A big controversial topic that has boomed in the most recent years is abortion. Abortion has become so controversial because of the two set standpoint categories. The standpoints being prochoice and prolife which is also considered antiabortion or antichoice. People might ask, 'what is abortion?', an abortion is stopping the pregnancy in the female by terminating the fetus, most happening within the first 28 weeks of being conceived. Abortion is viewed in many ways, yet no matter how many times and ways it is viewed it is still unacceptable to kill innocent life.
The past recent years prolife and antiabortion supporters have made a change in “the political landscape of the united states” (Todd Peters 130). Antichoice campaigns grow for political candidates for state-level legislation. These groups of the prolife movement range from a political action committee to public interest law and policy groups to an activist organization were the public faces in the united states (Todd Peters 130). The faces of the movement represented antiabortion leaders from previous years. Most of them being Christian political and religious leaders who worked toward religious-cultural legislation of abortion (Todd Peters 131).
The profile has had some difficulties throughout the road all over the world. Ireland had voted for whether abortion should be removed from the constitution on May 25, 2018. The voting ended with the republic voting with removing abortion. The voting was specifically to remove an amendment that supported and provided the babies and their pregnant mommas the same protection (Kaveny, Cathleen 10). People understood from the amendment that abortion wasn’t going to be accepted or allowed unless the women are endangering her own life. The majority voted for that to change, people were coming around suggesting not to follow the catholic habits and traditions. The voters that wanted the change were the liberals and conservatives. They all wanted the rise in democratic values. Be the end the Irish had agreed with the liberals and conservatives (Kaveny, Cathleen 10).
The thoughts of the Irish making the right decision was being the second guess. The thought of the reason the agreed was because of the lawsuit Roe v. Wade that happened years before (Kaveny, Cathleen 10). If you are unfamiliar with the case it was a case that made it to the supreme court in 1973. This case allowed abortion throughout the united states, taking down all signs, posters, and statutes that were prohibiting abortion. It was stated that the right to abortion was protected by the 14th amendment (Roe V. Wade). The ruling had been considered very controversial. There is still no equal amount of people supporting one or the other side, it is still very divided for choosing the women’s right to abort (Roe V. Wade).
When ruled the United States, all over was granted legal borderlines for abortion. Meaning women within their first and second trimester, approximately 24 weeks could terminate the baby.” Roe v. Wade was a watershed legal ruling. But it also helped to turn abortion into the great foe of American consensus” (Prager, Joshua). To this day, Roe v. Wade is one of the most known case rulings from the supreme court in America (Prager, Joshua).
Catholicism was not too happy with this decision being the fact that its not the way Catholics practice. The fact that women were intentionally taking the life of an unborn child was disapproved by the catholic church. “The embryo is a human person from the time of its conception.” (Zalot 207) They believe for Catholics is that it is wrong to take away a life that Is so innocent and that sacred from at the point of conception to the point of natural death (Saunders, William Fr.). The church teaches, “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being'(Saunders, William Fr.). The church believes in the science that the embryo is its oneself and by itself, it's a person and not part of the mother's body. In science everyone knows that a person has cells that hold DNA, which holds a person's genetic makeup. 'the embryo is its unique genetic makeup from conception.' (Zalot 206)
Catholicism and the beliefs they have brought many supports for democrats and their thought on abortion being disapproved. The rise of antiabortion and antichoice have grown so much through Catholicism and its wide range in people throughout the world. However, the Democrats have their company with the republicans. As the democrat group grows, so does the republic side. As the democrat’s route for abortion not being allowed, the republican side is different. They respect the aspects of abortion. Catholicism is not going to stop practicing the practices of the faith to please others. Especially growing up as a strong catholic, it is much harder to come around for the side of society.
The difference between prolife and prochoice have their big separation, being that abortion is wanted or approve while the other is not wanted and disapproved. The believers of pro-choice believe that women have the right to decide if she is ready to commit to the motherhood. If not ready, the women have the right to terminate the baby (Parenthood, Planned). Profile believe the opposite; they disapprove of the aspect of abortion. “Does a human embryo have any moral standing and, if so, should it be afforded the same dignity and rights as other human persons?” (Zalot 205) Profile supporters believe that a woman should not be able to abort the baby due to the baby’s life being a human life, and any life is sacred (Saunders, William Fr.). The respect towards anyone and their rights is appreciated by anyone. Why not are the embryos growing to be a new person in the world? What makes them so different? Most antiabortion pushes for an overturn of the case of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Therefore, that has brought a lot of tension between the antiabortion and the pro-choice movement.
There is a lot of misinterpretation of the Catholic church teaching against abortion. That often causes problems in the long run. The church can be presented as bad because of all the misrepresentation that others propose about the church. Prochoice supporters clam that prolife prohibits the act of abortion even if the women are endangering her own life. That is a misconception on the side of prolife. “Catholic doctrine does not prohibit life-saving medical procedures that result in the death of fetuses” (Stoker, Elizabeth). This is saying that Catholics do not disapprove of any medical procedures that are granted to save the women who endanger just to save the baby. Under the circumstance of the women being in danger, abortion is not disapproved. Another thing is that Catholics don’t have hatred toward anyone who is for abortion or against Catholicism. It is very open to hearing people out and sometimes suggesting a different approach to certain things. But not under ant circumstances is the church teaching for hatred to be upon anyone pro-choice.
Through all the research assessed and putting together, many standpoints are known. Both sides were presented with their data explaining themselves, trying to prove a point upon both sides. Pros and cons were presented, and facts were acknowledged. The world can view both sides however they pursue. Through all the research presented my view and belief will not change. Abortion is viewed in many ways, yet no matter how many times and ways it is viewed it is still unacceptable to kill innocent life.
What I have learned in my upbringing in the catholic teachings, if I could make a law, I would not allow abortion to continue. The church teaches that life begins at conception therefore, the task of abortion is killing which is a sin and illegal. In the world in which you kill someone, you suffer the consequences and go to jail. In abortion, you are terminating the human in the wound but there are no consequences. What the difference between the murders? Why is one considered illegal and the other one isn't? There is no difference. Murder is happening in both situations but the consequences for nowhere near the same. Since abortion is allowed with no consequence and killing an adult shouldn't have consequences either. The same act of killing but one is taken as okay and the other isn’t.
Work Cited
Kaveny, Cathleen. 'What It Means for the Pro-life Movement.' Commonweal, no. 13, 2018, p. 10.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=ed gov&AN=edsgcl.550518039&site=eds-live&custid=swtexas
Parenthood, Planned. “What Do the Terms ‘pro-Choice’ and ‘pro-Life’ Mean?” Planned Parenthood, www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/teens/ask-experts/can-you-explain-what pro-choice-means-and-pro-life-means-im-supposed-to-do-it-for-a-class-thanks.
Prager, Joshua. “Tracing the Life of Norma McCorvey, ‘Jane Roe’ of Roe v. Wade, and Why She'd Favor an Abortion Ban.” The Hive, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2015, www.vanityfair.com/news/politics/2013/02/norma-mccorvey-roe-v-wade-abortion
“ROE V. WADE.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/womens rights/roe-v-wade.
Saunders, William Fr. “The Catholic Church and Abortion.” Catholic News Agency, Catholic News Agency, www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/abortion/catholic-teaching/the catholic-church-and-abortion.
Stoker, Elizabeth. “5 Misconceptions about Catholics and Abortion.” The Week - All You Need to Know About Everything That Matters, The Week, 12 Feb. 2014, theweek.com/articles/451191/5-misconceptions-about-catholics-abortion.
Todd Peters, Rebecca. “Considering Social Policy on Abortion: Respecting Women as Moral Agents.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion (Indiana University Press), vol. 30, no. 1, Spring 2014, pp. 129–138. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip, sso&db=hft&AN=1018024 2&site=eds-live&custid=swtexas.