More or Less - The Real Abortion Question

People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other. -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

With such strong opinions on abortion, I was reluctant to even surface this issue. However, I feel that it is important to propose a way out of the game of brinkmanship that we are playing. Both sides of this complex debate have firmly dug their heels into the pavement and refuse to compromise. The reason for this powerful resistance is that this issue cuts to the very essence of who we are.

What Do You Value Most?
I would like to submit that those on either side are honest, caring, and genuine people. I know that this fact alone will be a stumbling block to many who are reading this article. Personally, I believe that abortion is destroying innocent life (babies) and am incredibly sad when I hear about them. I'm sad for the baby who never enjoyed life, and I'm sad for the woman who had to go through the trauma of an abortion. The sanctity of life takes a high priority in my system of values.

Those who are pro-choice feel just as strongly that a person has the right to decide what happens to their own body. They also feel that the government should not interfere with their personal life. Many do not see an embryo as a person. The prioritize their values differently than I do. It's not to say that they don't value life, it's just that they either don't perceive an embryo as life or they place a person's sovereignty over their own body in a higher position.

John Chambers, a UF psychology professor said, "Pro-life people need to understand that pro-choice people are not necessarily opposed to the value of human life or a moral code of sexual conduct, but they’re just more strongly in favor of women’s reproductive rights and freedom from government interference in private lives. At the same time, pro-choice people should see that pro-life people are not against women’s reproductive rights and freedom from government interference, they’re simply more supportive of the value of human life and a moral code of sexual conduct."

What's the Real Question?
While the question of whether abortion is right or wrong is a great way to understand what someone values most, it also allows us to continue in our current struggle without a real solution. Setting aside our differences about the values priorities, ask yourself this question, "would it be better to have more or less abortions?" Better yet, ask anyone running for political office. The answer to this question will enable us to find common ground to improve America.

The Real Goal
The real goal of any abortion discussion should be how we can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies; thus, the number of occasions for an abortion to occur. Regardless of your hierarchy of values, it is clear that we would be better off if fewer women had to make that choice. Going through the emotional and physical pain of an unwanted pregnancy is very difficult. The anguish can last years without the proper guidance and counseling. If we can help them avoid this trauma, shouldn't we?

I'm not going to assume that I know all of the root causes for unwanted pregnancies. Some of the reasons that I've seen in support and against unwanted pregnancies are the following: rape, incest, immorality, and mistakes in birth control. The key is to address the root causes of unwanted pregnancies, then, measure our success.

If the number of unwanted pregnancies increase, then we need to find out why. When you know why, it is possible to write laws that reduce lower the number of abortions. Our righteous desire to ban abortion is letting politicians take both sides of the issue. We need them to answer the real question, "Do you favor fewer abortions? If so, what are you specifically doing to ensure that this happens."

Pope John Paul II had this to say in May 25, 2000, "Another key element of human ecology is the inviolability of human life, especially at its beginning and its end. The Holy See insistently proclaims that the first and most fundamental of all human rights is the right to life, and that when this right is denied all other rights are threatened. The assumption that abortion and euthanasia are human rights deserving legislative sanction is seen by the Holy See as a contradiction which amounts to a denial of the human dignity and freedom which the law is supposed to protect. A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members; and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying."

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