Dec 10, 2023

Introducing Abortion

For the purposes of the following series, On Abortion, abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. It has two components: intention and destruction. This excludes miscarriage and life-saving procedures intended to save the mother, in which the child dies as a side effect.

The debate regarding abortion is a long one. In fact, the first known abortion dates back to 1550 BC. But this says nothing about the moral value of the issue. Murder is far more ancient — in fact, in Biblical tradition, it is one of mankind’s first sins. That its origins are ancient does not prove that it is moral.

Throughout recent times, we have seen huge growth in debates surrounding abortion. It has been difficult to avoid. Many of us have been exposed to a wide array of arguments for abortion — none of which, I believe, justify upholding abortion as a "right."

According to the World Health Organisation, every year there are an estimated 73 million abortions worldwide. This corresponds to approximately 200,000 abortions per day. In 2020, about 1 in 5 pregnancies ended in abortion in the US. This is a far cry from the 1992 slogan "safe, legal, and rare."

As we inspect the different arguments for and against abortion, it will become apparent that there are many presumptions about humanness and values that underlie the debate. I will be avoiding the terms “pro-life” and “pro-choice” throughout this series. It seems more accurate to frame the debate in terms of anti-abortion and pro-abortion (abortion opposers and abortion supporters). One may, for instance, disapprove of abortion yet believe people should have the option – “pro-choice,” as it is commonly applied, does not seem to capture this fully. They may better be described as anti-abortion and pro-choice.

Throughout this series, keep in mind that we will be focussing primarily upon the moral worth of abortion, not whether everything immoral should be illegal (though in this case, I would think so). But for interests sake, lets have a quick look at what is legal in Australia.

Abortion is legal nationwide and Australia has some of the most lenient abortion laws in the world.

Australian Capital Territory	Abortion has been completely removed from the Crimes Act. There is no gestational limit preventing an abortion.
New South Wales	Abortions can be performed at up to week 22 of pregnancy. After that, 2 doctors must approve the procedure (this could be two abortionists).
Northern Territory	Abortions can be performed at up to week 24 of pregnancy. After 24 weeks, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.
Queensland	Abortions can be performed at up to week 22 of pregnancy. After this, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.
South Australia	Abortions can be performed at up to 22 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. After this, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.
Tasmania	Abortions can be performed at up to week 16 of pregnancy. After this, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.
Victoria	Abortions can be performed at up to week 24 of pregnancy. After 24 weeks, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.
Western Australia	Abortions can be performed at up to week 23 of pregnancy. After this, 2 doctors must approve the procedure.

More than this, Australia has seen it's fair share of viable babies surviving abortions and being left to die. In the years 2010-2020, 396 babies were left to die in Victoria and 328 in Queensland. The Queensland Termination of Pregnancy Guidelines state: “If live birth occurs… do not give life-sustaining treatment… document date and time end of life occurs.”

With such extreme abortion laws, you would think that Australians would at least maintain the right to protest? Right? HA! In all states, abortion clinics are protected by a 50-150 metre “safe access” or exclusion zone, prohibiting protesters from harassing women who come for an abortion. What kinds of “harassment” could be happening, you wonder? Well, mostly prayer. Prayer and politely offering alternatives to abortion. Apparently, religious freedoms just don’t measure up to the “right” for people to abort their child without shame and without facing the reality of what they’re doing.

Well, surely doctors aren’t being forced to recommend abortion, right? WRONG AGAIN! In about half of our states, there is very limited freedom of conscience for doctors and they must provide pro-abortion information to their patients and/or refer them for abortions.

While the majority of Australians are in favour of abortions in general, support for abortions between 14 and 20 weeks drops off radically. Dr Joanna Howe has argued that most Australians would be "appalled by the broad legality of late-term abortion... I think most Australians would say we have gone way too far..."

But why is that? What is this arbitrary line Australian's are drawing? Why do Australian's support it at all? Are the arguments for abortion really that persuasive? I'm not convinced.

Before continuuing, let it first be said that I have no intention of demonizing those who have had an abortion. Acknowledging the sensitivity and vulnerability which inevitably comes with the abortion debate, it is essential to approach this topic with empathy and understanding. Though I stand firmly against abortion (for the reasons in this series), it is my hope that this series can be informative without being condemnatory. I cannot pretend to know what circumstances led to any particular woman's abortion, and I have no intention of belittling those circumstances. My prayers are with them.

So, without further ado, this is my series On Abortion: