A Few Words on Abortion

As one of the most heated topics in the political world at the moment, I want to address a few misconceptions that tend to surround the issue of abortion. As Jeffrey R. Holland so eloquently stated in one of his most famous speeches, the responsibility to give and take away life is one that should always be treated with reverence and respect. (Source)

With that said, here are a few misconceptions to keep in mind when considering this sensitive issue.

I do not believe that we should altogether do away with abortions. I’m not sure anyone believes that.

Sometimes an abortion may be a necessary medical procedure for the physical or emotional (in the case of rape or incest) health of the woman. I recognize that. Some people argue that abortions are never medically necessary – I do not have enough professional medical experience to say one way or the other. But I can say that in my experience, exceptions are sometimes appropriate in a situation as sensitive as this.

                                                                                                                         

So why legislate against abortion?

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to. In a perfect world, there would be no “pro-choice” because conception would never be a mistake. And there would be no “pro-life” because abortions would only be used when medically necessary.

But, of course, we live in an imperfect world. And because we live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people, “mistake” conceptions have become a common reason for abortions. So legislation is required to step in and regulate the procedure.

But why does abortion need to be regulated?

Abortion isn’t about agency. It’s about consequence.

One of the greatest misconceptions about legislating against abortion is that those in favor also support denying a woman the right to choose what she does with her body.

This is not true.

I fully support a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body. I am passionate about upholding human rights, including (especially) a person’s right to choose for themselves.

But with that responsibility comes accountability. I fully expect a person to understand and/or accept the consequences of their choices.

If a woman does not want to get pregnant, she can choose to abstain from sex, or she can choose to practice safe (protected) sex. That is her decision to make.

But once a woman has created another little body within her own (or has at least begun that process), her choice has been made. And exemption from the consequences of one's decisions is absolutely not a human right. 

Please do not misunderstand me; my intention here is not to imply that a woman should keep a child that she cannot financially or emotionally support as a flippant “consequence”. I realize that there can be complicated circumstances involving women that are not prepared to be mothers carrying a baby to term.

My only point here is that I absolutely support a woman’s right to choose how she handles her body, and accordingly hold her accountable for the natural consequences of those decisions. Just like anyone and any decision.

But why does it matter at all?

All life is precious.

The ability to create new human life is quite possibly the most significant responsibility endowed to women. Ultimately, the purpose of sex is to create new life. And although society promotes that sex is for expressing adoration or for recreation (not that it cannot be experienced to those ends), society as a whole is losing the respect for sex that it deserves.

Even if a baby cannot live outside the mother’s womb, it is still “alive”. The purpose of the womb is to grow the baby, and things that are not alive do not grow. All of the cells involved in the conception of a child (the sperm, the egg, the Zygote, etc.) are living cells, which makes the child living from conception (at the very least in the form of cells).

And these living cells have the potential to become living human beings in the most natural and fundamental way. 

The responsibility to give and take away life is one that should be treated with reverence and respect. Once the decision has been made to engage in the act of sex, and a child has been conceived, the responsibility to protect the life that has been created becomes the parents’. And if the parents do not respect that responsibility, someone must.

Because all life is precious. Most especially human life.