Paper On Abortion

According to the three Abrahamic religions namely Islam, Christianity and Judaism, life is sacred and God is the only one who has the right to take a person’s life. However, recent debates have been ongoing about abortion, and whether the act constitutes murder. The recent technological advancements and women’s rights to have abortions is considered feasible. Yet, there lies a struggle between the protection of life, the choice, and the independence of women. It becomes difficult to determine where one of these factors precedes the other. In this paper, the researcher gives a formal position on abortion, while reflecting on the Abrahamic religions and how they influence values and decision making.

According to the Catholic religion, a fertilized

For instance, people are told that they should give justice to the fatherless, the weak and to maintain the rights of the destitute, and those afflicted. In this regard, the care extends to the child yet to be born. The book of Exodus 21:22-25 prescribes the appropriate punishment for anyone who harms a pregnant woman. If a person causes harm to the woman, which results in injury to the child she carries, the punishment is a tooth for tooth, eye for an eye, and life for life. This is according to the teachings of the Old Testament. The statement “life for life” suggests that the unborn child is alive (Stephens et al. 515). However, the laws of the Old Testament cannot apply in the life of Christians today. It only applied to the

Many scholars have studied the Old Testament that talks about murder and prescribe the appropriate forms of punishment. The sanctions for those who harm a pregnant person causing a miscarriage are all highlighted, that is, those who cause the murder of an unborn child (Kaiser 307). However, the Old Testament is criticized for the monetary compensation that it prescribes for crimes that result in miscarriages. Furthermore, the monetary penalty indicates that abortion, even though it is argued to be murder, is not considered as a capital crime (308). It is an indication that people should not be castigated for performing the act of abortion. Nonetheless, it is a sin to undergo an abortion because it breaks the command of God to populate the world. Therefore, wounding a person intentionally, or harming an unborn child is forbidden. This is according to Judaism, however, it is justifiable if the mother’s life is at