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Overview - Abortion
Few issues present more spiritual dilemmas than abortion. But despite the need for understanding and dialogue, few are as plagued by sanctimonious dogmatism from both sides. There are two principles on which everyone seems to agree: Human life is sacred, and the acceptability of abortion depends on the extent to which a gestating fetus can be considered human. Beyond this, any semblance of reason and humility is almost non-existent.
Framing the Debate
At its core the controversy reduces to two questions,
- What exactly is human life and when does it begin (the two are inseparable)?
- How can society respond to abortion and guard the lives and dignity of mothers and infants?
Both sides try to frame the debate in terms that assume the answer to these questions, even in their choice of monikers. Standards for defining the beginning of “human life” range from the time of actual delivery to the belief that there is no beginning—literally, that sperm and egg are in some sense meaningfully human. By far the most common are that life begins at,
Standards for defining the beginning of “human life” range from the time of actual delivery to the belief that there is no beginning—literally, that sperm and egg are in some sense meaningfully human. By far the most common are that life begins at,
- Conception (i.e. fertilization).
- Viability of the zygote (usually associated with implantation of the fertilized zygote in the uterine wall).
- The first appearance of a stable and unique EEG (for which estimates ranging from 6-27 weeks development have been argued by the two camps).
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