Q. Is abortion not the same as murder?
A. For abortion to be murder you have to believe that the prenatal life is a human person with the same values as someone who is already born and that there were no reasons that justified the taking of that life. If you do not believe the foetus is a human person and therefore has less value than a born person abortion is not murder.

Q. How do the different religions view the question of abortion and when the foetus becomes a person?

A.  Christian beliefs on the issue of personhood range from:

• When fertilisation takes place
• When the prenatal life has gone through various stages of development until it more resembles born persons
• When the woman welcomes the life in her uterus and consents to the pregnancy
• When the foetus is viable and God infuses a soul into the body, or God breathes into the body of the foetus and it becomes a person. 

Judaism is divided on the issue. Under traditional Jewish law, a life is not considered separate from the mother until its head is out of the uterus. The different Jewish traditions have conflicting views on abortion with some supporting abortions in cases of rape, incest or the certainty of foetal deformity when the mental and physical health of the woman is jeopardised. Others who adhere to the Jewish faith permit abortion when the spiritual, psychological or physical health of the woman is threatened by the pregnancy.

Moslem  is also divided on the issue when the foetus becomes a person, with some groups believing that abortion can be performed as late as 120 days whilst others only allow abortion in the first 40 days. Those who allow abortion in the first 40 days believe that a foetus is like a seed that has not yet received the breath of life.

Hinduism and Buddhism – both believe in rebirth so abortion is not necessarily a barrier in achieving a higher level of existence for someone. Traditional Hindus believe that the soul enters the foetus at the moment of conception and therefore do not permit abortion except in the cases of rape, incest and to save the woman’s life.  Many Buddhists believe that consciousness arises at the moment of conception, and that abortion is killing and is wrong. Other Buddhists believe that consciousness cannot arise in a foetus until it develops a brain, facial organs and a nervous system and that the decision to have an abortion belongs with the woman. Whilst they do not condone any killing they consider that the situation surrounding each pregnancy is different and no rigid rules can be made about this issue.

Zen Buddhism emphasise the decision making process rather than the abortion decision itself.

Shintoism – a religion widely practised in Japan believes that the decision is personal and that a woman and her priest should make the decision together with the priest acting as her mediator between her personal concerns and the will of God.

Sikhism - Sikhs believe in rebirth and that abortion is not necessarily the end of life for a soul, but they do believe that the purpose of human life is to have a chance to meet God and that abortion means denying someone a chance to discover God. Younger Sikhs believe that abortion is the choice of the family involved and draw on their religion’s ancient tradition of women’s rights. 

Q. Isn’t abortion evil, immoral and a sin?
A.When a woman through a serious process of self-reflection, concludes that she is not able or ready to bring a child into the world, she makes a moral decision. Children deserve to be loved and wanted and women need to be trusted with the decision to make this choice for themselves. 

Q. Wouldn’t it be better for a woman to adopt the child out rather than have an abortion? So many couples want children and can’t have any?
A. To force a woman to continue with a pregnancy so that she can adopt the child out to a couple who are childless is to ignore her right to make a decision about her body. 

Q. Shouldn’t women delay having sex unless they are prepared for the consequences – pregnancy?
A. Whether you agree with this statement or not depends on your view of sexuality.  For some, having sex is not a positive thing in itself if it does not include an openness to children. Others may consider sex to be the expression of love, physical urges or both. When a woman makes a decision to have an abortion because she is not ready or able to have a child for whatever reason, she is making a response to the consequences of being sexually active. Children should be the result of a freely made decision. Children should not be punishment for having sex.

Q. Shouldn’t the man have just as many rights as the woman to decide whether the pregnancy is continued or not?
A. Couples in a loving permanent relationship may want to work together and support each other in making a decision, however it is ultimately the woman who bears the risks and responsibility of pregnancy and giving birth, in most cases she will do most of the childrearing and it is therefore in the end her decision.

Q. Am I a bad person if I have an abortion?
A. No woman can become a bad person for deciding to have an abortion. If you have considered all your options and have considered all the aspects of each option you have done everything anyone can do to make a serious choice. Good women have abortions and they are still good women after the abortion.

Q. Am I selfish for having wanting to have an abortion?
A. There is a difference between being selfish and exercising good self care. Being selfish means wanting everything to go one’s way and being pre-occupied. Being concerned about yourself and your own development and future means you can acknowledge your own hopes and dreams and strive to make the decision that is best for you and your circumstances. 

Q. Will I feel guilty after I have an abortion?
A. You may feel guilty after you have an abortion but that does not mean you are guilty. Before you have an abortion take some time to consider what influence your parents, your upbringing, your peer group and your church has on your decision making process. It may be that your decision to have an abortion goes against what these people or these groups have told you about what is right and what is wrong. An unplanned pregnancy is an opportunity to examine these values, ask yourself whether you still hold the same values or not and make decisions about changing or sticking to your values. The right to consider abortion is yours, no matter what others may say. If you have decided to have an abortion is is better to end the pregnancy as soon as possible.

A woman centred approach to making a decision...