The Popol Vuh

The Right to Life
Life is lived out through our philosophical and ideological beliefs. The fundamental principles and circumstances that help to shape our views as it concerns these guiding force in our lives are varied and sometimes due to circumstances. However we arrive at these core beliefs, there are several universally accepted institutions that play a vital role in shaping these beliefs and religion is definitely a universally accepted institution and it definitely plays a vital role in shaping our core values. Our beliefs are an extension of deeply rooted core values. Religion is a source of division when it comes to our beliefs about abortion and the right of a woman to choose.. Those who oppose abortion usually using the Holy Bible as their source to form and formulate their core values. They contend and label it as murder due to one of the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses by God to for people of Israel says “Thou shalt not kill”. Those that oppose it believe that life begins at conception. As a practicing Christian, I hold the same core belief but also believe in the “free will and determination” that God has given to mankind. When God placed man in the Garden of Eden, he gave them the freedom to choose to keep the commandment not to eat of the Tree of life” and it is no secret what choice they made. Adam and Eve ate from it1. My core value belief is that a woman has the same right of choice.
It seems important that before the issue is debated from my viewpoint that the question should be asked: how did such a hot and debatable topic come to be. The decision by the Supreme Court of United States of America in Rowe v Wade sets the stage for this controversial topic which led to legislation legalizing abortion in 1973. Consider an excerpt from the book ABORTATION OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS edited by Mary E. Williams: Abortion is one of the most persistently controversial issues in American culture and (Williams)politics today. Since the 1973 national legislation of abortion, competing groups have fought to either restrict or increase access to the procedure, leading to heated debates among political activist, religious organization, state legislatures, and judges. This conflict is perhaps reflective of the nation’s ambivalence over abortion. While is often depicted as a two- sided debate, the abortion controversy is actually quite multifaceted, involving complex speculation on biology, ethics, and constitutional rights. Those who identify themselves as prolife, for example, generally contend that abortion is wrong because it kills human life, which they believe begins at conception.2 When life begins is usually argued in terms of morality versus immorality. A group of Catholic Bishops frames their argument around the idea that abortion is immoral is discussed in the book Abortion Opposing Viewpoints. The essay is titled: Abortion Is Immoral Catholic Bishops of the United States The following viewpoint is excerpted from a November 1998 statement drafted by the Catholic Bishops of the United States that addressed the American Catholic response in opposing abortion in the the political sphere. These bishops maintain that the most basic human right is the right to life. Since human life is sacred from conception until natural death, they contend, abortion is immoral.3 They also use Biblical Scripture to support their belief about when life begins: “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I consecrated you; a prophet to the nations I appointed.” 4 A rebuttal to the Bishop 's immoral argument is given by John M. Swomley from this same book. The excerpt is titled: ABORTATION IS NOT IMMORAL. Swomley contends that that “the Bible contains no statements against abortion. He explains that; in addition, a fetus is scientifically defined as a person when the brain activity begins- about twenty-eight weeks after implantation-not at conception. He believes that abortion maybe necessary when a woman’s life, health, or family is endangered by her pregnancy. Ultimately, he concludes that women should have the right to control their destiny.” The following excerpt is one of the ways that he frames his argument: “Just what does sanctity of life mean? Does it mean that all embryonic life is more sacred than the life or health of a woman? The problem that the cardinal and bishops do not face is that of conflict between existing persons and potential persons. They don’t face the question of whether there should be a bias in favor of the women. They promote a bias in favor of an embryo or fetus that may miscarry up to 50 percent of the time. What about a woman with diabetes epilepsy or some other disease that would jeopardize her live if she continued a pregnancy to term. Is her life sacred?”5 There is not only the debate about abortion rights but there is also the debate within the debate which includes “Late term Abortion: As usual, there are those that think later term abortion is okay and those who believe that it isn’t okay. Gretchen Voss discusses her belief and experience in an excerpt titled Late-term Abortion Should Be Available. She frames her argument basically around the idea that this procedure would allow babies with defects to abort. She is concerned that the ban would allow the birth of “fetuses with severe birth defects, including those incompatible with life (many of which cannot be detected until well into the second trimester). No matter if the mother would be forced to have, for example, kidney transplant or a hysterectomy if she continues with the pregnancy.” She claims that “legislation did not provide a health exception for the woman…”6 The counter argument which is supported by Justice Anthony Kennedy he wrote” States also have an interest in forbidding medical procedure which… cause medical profession or society as a whole to become insensitive, even disdainful, to life…”7 This argument is further supported by saying that “partial birth abortion is different from other abortions methods because “the fetus is ‘killed outside of the womb’ where the fetus has an autonomy which separates it from the right of a woman to choose treatment of her own body.” Pro-life activist, especially like the Catholic “point to a second reason why the ban is so crucial” They say that “experts have testified partial birth abortion causes “prolonged and excruciating pain” to the unborn child.” 8 The discussion so far has centered on procedures that physical and invasive in their nature. There is a pill that can be used for to abort named RU-486 ABORTION. A major argument in favor of the drug improves accessibility. Journalist Laura Fraser who writes the Well-Being column for Mother Jones is cited in the book The Abortion Controversy edited by Lynette Knapp. In it Knapp cites Fraser as saying that a survey of obstetricians and gynecologists shows that t 54% of those surveyed who currently perform abortions would offer the drug. It also showed that 45% of those who don’t currently perform abortions would offer the drug...9 On the other hand this discussion has shown that pro –lifers will not support any type of abortion because of their strongly held belief that life begins at conception. I don’t view this debate from the point of view as to when life begins. Rather, It has to do with a woman’s right to control her destiny when it concerns her body. It is true that the Bible does say that mankind should not kill one another, but before that commandment there was also the Biblical Book of Genesis. In it we see mankind’s first right to choice. God gave Adam and Eve the right to choose life or die as it pertained to their access to the Tree of the Knowledge.

Endnotes
The Holy Bible discusses Adam and Eve disobeyed God and exercised their right to choose by eating from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good Evil.1
Mary E. Williams in an excerpt titled ABORTATION OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS Say “While is often depicted as a two- sided debate, the abortion controversy is actually quite multifaceted, involving complex speculation on biology, ethics, and constitutional rights.”2
The Catholic Bishops of the United States in an essay titled Abortion is Immoral believe “human life is sacred from conception until natural death”. The bishop quote from Book of Jeremiah Showing life begin at conception.4
John M. Swomley offers a pro-choice rebuttal to the bishops’ argument in an excerpt titled: ABORTATION IS NOT IMMORAL. He believes abortion is necessary if a “women’s life, health, or family is endangered by her pregnancy.”5
Gretchen Voss argues that a ban on late term abortion allow babies with severe birth defects to be born.6
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the dissenting opinion against late term abortion. He believe it would cause the “medical profession or even society as a whole to become insensitive, even disdainful to life.7
Activists against late term abortion categorized it differently from other abortion procedures because it performed outside the womb.8
Journalist Laura Fraser who writes the Well-Being column for Mother Jones is cited in the book The Abortion Controversy edited by Lynette Knapp belie RU-486 ABORTION , an abortion pill would give more access to abortion.
Works Cited
Catholic Bishops. “Abortion is Immoral”. GreenHaven Press [California]. 2002
Holy Bible. Genesis Chapter1 . New International Version (NIV)
Kennedy Anthony, “Late Term Abortion, Gonzalez v Carhart”. Supreme Court Majority Decision. 2007
Project defending Life.” . “Albuquerque, NM- Late-Term Abortion Capital: New Mexico Is The Wild, Wild, West As Far As Abortion Is Concerned…No Regulations & Anything Goes!”. Project defending Life”. Catholic Pro-Life Ministries. 9 August 2011. web
Swomely John M.. “Abortion is not Immoral”. GreenHaven Press [California]. 2002
Voss Gretchen. “My Late Term Abortion”. Boston Globe.[Mass]. 15 January 2004
Williams Mary E. “Opposing Viewpoints”. Greenhaven Press[California]. 20 May 2005.

Cited: Catholic Bishops. “Abortion is Immoral”. GreenHaven Press [California]. 2002 Holy Bible. Genesis Chapter1 . New International Version (NIV) Kennedy Anthony, “Late Term Abortion, Gonzalez v Carhart”. Supreme Court Majority Decision. 2007 Project defending Life.” . “Albuquerque, NM- Late-Term Abortion Capital: New Mexico Is The Wild, Wild, West As Far As Abortion Is Concerned…No Regulations & Anything Goes!”. Project defending Life”. Catholic Pro-Life Ministries. 9 August 2011. web Swomely John M.. “Abortion is not Immoral”. GreenHaven Press [California]. 2002 Voss Gretchen. “My Late Term Abortion”. Boston Globe.[Mass]. 15 January 2004 Williams Mary E. “Opposing Viewpoints”. Greenhaven Press[California]. 20 May 2005.