One of the longest and most divisive arguments in our society is the argument over abortion. I believe that the reason for this is that both sides are being dishonest.
To begin with we must recognize that when a couple has an unwanted pregnancy…….there is no happy ending. Somebody is going to get hurt badly……the mother……or the child. The father escapes relatively unscathed. This is not fair…….but it is the reality………it is the truth.
There are only two outcomes to an unwanted pregnancy and both are bad. EITHER the mother has to endure 9 months of pregnancy, followed by labor and delivery, followed by the trauma of adoption or 18 years of raising a son or daughter……..OR…….the child is killed by being dismembered…… without the benefit of any form of pain relief.
By any rational analysis, both of these outcomes are horrible.
These are the facts……..so why is the argument dishonest?
The argument is dishonest because each side advocates a position that causes harm to somebody…….and each side ignores the harm that they advocate. Each side refuses to accept responsibility for the pain that they cause. In short, we cannot have an honest conversation about abortion until each side recognizes and takes ownership of the harm that they advocate.
The pro life side must take ownership of the harm that their position causes the mother……..and, to a lesser extent, the father.
The pro choice side must take ownership of the harm that they advocate doing to the baby.
This will be painful but it will finally lead to a conversation that is at least honest. It will not, however, lead to a happy ending for the couple with the unwanted pregnancy.
The only “happy ending” is to prevent the unwanted pregnancy in the first place. We have had effective birth control for decades. Science and chemistry have not solved the problem.
So what is the solution?
The best solution has also been around for a long time…… centuries as a matter of fact. We need to eliminate “recreational sex”. This is the solution that God gave us in Exodus. This is the solution recommended in the “owners manual” ………the Bible.
“You shall not commit adultery”
God, NIV
Like the rest of the Bible, this rule is not there to wreck our fun. It’s there for our protection……….from ourselves.
Obeying this one rule would solve the bulk of the abortion problem……..and end our dishonest debate.
Or……
We could just keep on yelling at each other for another 50 years or so.
We could force women to endure unwanted pregnancies.
We could continue dismembering 3000 children a day.
1 Comment
Byron, I’m not sure I completely agree with you on the point that both sides cause harm. It is emotionally (and somewhat physically) difficult to go through with having the baby, but especially in cases where the child was conceived in an unplanned way, sometimes God uses adversity for good. My sister’s unwanted pregnancy shook her out of a self-destructive lifestyle and going through the experience of having the baby made her realize how precious life is, for everyone. That baby saved her life, even though he was out of her life 48 hours after his birth.
I agree that it’s better not to get into a situation of pregnancy when you aren’t prepared for it, but in cases of rape we’re not talking recreational sex. The baby still is a human being and has a right to live, regardless of the circumstances they were conceived under. I think the harm done in the dismembering and terminating of a child far outweighs enduring 9 months of an unwanted pregnancy.