by John Petty

Created on: October 22, 2008

This should be a very simple issue. Since it's not possible, and may never be possible, to strictly determine when life begins, the only way to decide this question in a fair and balanced manner is to let each woman decide for herself. Deciding the issue on religious grounds simply complicates matters, as we live in a heterogeneous society that encompasses a wide variety of religious beliefs. How, then, do we chose one to represent all of America's views on abortion?

At the end of the day, everyone must answer to their own conscience, and, in many cases, to their own god about such important issues. Is abortion always the right choice? Of course not, just as carrying an unwanted infant to term is not always the right choice. Is abortion ever the right choice? Certainly millions of women of good conscience who have undergone the procedure, for a variety of reasons, will say that it is.

If you believe that a fetus, up to a certain point, is simply a mass of tissue, like the liver or the gall bladder, then having an abortion, especially in the first trimester, is little different than having an appendectomy. Those who believe otherwise are fully within their rights to never consider abortion a viable option, although they must live with the consequences of that decision.

With the Presidential election just a few weeks away, this issue really comes back to the viability of Roe vs. Wade, as abortion opponents are extremely vocal in their desire to see that Supreme Court decision overturned. Consider, however, the consequences of once again criminalizing abortions. The practice will not simply disappear, as many seem to think, but will return to the unlicensed and dangerous practice it was in earlier days. Certainly, women will still seek to have pregnancies terminated; without Roe vs. Wade, however, their options for a safe and sound medical procedure will be severely limited. Back-alley abortions, resulting in injury, death, and worse, will be the order of the day once more, an alternative I can't believe the so-called "Pro-Life" crowd desires.

Reading some of the statements on the other side of this issue, I was struck by how many referenced the Bible as justification for their belief that abortion should never be allowed. Arguing that, "it's against God's wishes," assumes that everyone, on both sides of the debate, believes in the same God, or believes in God at all. How arrogant it seems to make statements like this. In a pluralistic society like ours, no one belief system can, or should, stand before any other. "Freedom of religion," as promised in the Constitution, necessarily means, "Freedom FROM religion," as well.

Taking away rights like this is a slippery slope, potentially leading to all kinds of troubling issues. If we cede to our government the right to make decisions like this, what's to stop our legislators from deciding, as they did in China, that each couple can only have one child, facing stiff fines and penalties for any children in excess of that amount? What's to stop them from decreeing that all women of a certain ethnic or racial background be sterilized, or that women with children are ineligible to hold jobs? As far-fetched as these scenarios may seem, they could become all too real very quickly if we allow our government to make important decisions of conscience in our stead.

Instead, the better course is to increase funds for education, empowering women, especially young women, with knowledge about their options. "Abstinence-only" education has been a horrific failure. Give women more options, not less, but let each andeveryone of them make the ultimate decision for herself.

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