The Synthesis of Three Opposing Viewpoints

Abortion is one of the topics that has sparked much controversy, with many more arguing about whether it is an act of murder or not. The raging controversy has been whether abortion should be considered murder or not. When an embryo becomes a living soul is perhaps the most intriguing topic that adds a twist to the discussion. This subject has brought theological viewpoints and ideologies into the discussion, with some citing holy books such as the Bible to back up their position.

According to Robert Tucker's pro-abortion post, Why Abortion is Not Murder, an early-term abortion does not constitute murder because the fetus is not a "being." The anti-abortion article Abortion is Murder by Eric Matthew Brown suggests that abortion is murder and impermissible and even those who favor it know the same. Dane Inouye in his article Abortion: Murder, or Removal of Tissue looks at the Christian religious view on abortion and the inferences to life that are made by the Bible in comparison to science.

In his book Why Abortion is Not Murder, Robert Tucker argues that six criteria qualify an action to be term as murder. First of all, the action has to involve killing. The second criterion is that the action has to involve life. The third criterion that terms an action as murder is the human. Fourth criterion is the action has to be intentional. The fifth criterion for terming an action as murder is innocent and finally the sixth and final criterion for terming an action as murder is a person. In summary, for an act to be classified “murder” the action should “involve the intentional killing of an innocent human life which is a person”. When considering the first and second criteria that is killing and life, abortion can be termed as absolute murder since it involves the killing of the fetus thus taking away its life.

For criteria three “human” the answer remains yes abortion is still murder as the fetus belongs to a species named human.

As for criteria four whether the intention of the abortion was to kill, this is where the author argues that “Abortion is done intentionally to terminate the pregnancy,” but there is a catch until the sixth and final criteria that involve personhood must be fulfilled for it to be considered to be murder. Robert Tucker further describes personhood using these three main words, consciousness, self- awareness and memory. This further explains that for abortion to be termed as murder the fetus which life has been terminated must have been conscious, self-aware and has a memory. To some extent, I agree since there is no person without a brain and the brain must be fully functional and mature for on to possess characteristics so as to be termed as conscious, self-aware and have a memory. On the other hand, I can’t help myself but think what of the people who are mentally challenged but yet they are grown up? Yes, they are conscious, self-aware I don’t know, but have a memory but jumbled up, do we term them as having a persona?

As for criterion number five that involves innocence, the answer is mostly yes. However, Robert Tucker asserts that when the fetus threatens the life or emotional welfare of its mother, the infant is no longer considered as an innocent life and the decision of the mother to terminate the pregnancy could be a termed as an act of self-defense. This is true to some extent like for instance when bacteria viruses and fungi attack us we often seek to get medication as an act of self-defense in our bodies. However, when an infant is not a threat to a mother and the mother decides to abort the fetus this is murder as the child life at this moment and time is innocent. At the same time I can’t help but think isn’t a child innocent, according to Oxford Dictionary innocence is a lack of guile or rather a purity, these states come from the mind, and a fetus which has no knowledge of good and evil is considered as innocent.

The sixth and final criteria on terming an action as murder involves personhood, there has been a huge debate on when a infant's brain is fully developed so as to term it as having a persona. Some child psychologists argue that that persona does not develop until months or years after birth, while others argue that after the first trimester of pregnancy is when the persona of the fetus develops. Well, at least one thing is constant up to the first trimester the fetus does not possess a persona and according to Robert Tucker abortion conducted at this stage does not qualify to be termed as murder. I have mixed feelings about this criteria as we are not certain when a fetus develops personhood

In his article, Abortion is Murder by Eric Matthew Brown argues that abortion is murder. Abortion is referred to as murder as life begins at conception. The author argues the conception, formation of a zygote then fetus all are part of the process of forming a human being and that one cannot develop into a human without passing through all these processes. I concur with the author since there is no stage where one can separate from the whole process and say at this point is where a human being starts to form. It is a process in its totality.

Erick in his article asserts that “the reality of the human person is independent of the possession or privatization of accidental perfections such as consciousness, use of reason or any sense organs including the brain”. For one to be a human life all that is required is for a person to belong to the human species. I tend to agree with the author since certain conditions may cause a fetus not to develop fully. These conditions may render some organs of the fetus not to develop well causing it to not to have consciousness, self-awareness or even memory. But due to some disorders during a person’s fetal stage does not make the fetus less human being. The fetus remains of the human species.

Erick concludes that since murder is the intentional killing of an innocent human person, and that every human person is objectively perceived as innocent until birth, every abortion is intentional killing of an innocent human person. The author also argues that even the people who are pro-abortion acknowledge that abortion is murder and have now come up with words that are meant to justify this act. Terms such as ‘choice,' ‘reproductive rights’ and ‘medical procedures.' The author described the word as “ways of talking round the point that hide the truth from other and perhaps from oneself” In my opinion, it is indeed true that life begins at conception and that there are certain situations where the fetus possesses a danger to its mother. In such a case, the doctors are very much aware of what to do and therefore the many euphemisms that have been formulated to justify abortions need not exist. I, therefore, believe that the doctors are the ones who are qualified to term a pregnancy as dangerous to the mother.

Dane Inouye in his article Abortion: Murder, or Removal of Tissue takes a look at the Christian religious point of view towards abortion. The Bible does not specifically talk of “abortion” directly but several inferences are made. For instance, in the book of Psalm 139:13-16 “for you created my inmost being; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” this verse implies that the fetus is referred to as a human being. The writer asserts that throughout the Bible the fetus in a mother’s womb is often referred to as a child. Throughout the Bible God gives the fetus a personhood and refers to it as a child.in my view, life begins at conception thus personhood is given at the fetal stage. The feelings of consciousness, self-awareness and memory develop with time.

In conclusion, the debate on whether abortion is murder or not is a daunting task and is proving to be a hard nut to crack. Religion and science have come up with their own views on the matter, but in my own opinion it trickles down to an individual’s moral, ethics and the reason for abortion.

Works Cited

Brown, Erick Matthew. "Abortion is Murder." 27 April 2015. https://www.researchgate.net. 20 June 2017.

Inouye, Dane. "Abortion: Murder, or Removal of Tissue." n.d. https://hilo.hawaii.edu. 20 June 2017.

Tucker, Robert P. "Why Abortion is Not Murder." 1 October 2000. http://www.dbcuuc.org/sermons/001001.htm. 20 June 2017.