and whether to have children. Individuals who are

"pro-choice" believe that it is "right" for people to have the ability to choose abortion as

an option for an unforeseen pregnancy. In contrast, people who oppose abortion call

themselves “pro-life” where they are mostly concerned about the fertilized egg (the

fetus). As stated above, abortion is one of the hardest ethical issues to discuss because of

the varying points of view and many pros and cons. For this paper, I have decided to

identify as neither pro-life nor pro-choice but to stand in support of anti-abortion where I

am taking a stand of being against abortion. The main reasons as to why I am taking this

stand is because of religious beliefs, the legal aspects, and the short-term and long-term

effects that abortion imposes on the human body.

Religious Beliefs

Man's act of ending human life is and can even be viewed as a great moral evil or as an

unjust act. Abortion is not sanctioned by God, according to the vast majority of world

religions. Human life must be treasured and protected from conception until natural

death. As human beings, according to the Holy Bible, “ we are made in the same image

and likeness of God'' which is taken from Genesis 1: 26-27. Life is a gift from God, and

everyone should enjoy it without hesitation. According to the article, Arguments For and
Against Abortion in Terms of Teleological and Deontological Theories, “No human is

entitled or legitimate to end a form of human life. In these circumstances, abortion is a sin

because it contradicts divine order, which is the natural order of the universe.” All of the

major world religions are against abortion and there is evidence in these holy scriptures

where it states that it is unlawful and against their practices. The word “abortion” is not

mentioned in the Holy Bible, however, the Holy Bible does talk about killing the

innocent. There are many scriptures in the Holy Bible that refer to them as the

“Innocents” which in translation would be called the ‘blameless’. God was not specific

when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments as to who we should not kill and the

scripture can be found in Exodus 20:13 which tells us that “Thou shall not kill”.

Life is holy and highly prized in Islam, and as such, it must be honored and promoted. In

Islamic law, one of the basic necessities and purposes (Maqasid) is the preservation of

life. As a result, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, abortion is regarded illegal and a

major sin (HARAM) in Islam. When the pregnancy reaches 120 days, the soul enters the

fetus, as revealed in a Hadith by the Prophet Muhammad . "Every one of you is collected

in the womb of his mother for the first 40 days, and then a piece of flesh for another 40

days. Then Allah sends an angel to breathe soul into his body."

The Talmud (the source from which the code of Jewish Halakhah (law) is derived) states

that if a woman is in labor and her life must be saved, the child must be aborted and

extracted. In this case, the mother’s life takes precedence rather than that of the fetus. The

fetus isn't a person's life until it's born. However, according to 19th-century Rabbinical

literature, it is unethical to kill an unborn child. Abortion, feticide, and infanticide are all
condemned by modern rabbis as immoral assaults on human life. However, Jewish law

allows abortion if the pregnancy will cause serious psychological harm to the mother. No

civilized society would exist without regulations that occasionally cause pain or anguish.

As it can be seen, these major world religions believe that it is only right to have an

abortion if giving birth to the unborn child (the fetus) would cause harm or be detrimental

to the mother. This point would be further looked at later down in this paper.

Legal Aspect

Many countries, including the United States, have made abortions legal. However, since

the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, abortion has been the subject of intense

moral and political examination, as well as legal controversy (Butts & Rich, 2020). The

U.S. Supreme Court implemented laws which prohibited states from enacting legislation

which prohibits abortion in the first or second trimester of a woman's pregnancy except in

certain circumstances. Simultaneously, it empowered states to prohibit abortion in the

third trimester unless it was absolutely required for a woman's survival. By nominating

right-wing Supreme Court Justices in 2016, Donald Trump intended to overturn current

Roe versus Wade laws. With a majority of conservative judges serving in the court, there

are cases pending that could undermine existing law (Center for Reproductive Rights,

2021).
Effects of Abortion on the Human Body.

Abortion is becoming not only the most common, but also one of the riskiest procedures

performed in the United States and has always been like this. Abortion was extremely

dangerous in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many women have died as a result.

Among the thousands of abortions conducted worldwide, there is a significant risk of

complications during the process. Long-term risks of induced abortion have been

researched and shown to be considerable, such as difficulties with future pregnancies.

Women who have had abortions are more likely to experience anxiety, sadness, suicidal

thoughts, cramping, lightheadedness, tiredness, damage to the womb or cervix, excessive

bleeding, incomplete abortion which requires an additional surgical procedure, infection

of the uterus or fallopian tubes, scarring of the inside of the uterus and sepsis or septic

shock, just to highlight a few. According to a recent study published in the Journal of

Anxiety Disorders, women who aborted their unwanted pregnancies were 30% more

likely to later display all signs of severe anxiety than women who carried their unwanted

pregnancies to full term. Scientists also believe that there may be unknown issues that we

have yet to be discover. Induced abortion increases the likelihood of a woman acquiring

Placenta Previa in subsequent pregnancies. Placenta Previa is a pregnancy disorder in

which the placenta partially or fully covers the mother's cervix, producing severe

bleeding before or during delivery and posing a risk to both the mother and the baby. One

of the most serious risks to a mother's health is hemorrhage. Because to the placenta's

position across the cervical canal, an emergency caesarean section may be required to
deliver the baby early and avoiding the mother's severe bleeding. Emotional side effects

are not uncommon following an abortion or pregnancy termination, whether planned or

unplanned. Depression may arise in some instances. The link between pregnancy

termination and depression, on the other hand, remains unknown. Terminating a

pregnancy can be stressful on an individual. Although there has not been much research

on abortion and the effects it has on one’s mental health, I believe that many individuals

have had some sort of regret after making that decision of taking an innocent life.

According to Medical News Today, having an abortion affects one’s natural hormone

cycle. Some have become not only depressed but also suicidal and have even gone to a

dark place where they would rely on drugs to make them feel better or not guilty about

the unethical act they have committed.

Conclusion

In closing, abortion does not only affect one individual, but many individual. It is an

unethical practice that has views from different religions, morally wrong from a legal

stand point and lastly have a negative effect on the human body, not only physically but

also mentally and emotionally.

 References

Abortion's Effects on Physical and Mental Health - AACC. (2020, September 8).

American Association of Christian Counsellors. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from

https://www.aacc.net/2020/09/08/abortions-effects-on-physical-and-mental-health/

BACHIOCHI, E. (n.d.). How Abortion Hurts Women: The Hard Proof. Catholic

Education Resource Centre. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/abortion/how-abortion-hurts-

women-the-hard-proof.html

Gerster, C. (n.d.). A woman physician views elective abortion. PubMed. Retrieved

March 14, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10303844/

GRIMAUDO, J. (n.d.). Abortion Risks and Side Effects. CompassCare. Retrieved

March 14, 2022, from

https://www.compasscare.info/health-information/abortion/abortion-risks-and-

side-effects/

Munday, R. (n.d.). Abortion and America's ethical consciousness. PubMed.

Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10294676/

Roe v. Wade | Summary, Origins, & Influence. (2022, February 28).

Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from

https://www.britannica.com/event/Roe-v-Wade
 Side Effects of Abortion | 8 risks on Body After Abortions. (2018, March 16).

Glozine. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/side-

effects-of-abortion-8-risks-on-body-after-abortions.html

Temme, L., & Marshall, A. (2021, September 21). Roe v. Wade Case Summary:

What You Need to Know - FindLaw. US Supreme Court Centre. Retrieved March

14, 2022, from https://supreme.findlaw.com/supreme-court-insights/roe-v--wade-

case-summary--what-you-need-to-know.html

Depression after abortion: Understanding and coping. Medicalnewstoday.com. (2022).

Retrieved 15 March 2022, from

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313098#emotional-effects.