FREE ESSAY ON ABORTION

ABORTION

The Moral Issue Of Abortion
Abortion is the ending of pregnancy before birth and is morally wrong. An abortion
results in the death of an embryo or a fetus. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless,
innocent children and is illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants,
women are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new
identities and unique personalities. Abortion is very simply wrong. Everyone is raised
knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong, so why isn't abortion?
People argue that it is not murder if the child is unborn. Abortion is murder since the
fetus being destroyed is living, breathing and moving. Why is it that if an infant is
destroyed a month before the birth, there is no problem, but if killed a month after
birth, this is inhumane murder?
There are different forms of Abortion the first three forms are for early Abortions, and
the last four are for late abortions:
Vacuum Curettage: powerful suction tube inserted through the cervix and into the womb.
The unborn child is torn apart by the force of the suction; the fetal body parts and
placenta are sucked into a jar. Possible complications include infection, cervical
laceration and uterine perforation.
Mifepristone: also known as RU-486, the chemical causes an abortion by interfering with
the function of the placenta, starving the unborn child to death. Prostaglandins are then
administered to expel the fetus. This method of abortion takes place over the span of
several days; the average woman using it bleeds heavily for more than nine days, but some
women have bled for over four weeks. Mifepristone is just beginning to be used in the US.
Long-term health risks are not yet known.
Methotrexate: though not approved by the FDA for this use, a methotrexate injection kills
the unborn child by interfering with the growth process (cell division). Several days
later, the woman is treated with prostaglandin (misoprostol) suppositories to expel the
fetus; the woman then aborts the child at home: It also requires three visits to a doctor
to complete the process.
Methods of Late Abortion:
D&E: the cervix is pried open. Using forceps, the abortionist tears the child out of the
womb, limb by limb. The child is then reassembled to assure that no fetal parts are left
inside. Possible complications include infection, cervical laceration and uterine
perforation.
Dioxin Induction: involves injecting a lethal chemical directly into the baby's heart
followed by labor induction with prostaglandin. 
Saline Abortion: a long needle is inserted into the woman's abdomen, and a salty solution
is injected into the amniotic fluid. The salt poisons the child, burning its lungs and
skin. A dead baby is then delivered within 24 hours. This method is being used less
frequently for abortion due to the serious health risks to the woman.
Hysterectomy: like a c-section, an incision is made in the woman's abdomen. The baby is
removed then allowed to die by neglect. This procedure carries the same health risks as a
c-section.
700,000 abortions where the child is older than nine weeks are preformed in the United
States each year. What is interesting is that 95 percent of the abortions are done as a
means of birth control. Only one percent is performed due to rape and one percent is due
to fetal abnormalities. The remaining 3 percent are due to the mother's health problems
.
People on the pro-choice side often argue that the child in the womb is not a child until
it is born. That has been proven wrong. The child is a person as soon as it is conceived.
The moment the sperm unites with the egg, a miraculous process takes place. The cells
begin to divide into the genes that will or would make the child unique that would never
be duplicated again. How can you say, It is the mothers choice to have her kid. You are
right it is her choice, don't have sex. What is a major factor is that most of the
abortions are done by women between 14- 24 who have had conceived the child out of
wedlock .
We justify killing the innocent children saying that the Earth is overpopulated. No, we
are not. If the Earth is getting overpopulated then, why is the standard of living
getting better. When we eliminate a child, we could have eliminated a child that could of
solved a way to overcome a population problem. It is sad to see this nation fall to moral
decay. This nation was founded on Godly principles and as we slowly slip away from the
morals that we were built on, we as a people will experience more problems. Why does this
nation believe the killing of innocent, defenseless human babies is all right?
Because they have been blinded from the truth!
From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion
willed as an end as a means, is a criminal practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the
moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime
against human life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - American Translation
Statistics relating to Catholics and the Abortion Issue
CBS/New York Times 1985
79% of Catholics believe a person could be a good Catholics even if they disagree with
the Church on abortion.
Peter Hart Research 1986
68% of Catholic voters believe that abortion is a private decision mainly up to a woman
and her doctor without government interference.
CBS/New York Times 1987
85% of Catholics agree with the statement: Women can have an abortion and still be a good
Catholic
Bibliography
Bibliography
Alvare, Helen, Wilson, Marle, Wolf, Naomi. Abortion: Whose Values? Whose Rights? Tikkun
January-February 1997: pp54-60
Merril, Ted. Abortion; Extreme Views Ignore Reality Medical Economics 15 July 1996:
p33
Thomas, Judy. Pro-life Turns Deadly Newsweek 26 January 1998: p64
Wallace, Bruce. When One Fetus Lives and One Dies MacLean's 19 August 1996:
pp20-21
Abortion Question and Answers-Cardinal O Connor
http://www.thelambsofchrist.com/cardocqanda.html
Abortion, Roe v. Wade, Catholic Bishops
http://www.peopleforlife.org/nccb.html
Political Responsibility For Catholics
http://www.diocese-sacramento.org/cacathcn/bi4.htm