A Review of Henry Morgentaler’s Article “Abortion is a Moral Choice”

The title of the first article is "Abortion is a Moral Choice" by Henry Morgentaler. This article upholds women's rights to abortion in the belief that it reduces the number of unwanted children and also reduces the number of adult criminals that suffer from childhood neglect or parental abuse. The title of the second article is "Abortion is Immoral by John Paul II. This article objects to abortion in the belief that it is a crime that kills an innocent human being and also against all Christian beliefs that abortion could be of any good regardless of circumstances.

Abortion is a pro-choice decision that allows children to be born into homes where they will be loved and cared for. Abortion also gives the right to parents to decide whether that child is wanted so that he or she will not suffer from childhood abuse or parental neglect. Abortion gives parents a choice to terminate a pregnancy if they are not financially stable to support that child at that particular time in their lives. Abortion is immoral on the basis that it kills an innocent human being. Abortion is viewed as immoral by many people because it kills a life that has done no wrong but been conceived by two people who are incapable of providing for that child's needs, whether they are emotional or financial. Abortion is a pro-choice decision and should be based upon whether that child is wanted so that he or she or the parent(s) will not suffer parental abuse or neglect, medical problems, or financial instability.

An opinion stated the belief that abortion is a moral choice was that abortions could reduce the number of criminals who suffer from childhood neglect or parental abuse. Abortion is not a solution to reducing the number of criminals in the world who suffer from neglect or abuse. It is not okay for one to make a decision to abort a human life with the excuse of reducing the number of criminals suffering from abuse. Some people of Christian belief view abortion as "intentional murder." The fact is that abortion does kill innocent human beings, but is it really intentional murder? There are many ways to look at abortion when viewing it in these terms. There are many instances when abortion is almost necessary to save the mother's life.

There are many conditions in which it may be impossible for the mother to carry out a healthy pregnancy. The mother may not be in good health, or she may be carrying multiple embryos, and an abortion is done to reduce the number of babies the mother has to carry to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy. If abortion is "intentional murder," why isn't miscarriage treated under the same or similar principles? Both shed the embryo inside the mother, effectively ending the baby's life. Miscarriage occurs spontaneously, without the mother's intent or knowledge to terminate her pregnancy. Abortion is done intentionally, with the mother's knowledge and awareness that her pregnancy is being terminated.

And who are we to say that all miscarriages are spontaneous? Every pregnant woman under a physician's care is provided with information and knowledge about how to carry out a healthy pregnancy. If a woman chooses not to eat healthily, consume harmful drugs and/or alcohol, keep herself dehydrated, dress in uncomfortable clothing so that her fetus does not have room to grow, or possibly is a victim of physical abuse, what could possibly be the tragic ending result? Not all miscarriages are spontaneous; some are doubtfully intentional. So who are we to say which is an act of "intentional murder" when both abortion and miscarriage result in the termination of life? The choice to abort can be beneficial because it gives the mother the right to decide whether the child is wanted, capable of being loved and cared for, and financially supported.

Morgentaler quotes, Should a girl of twelve or a woman of forty-five, or any woman for that matter, be forced to continue a pregnancy or be saddled with the bringing up of a child for eighteen years without any regard for the consequence and without any regard for the expressed will or desire of that woman or of the couple? Say a twelve-year-old pregnant girl was a victim of rape. Should she be forced to carry out an unwanted pregnancy so that she and her child can suffer from long-term resentment? In another scenario, let's say the pregnant woman is a victim of mental, physical, and/or emotional abuse from the child's father.

Should we condemn her for terminating her pregnancy or support her for choosing to save her child from suffering from the same abuse? Have we not learned anything from donating thousands of dollars to families who are financially incapable of providing for their children? Who are we to say that abortion is wrong when we are so unwillingly stubborn to donate one single dollar or as little as one quarter a day to help support needy families? We are too quick to judge abortion as wrong but not quick enough to help families in need. Abortion could possibly reduce the number of financially unstable families who depend on our government for support. There are many families depending on our government because the parents feel that abortion is not an option.

If people were to look closer at the positive side of abortion, we might see those numbers decrease. In the article based on moral abortion, the author uses different scenarios to express his viewpoints on why he believes that abortion is a moral choice. By using scenarios, the author places his readers in real-life situations in which a choice has to be made to either abort or not abort. In the article in which abortion is an immoral choice, the author uses different examples from Christian belief and the Bible. He uses these examples to persuade his readers that abortion is an unlawful sin. Henry Morgentaler, the author of "Abortion is a Moral Choice, is also the founding president of the Humanist Association of Canada and the author of "Abortion and Contraception."

Not only has he written articles upholding abortion, but he has also opened abortion clinics across Canada. In the opposing article, "Abortion is Immoral," written by John Paul II, who is also the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, abortion is called a crime because it kills an innocent human being who has yet to be born. Henry Morgentaler, the author of "Abortion is a Moral Choice," impressed me the most by thoroughly explaining his view as to why he believes abortion is a moral choice. Not only does he list numerous reasons as to why he upholds abortion, but he also uses real-life scenarios to help illustrate his viewpoints. It is highly important for readers to be able to relate to the author's work.

Using real-life scenarios, the author can draw his audience into the article, where they evaluate the scenario and make a critical decision in deciding if abortion is moral or immoral. In my opinion, John Paul II was biased in his article "Abortion is Immoral." He only presented us with the Christian belief that abortion is an unlawful sin and an intentional crime. He only provided us with the reasons why Christians believe that abortion is morally wrong, according to the Bible. As opposed to the pro-abortion article, John Paul II does not list any benefits that could result from an abortion, regardless of circumstance. After careful analysis of both articles, I agree that abortion is a moral choice. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the negatives.

How many times have we gotten upset because our government has to spend our hard-earned tax money to help support financially unstable families? Should a victim of rape or mental, emotional, or physical abuse be forced to carry out a pregnancy? Or, should a woman lose her life in the quest to continue carrying multiple pregnancies that are proven to be unhealthy and unsafe for the human body? Or, simply choose to abort due to financial instability. Regardless of reason or circumstance, abortion is a pro-choice decision and should be made responsibly after carefully analyzing which decision is best for both mother and baby.

I do not judge abortion as right or wrong. Abortion is a personal decision. It gives the parent(s) the right and privacy to decide whether abortion is right or wrong for them. I only believe that when choosing whether to abort, the parent(s) should consider both the negative and positive aspects. When deciding to abort, one must also consider the long-term consequences of that decision. Many women who do choose to abort suffer from deep depression after the procedure. If abortion is the right decision based on the present and long-term circumstances of the mother and/or baby, I recommend that the mother have emotional support from her loved ones. Being surrounded by loved ones after such a critical decision could ease depression and/or resentment. Choosing whether to abort is a pro-choice decision that should be made only after the parent(s) has determined that terminating the pregnancy or the life and future of their expectant baby will benefit the mother and/or baby.

References

1. John Paul II: "Abortion is Immoral." a: Opposing Viewpoints: Abortion. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

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